California Truck Accident Lawyers
The truck accident lawyers at Cutter Law understand how devastating big-rig accidents can be. Trucking accidents involving semi trucks often result in severe injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries and fatalities, regardless of whether the other vehicle involved was a passenger car, an SUV, a truck or even another semi truck.
Quick Links
- Common Causes of California Truck Accidents
- What to Do After Being Involved in a Truck Accident
- Common Roadways and Intersections in California for Serious Injury and Deadly Truck Accidents
- Verdicts and Settlements
- How Much Compensation Can I Obtain After a California Truck Accident?
- What If a California Truck Accident Killed My Loved One?
- How Long Do I Have to File a California Truck Accident Lawsuit?
- Why Should I Hire the California Personal Injury Attorneys at Cutter Law to Handle My Truck Accident Case?
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About California Truck Accidents
Common Causes of California Truck Accidents
Commercial truck drivers undergo mandatory specialized training in defensive driving and vehicle operations. They’re also required to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL), indicating a higher standard of responsibility and expertise. In addition, drivers must adhere to strict rest periods and limits on mileage and time spent on the road.
Truck accidents can be caused by a single factor or a combination of several, including:
- Speeding
- Tire blowouts
- Improper passing
- Cars in the truck’s blind spot
- Driver fatigue, inexperience, or lack of training
- Poorly maintained trucks
- Improperly attached trailers or loads
- Negligence in hiring on the part of the trucking company
- Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Even with the extra care and training, accidents can happen. Many California accidents occur on the state’s highways, such as the I-5, I-10, and I-715, and a majority occur in Los Angeles County.
What to Do After Being Involved in a Truck Accident
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, call 911 immediately for emergency medical treatment and to have the police arrive on the scene to gather a report.
Truck crash injuries can be severe and often fatal. Broken bones, neck and spine injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and concussions are very common. Soft tissue injuries, like pulled muscles or sprains and strains, often don’t show up right away, but EMTs can diagnose those at the scene.
Local police in larger cities have plenty of experience with semi-truck accidents. You can reach emergency services for the areas that we serve here:
- Sacramento police (916) 808-5471 and emergency services
- Oakland police (510) 238-3455 and emergency services
- San Francisco police (415) 553-0123 and emergency services
- Tracy police (209) 831-6550 and emergency services
- Santa Rosa police (707) 543-3600 and emergency services
- Roseville police (916) 774-5000 and emergency services
As soon as you’re able, it’s important to retain services from a personal injury attorney who has experience with truck collisions. An attorney will protect your interests and ensure that you’re able to rest, heal, and recover while pursuing your claim for damages.
Common Roadways and Intersections in California for Serious Injury and Deadly Truck Accidents
Although trucking accidents can happen anywhere, there are a few places in California where the risk is higher:
- I-5 highway, from Southern California to Northern California
- I-10, from Southern California to the border with Arizona
- I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas
- Highway 49 in Merced County
- State Road 138, crossing Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County
When traveling on these roads, take extra care.
Verdicts and Settlements
At Cutter Law P.C., we have a long record of successfully representing clients hurt from motor vehicle accidents in California. Below is a representative snapshot of the successful cases our law firm has handled:
$596,000 Verdict
for a motorcyclist who was seriously injured when a car failed to yield the right of way
$678,000 Verdict
for a pedestrian whose knee and pelvis were injured as a result of being hit by a vehicle.
How Much Compensation Can I Obtain After a California Truck Accident?
Each claim is different, but for all accident claims involving a truck driver, the amount of damages your personal injury lawyer will ask for is based on a few figures. These may include the following:
- The amount required to replace or repair your car,
- Your immediate medical care costs, including emergency medical care
- Any ongoing medical treatment to recover
- Lost wages from missing work due to injury
- Emotional or mental trauma.
There are no caps to compensation for vehicle accident-related personal injury lawsuits in California.
California personal injury law breaks damages down into three different categories:
1. Economic Damages
Economic damages are monetary losses sustained because of your accident. These are easily quantified, such as medical bills, property repairs and replacements, and loss of earnings at work. Your lawyer will ask for documentation for all of these.
2. Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are a little more subjective and include emotional and mental trauma from the accident, loss of companionship, and decreased quality and enjoyment of life. If, for example, you’re seeking therapy because of emotional trauma from the accident, your attorney may ask for documentation of that.
3. Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are essentially fiscal punishment. These are intended to deter a trucker or trucking company from engaging in negligent or illegal practices.
What If a California Truck Accident Killed My Loved One?
If your loved one was killed in a truck accident, you might be able to pursue a wrongful death claim against the driver and the trucking company.
California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) Section 377.60 allows each heir of a person killed in a truck driving accident to pursue a wrongful death claim on their own behalf. Heirs are considered to be people “who would be entitled to the property of the decedent by intestate succession.”
Under the statute, heirs may include:
- Surviving spouse or domestic partner
- Children and the issue of any deceased children (grandchildren)
- Whoever would qualify for intestate succession if there is no immediate family
Wrongful death claims may include non-economic damages, such as emotional trauma and loss of companionship, as well as punitive damages. In addition, these claims may include compensation for loss of economic support and funeral costs.
The statute of limitations for California wrongful death claims is two years from the date of the deceased’s passing.
How Long Do I Have to File a California Truck Accident Lawsuit?
You have two years to file a personal injury claim after a truck accident and three years to file a property damage claim, although it’s best to file as soon as possible. This gives your lawyers access to proof while it’s fresh.
Why Should I Hire the California Personal Injury Attorneys at Cutter Law to Handle My Truck Accident Case?
The team at Cutter Law has extensive experience handling truck accident cases, including those with wrongful death claims. We fight hard for our clients, and we aren’t afraid to tackle major corporations and insurance companies. While each case is different, you can review our results and the outcomes of recent personal injury cases.
Have you or a loved one been involved in a truck accident? Contact the California personal injury lawyers at Cutter Law today for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About California Truck Accidents
If you or a loved one have been injured in a California tractor-trailer accident, you’re probably worried and full of questions. We can answer questions specific to your accident’s circumstances during your consultation.
Yes! California is a pure comparative negligence state for personal injury claims, which means that even if you shoulder some of the blame for the accident, you may still receive compensation.
The comparative negligence rule assigns a percentage of the blame to each party. If you are 20% to blame for that accident, you’ll receive 20% less than the settlement awarded.
It’s always best to refrain from communicating with the other party, including the driver, representatives from the company, and their insurance company.
If they reach out to you directly, give them the phone number of your lawyer. Don’t speak to the other party without your personal injury lawyer, and don’t accept a settlement without consulting your attorney.
Your lawyer may opt to file suit against the driver, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, or even the company that loaded the carg
Cutter Law personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that we’re only paid once we’ve successfully settled your claim. We can discuss specific fees one-on-one.
Each case is different. A straightforward case can take a shorter amount of time, while cases involving multiple parties can take much longer. If your case goes to trial, it can take months or even years to conclude.
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Our Office Locations
Sacramento Office
401 Watt Avenue Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95864
Phone: 916-290-9400
Oakland Office
Cutter Law P.C.
1999 Harrison Street Suite 1400
Oakland, CA 94612
