With the growth of e-commerce, Los Angeles drivers share the road with more large trucks than ever. Tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and other commercial vehicles are a constant presence on the region’s freeways, and when one collides with a passenger vehicle, the results are often catastrophic. According to the National Safety Council, 117,300 large trucks were involved in injury crashes in a recent year. If you were hurt in a truck accident caused by negligence, a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer at Callahan & Blaine, PC can help you pursue full compensation. You can review our full range of injury services on our Los Angeles personal injury page.
Callahan & Blaine, PC has represented injured Californians since 1984, and our practice is led by trial attorney Edward Susolik, recognized among the Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California by Super Lawyers. With more than 32 attorneys and a background in insurance and bad faith litigation, our team is prepared to take on the trucking companies and their insurers, who often move quickly to limit what they pay after a serious crash.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different From Car Accident Cases
A collision with a commercial truck is not simply a larger car accident. Trucks can weigh many times more than a passenger vehicle, so the injuries tend to be more severe. Trucking is also heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which sets rules on driver hours of service, vehicle maintenance, cargo loading, and record-keeping. Those regulations create additional avenues to prove fault, but they also mean a trucking company and its insurer will often begin building a defense within hours of a crash. Evidence such as the truck’s electronic logging device, the driver’s hours-of-service records, maintenance logs, and the black box data can disappear if it is not preserved quickly, which is one reason it helps to involve an attorney early.
Common Types of Truck Accidents in Los Angeles
Every truck crash presents different challenges when it comes to proving fault. Our Los Angeles truck accident attorneys handle the full range of commercial vehicle collisions.
Often linked to speeding, improper braking, poorly loaded cargo, or a loss of stability on a curve or ramp.
A truck’s long stopping distance can cause devastating rear-end and underride collisions in heavy traffic.
Large blind spots and wide turns lead to side-impact and sideswipe crashes when a truck changes lanes.
Improperly secured cargo can fall onto the roadway or shift and cause a driver to lose control.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck crashes rarely stem from a single factor. They often combine human error, mechanical failure, and pressure within the trucking industry. Frequent causes include driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations, distracted driving, speeding, improperly loaded or overweight cargo, and poor maintenance such as worn brakes or tires. Trucking company practices also contribute when a carrier sets unrealistic schedules, fails to train or supervise drivers, or does not screen driving records. A thorough investigation identifies each factor and connects it to the parties responsible.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Los Angeles Truck Accident
Truck accidents happen quickly, and several parties share responsibility for keeping a commercial truck safe. That makes identifying who caused a crash more complex than in a typical car accident. Our Los Angeles truck accident lawyers investigate every potentially responsible party, which may include the following:
- The truck driver, when negligence such as fatigue, distraction, or a traffic violation caused the crash.
- The trucking company or employer, when it failed to maintain the vehicle, violated Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, or pushed drivers past safe limits.
- The manufacturer, when a defective part such as a brake or tire failed and contributed to the crash.
- The cargo loading crew, when improperly loaded or unsecured cargo shifted the truck’s weight or fell onto the road.
- A property owner or government agency, when a dangerous road condition contributed to the accident.
Because most truck crashes involve more than one responsible party, we gather and analyze the police report, medical records, the truck’s electronic data, maintenance and hours-of-service records, video footage, and witness testimony to build a complete picture of what happened.
Common Truck Accident Injuries and Their Long-Term Effects
The size and weight of a commercial truck mean that crashes often cause severe, lasting injuries. Victims may suffer spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and other conditions that can lead to long-term or permanent disability. In the most tragic cases, a truck crash is fatal, and surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim. When a crash causes a severe or permanent injury, our catastrophic injury attorneys account for future treatment and the lasting effect on your life. Prompt medical care matters, both for your health and for the record that connects your injuries to the crash.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Los Angeles
The steps you take after a truck crash can shape your claim. If you are able, seek medical attention right away, even for injuries that seem minor, and call the police so an official report is created. Photograph the vehicles, the scene, the cargo, and any visible injuries, and collect the names and contact details of the drivers and any witnesses. Because a trucking company may act fast to protect itself, avoid giving a recorded statement to its insurer and speak with a Los Angeles truck accident attorney who can move to preserve the truck’s records and data before they are lost.
