Commercial truck accidents are serious and often catastrophic due to the size and weight of the vehicles involved. In California, these accidents can be especially complex, as they often involve multiple parties, including the truck driver, trucking company, and sometimes even vehicle manufacturers or maintenance providers.
If you were injured in a commercial truck accident, here’s a breakdown of how to approach your personal injury case:
🚚💥 Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents
Some of the most common causes of commercial truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue (trucking companies sometimes push drivers to work long hours)
- Distracted driving (cell phone use, GPS navigation, etc.)
- Speeding (especially in bad weather or heavy traffic)
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Improperly loaded cargo (which can shift or spill)
- Brake failure or mechanical defects
- Poor road conditions or inadequate maintenance
- Inexperienced or untrained drivers
🧑⚖️ Liability in Commercial Truck Accidents
One of the complexities in truck accident cases is determining who is responsible. In California, the liability could fall on multiple parties:
- The truck driver — for driver error, fatigue, or recklessness.
- The trucking company — if they failed to train the driver, pressured them to violate safety regulations, or were negligent in other ways.
- The truck manufacturer — if the accident was caused by a mechanical failure due to defective parts (e.g., faulty brakes, tire blowout).
- The shipping company — if cargo was loaded improperly or exceeded weight limits.
- Maintenance providers — if the truck wasn’t properly maintained, leading to a crash.
- Government entities — if poor road conditions or unsafe infrastructure contributed to the accident.
In California, the law applies comparative negligence, meaning that if you are partially at fault, you can still recover damages, but the amount will be reduced based on your percentage of fault.
💰 What You Can Recover in a Commercial Truck Accident Case
Victims of commercial truck accidents may be entitled to a wide range of compensation:
✅ Economic Damages
- Medical expenses (including emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, and future medical treatment)
- Lost wages (both past and future)
- Property damage (repair or replacement of your vehicle)
- Rehabilitation costs (physical therapy or counseling)
- Out-of-pocket expenses (transportation, prescriptions, etc.)
✅ Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering (physical and emotional pain)
- Loss of enjoyment of life (if injuries affect your daily activities)
- Disfigurement or disability
- Emotional distress
📁 Key Evidence in Commercial Truck Accident Cases
Building a solid case requires evidence from various sources:
- Police report (showing details of the crash and any citations or arrests)
- Driver’s logbook (to see if the driver was complying with hours-of-service regulations)
- Black box data (many commercial trucks have event data recorders that can show speed, braking, and other critical information)
- Truck maintenance records (to check for past mechanical issues)
- Eyewitness testimony or dashcam footage (from other drivers or surveillance cameras)
- Photos of the accident scene, truck damage, and injuries
- Medical records (to document the severity of your injuries)
- Expert testimony (e.g., accident reconstruction experts or medical specialists)
In cases involving product defects (e.g., brake failure), expert analysis of the truck’s mechanical condition may be critical.
🚑 Common Injuries in Commercial Truck Accidents
Injuries from truck accidents are often severe and include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries (leading to paralysis)
- Broken bones and fractures
- Internal injuries (organ damage, internal bleeding)
- Amputations
- Whiplash and neck injuries
- Psychological injuries (PTSD, anxiety)
Due to the often serious nature of these injuries, recovery can be long-term and expensive.
👨⚖️ Why You Should Hire a Lawyer
Commercial truck accident cases are complex and often involve large companies with big insurance teams fighting to minimize their liability. You should definitely consult with a lawyer if:
- The accident was caused by a commercial truck
- You’ve suffered serious or long-term injuries
- The trucking company or driver is denying fault
- You need help negotiating with the insurance company
- There is a need to investigate a possible product defect (e.g., faulty truck parts)
Law Offices of James R. Dickinson – 909-848-8448
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