Truck Accident Lawyer Los Angeles
Most people are surprised to learn more than 11 million trucks are in operation across the country. It merely takes one of these trucks to cause a significant injury or even death to you, a family member or friend. The sheer weight and size of commercial trucks makes them inherently dangerous. Add in the fact that these massive trucks have several blind spots and driving such a vehicle proves all the more challenging.
Sadly, a collision with such a large truck will cause significant damage and injuries to automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. Even an accident involving a commercial truck traveling at a mere 5 to 10 miles per hour can cause life-changing injury. After all, most commercial trucks weigh around 25 time that of the standard car or SUV.
Investigating Commercial Truck Collisions
Collisions between commercial trucks and other vehicles as well as motorcycles, bikes and pedestrians should be investigated in a truly comprehensive manner. Even the smallest of details matters a great deal. The best truck accident attorneys understand the truck driver should be investigated as well as his or her trucking company employer. A thorough investigation will provide the information and evidence necessary to show what caused the collision and the extent to which the trucking company was negligent.
Our experienced truck accident attorneys are here to perform this investigation on your behalf. We will review the report pertaining to the accident as well as your medical reports, the black box from the truck, eyewitness statements and more. Let our team handle the challenge of gathering evidence and we will develop the optimal legal strategy with the nuances of your unique case in mind. This is precisely what you need to stand a chance of beating the trucking company’s corporate attorneys, winning either court-awarded financial compensation or a lucrative settlement.
What Causes Truck Accidents?
Commercial truck drivers sit in their big rigs for hours at a time, navigating busy traffic in an attempt to reach their destination in a timely manner. Unfortunately, safety is often compromised in the quest to make money. Between driver fatigue, challenging weather conditions and distractions, there are all sorts of potential problems that might lead to a violent truck accident that takes the life of a loved one or leaves you significantly injured.
The sad truth is many of these collisions are the result of truck drivers driving in a careless manner or rushing to complete their route. The time crunch is a large part of the reason why some truck drivers bypass rest breaks and drive on short sleep. Making matters worse is the fact that many trucking companies do not monitor driver rest breaks. This is precisely why fatigue is one of the top causes of truck accidents. Aside from fatigue, truck collisions are also caused by:
- The rush to deliver goods before a deadline
- Blind spots
- Distractions
- Failure to maneuver through traffic in a safe manner
- Failure to brake in time to prevent contact with other vehicles
The Potential for a Lawsuit
California law mandates an individual injured in a truck accident file a lawsuit within two years after the accident. The exception is if the injury stems from a government entity. If this is the case, the Claim for Damages must be filed within six months from the point in time when the accident occurred.
Damages That can be Recovered After a Truck Accident
According to California law, an individual injured in a truck accident can recover financial compensation through economic damages. However, there are also damages that fall under the umbrella of non-economic damages.
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Physical pain
- Humiliation
- Grief
- Anxiety
- Mental suffering
- Emotional Distress
Examples of economic damages include:
- Medical expenses related to the accident both past, present and future
- Medication costs
- Lost earnings due to the inability to work or the inability to work at the pre-accident capacity
- Property damage to the vehicle or personal belongings
- Rental car expenses
- Medical equipment expenses such as a brace, cane, crutches, halo or wheelchair
California law states those injured in truck accidents are entitled to financial compensation for all of the items detailed above. Furthermore, such victims are also entitled to obtain non-economic damages both past and future. We will get the most value possible for these items, ensuring you are provided with the largest possible recovery.
Just as important is the fact that our legal team will handle interactions with the insurance company, preventing them from minimizing the value of your claim. While many other attorneys fail to learn the true maximum amount for items of damaged permitted under California law, our team knows these figures like the back of our hands.
How to Proceed at the Site of the Truck Accident
The steps you take in the aftermath of your auto accident are particularly important. If you don’t proceed with care, you will jeopardize your potential financial compensation and might even compromise important evidence that proves the truck driver’s negligence. Negligence means the failure to provide others with due care. Let’s take a look at what you should do in the aftermath of the truck accident.
- Ensure everyone involved in the accident is breathing and does not require immediate medical attention. If emergency medical treatment is necessary, call 911 for prompt assistance.
- Report the truck accident to the local police. Make it clear you want the responding police officer(s) to provide a Traffic Collision Report. Jot down the number of the Traffic
- Collision Report and obtain a copy of the report for yourself and our legal team.
- Obtain the information of each driver/vehicle involved in the crash. You can either write down the information or take pictures of everything with your smartphone. You should collect driver names, insurance policy numbers, license plates and insurance company names/contact information.
- Identify the name, contact information and address of the trucking company that employs the driver as well as the trucking company’s insurance provider’s name and contact information.
- Collect the names and phone numbers, email addresses and street addresses of those who witnessed the accident.
- Snap some shots of the crash site. These photos should document where each vehicle was positioned after the crash as well as the damage to those vehicles, the intersection closest to the crash and traffic control lights/signals.
- Use your smartphone to take some shots of your injuries. Take these pictures from several angles to document the full extent of your injuries.
Contact our legal team for a no-cost, consultation that carries absolutely no obligations.
What You Should Know About Insurance for Commercial Trucking Operations
Commercial trucks are massive to the point that they can wreck multiple vehicles and take several lives in a single accident. This is precisely why California law mandates truck drivers carry expansive insurance policies.
Commercial vehicles that have a seating capacity of 7 people or less are required to carry a minimum of $750,000 of insurance. Commercial vehicles with a seating capacity between 8 and 15 are required to carry $1,500,000 of insurance. Commercial vehicles with a seating capacity of 16+ are required to carry insurance of $5,000,000.
If the commercial vehicle is considered a motor carrier that is authorized for hire and transports commodities that are regulated, a proof of public liability must be filed. This proof includes insurance for property damage as well as bodily injury.
Commercial vehicles that weigh less than 10,000 pounds are required to have a minimum of $300,000 of liability insurance. Commercial vehicles that weigh 10,000 pounds or more are required to have a minimum of $750,000 of liability insurance. Some trucking companies have even more expansive insurance policies to guard against a particularly gruesome accident/injury.
Instead of sorting through all the legal details of insurance and personal injury law pertaining to truck accidents on your own, lean on our legal team for assistance. Our attorneys are here to help you understand trucking insurance policies, setting the stage for you to maximize your recovery.
Eisenberg Law Group is Here to Represent You
Our attorneys have practiced personal injury law for 30+ years. We have emerged victorious in a considerable number of truck accidents. Our top attorney, Gary, started out in the insurance sector, establishing an invaluable knowledge foundation that has helped him and our legal team win numerous truck accident cases.
Our attorneys are here to engage in legal battle with the insurance company and opposing counsel to maximize your payout following this unfortunate accident. Our mission is to ensure you are properly compensated after being victimized by a negligent truck driver or trucking company.
Eisenberg Law is a family-owned firm steadfastly focused on providing exemplary personalized service. This means we pay attention to all the subtleties of your accident that make it unique compared to other cases. We have successfully recovered millions of dollars for those who have suffered injuries and also obtained compensation on behalf of family members who have lost loved ones in truck accidents.
Let our legal team represent you and you will enjoy truly risk-free legal service. We provide no-cost, no-obligation consultations. You will not pay any legal fees unless our attorneys win your case.