Meet Edward Susolik, Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorney
Edward Susolik
Chief Executive Officer, President, and Senior Trial Attorney, Callahan & Blaine, PC
Edward Susolik leads the trial practice at Callahan & Blaine, PC and has spent his career representing injured people and policyholders against insurers and corporate defendants. He has been recognized among the Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California by Super Lawyers for many consecutive years, and his background in insurance and bad faith litigation helps our Los Angeles truck accident clients hold trucking companies and their insurers accountable.
Working alongside a firm of more than 32 attorneys, Mr. Susolik and the Callahan & Blaine, PC team prepare each truck accident matter for trial from the start, which gives clients a stronger position in negotiation and a firm ready for the courtroom when a carrier’s insurer will not offer a fair result.
Damages Available After a Truck Accident in California
California law allows truck accident victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover measurable losses such as past and future medical bills, lost income, reduced earning capacity, physical therapy, and property damage. Non-economic damages address pain, suffering, emotional distress, and the reduced quality of life that a serious injury brings. Because commercial trucking policies are often much larger than standard auto policies, the compensation at stake in these cases can be substantial, which is also why carriers defend them aggressively.
How Callahan & Blaine, PC Approaches Your Los Angeles Truck Accident Case
Acting quickly matters, both to preserve the truck’s records and to meet California’s two-year statute of limitations for injury claims. Our team explains how fees work during your first meeting so you can make an informed decision before you decide to move forward.
1Investigation and Evidence Preservation. We move quickly to preserve the truck’s electronic data, driver logs, and maintenance records, and to identify every responsible party.
2Building Your Claim. We document your injuries and losses, consult outside professionals such as accident reconstruction and medical specialists, and establish liability.
3Negotiation. We negotiate with the carrier and its insurer for a settlement that reflects the full extent of your current and future losses.
4Trial. If the insurer will not offer a fair result, our trial-ready preparation means we are prepared to present your case to a jury.
Frequently Asked Questions About Los Angeles Truck Accident Claims
How do federal trucking regulations affect my Los Angeles truck accident claim?
Commercial trucking is governed by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules covering driver hours of service, vehicle maintenance, cargo loading, and record-keeping. When a driver or carrier violates these rules, that violation can help establish negligence. The records the regulations require, such as hours-of-service logs and inspection reports, can also serve as important evidence, which is one reason it helps to preserve them early.
Can I recover compensation if I was partially at fault for a truck accident?
Yes. California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, so you can recover even if you were partly at fault. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Trucking companies and their insurers often try to shift blame onto injured people, which is one reason strong representation and a thorough investigation matter.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in California?
In most cases you have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. A claim for property damage alone has a three-year deadline, and a claim involving a government entity requires a written claim within six months. Acting promptly also helps preserve the truck’s records before they are lost.
What factors determine the value of a Los Angeles truck accident settlement?
The value depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical bills and future treatment needs, lost income and reduced earning capacity, property damage, and the effect of the injury on your daily life. Because commercial trucking policies are often larger than standard auto policies, the compensation available in a serious truck accident case can be significant.
Why should I preserve evidence quickly after a truck accident?
A truck’s electronic logging device, black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records can be overwritten or lost within a short time, and a trucking company may begin building its defense right away. Involving an attorney early allows for a formal request to preserve this evidence before it disappears.
Contact the Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorneys at Callahan & Blaine, PC
Callahan & Blaine, PC has represented injured Californians since 1984, and our practice is led by trial attorney Edward Susolik, recognized among the Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California by Super Lawyers. With more than 32 attorneys and deep experience in insurance and bad faith litigation, our Los Angeles team is prepared to stand up to trucking companies and their insurers and to recover the full compensation our clients are owed.
Truck accident evidence can disappear quickly and California law limits the time you have to act, so do not wait to protect your claim. Contact Us to Submit Your Potential Case, and a member of our team will review what happened and explain the options available to you.
