Truck Accident Lawyer in San Diego

Accidents involving large trucks tend to be some of the most severe because of the overwhelming difference in size and weight of the truck to that of a standard passenger vehicle. Additionally, trucking accidents often involve complex insurance coverage and legal questions. However, a San Diego truck accident lawyer can help you identify the events that led to and caused the accident, determining who is responsible and how to be compensated for your injuries and losses.

Our personal injury attorneys can work with experts to reconstruct your truck accident and determine what caused it. We can explain your legal options as a truck accident victim and help you recover the compensation you and your family deserve. Call us today for your free case consultation. Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers is your local law firm.

Compensation You May Claim for Your Truck Crash

It is an unfortunate reality that truck crashes happen every day, whether it’s on I-8 or in La Jolla. However, unlike many other accidents on the road, a truck accident is more likely to result in a life-threatening catastrophic injury. Injuries may include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Burns
• Broken or crushed bones
• Dislocations
• Disability or disfigurement

Injuries like these can take extensive medical care to treat, and rehabilitation can take months to years. Some never recover from their injuries, finding ways to live with their new limitations. People who have been injured in a truck accident often find themselves struggling not just physically after an accident, but economically as well. The medical care costs for these injuries can be staggering.

If a truck driver or company is found liable for your injuries, then you are entitled to receive any of the following forms of compensation:

• Current medical bills
• Future medical treatment costs
• Ongoing medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Lost future wages
• Impairment of earning capacity
• Property damage
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Lifestyle changes

A major truck accident can happen in just a few seconds; however, the impact of the truck accident can leave a person and their family facing significant financial burdens for years after an accident. We will compile a complete list of your damages and file them with your demand letter to all liable parties in your accident.

Wrongful Death Damages Your Family Can Seek

If you have lost a loved one in a truck accident, we are truly sorry for your loss. Please accept our condolences and know that we are dedicated to helping families like yours recover from this tragedy.

Our wrongful death attorneys can help you seek justice for your loss, including such damages as the following:

• Funeral expenses
• Final medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of consortium

These losses can never replace your lost loved one, but hopefully, they can help you rebuild.

You Can Still Receive Compensation Even if You Are Partially at Fault

California follows a pure comparative negligence doctrine. Under this legal principle, you may still collect compensation regardless of how much your actions contributed to the accident. However, your percentage of fault will reduce the compensation you may receive.

For example, if the claim is valued at $100,000, but you are 10% at fault for the accident, you would receive $90,000.

The insurance companies may try to place a greater degree of blame on you than what is warranted. Our legal team can protect you by determining your actual degree of fault. So, whether you, the truck driver, or another party is either partially or fully responsible for the accident, we will fight for the maximum compensation possible in your truck accident claim.

Your Truck Accident Could Have Multiple Liable Parties

Truck accidents are often traumatic and complex accidents, and due to the nature of the industry, multiple people and entities could bear liability. After an accident, it is important to know that there may be other parties who may be responsible for the accident and, therefore, responsible for paying for your injuries and losses.

In such intricate cases, having the knowledge of an attorney can be beneficial in untangling the insurance complexities, building a strong case, and pursuing the rightful compensation you deserve.

Some of the parties who may be responsible or who may have contributed to a truck accident include:

• Truck drivers
• Truck company
• Cargo loaders
• Repair facilities
• Government bodies responsible for road maintenance

Truck accidents often cause significant property damage to cars, motorcycles, and smaller trucks, but also often result in one or more accident victims sustaining significant injuries. However, the truck driver on the road may not be the only one responsible for an accident, and it is important that everyone who is responsible is held accountable for their actions.

A personal injury lawyer is familiar with how to identify all the responsible parties in a truck accident and can help ensure that those responsible parties contribute to paying for injuries and damages. Call us today for a free case consultation.

How We Can Help With Your Truck Accident Claim

Once we agree to work together, our legal team will start contacting the insurance companies. We will handle every aspect of the legal process, leaving you the time needed to see your doctors and recover from your injuries. We will:

• Investigate: We have the resources to visit the accident scene and start collecting evidence.
• Gather: The evidence we collect could include photos of the accident scene, damage to the vehicles, and your injuries. We will review any traffic cam and business surveillance video if they exist. We will also compile documents, such as the police reports, medical records, bills, and financial statements.
• Interview: We will speak with any eyewitnesses in your accident.
• Consult: We have an extensive network of doctors, financial advisors, and accident reconstruction specialists who can give us their expert opinions on your case.
• File: Once we have investigated and built your personal injury claim, we will file it with every liable party’s insurance company. We will handle all communications.
• Negotiate: Our goal is to settle your case for the maximum compensation possible. We will seek an outcome that addresses all your medical needs and helps you restore your and your family’s lives.
• Litigate: If we cannot reach a settlement, we will seek a court award for your damages.

Throughout the process, we will be there to answer your questions, providing guidance and support as you need it.

It’s free to speak with us and learn the value of your case today.

Call Us Now

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Commercial truck accidents are a destructive combination of a truck’s massive size and speed compared to a considerably smaller motor vehicle. A fully loaded truck or tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, as compared to the average mid-size sedan, which typically weighs around 4,000 pounds.

Even when a commercial truck is moving at a relatively low speed, any accident between the truck and another vehicle will likely result in massive damages. Driving a large truck, 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, or another large commercial vehicle, therefore, requires extra training and diligence.

Unfortunately, not every truck driver is as attentive as they should be, and many truck accidents are caused by negligence or carelessness. However, there are numerous other causes of truck accidents including:

• Driver fatigue
• Speeding
• Substance abuse
• Distracted driving
• Improper loading
• Improper inspection and maintenance
• Inadequate driver training and experience
• Poor road maintenance

Depending on the cause of the truck accident, our lawyers will determine if you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver, the trucking company, or another involved party. Our legal team will also determine the amount of compensation you may be entitled to receive.

We Have Two Years to Pursue Compensation for Your Truck Accident

The statute of limitations sets a legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. Per CCP § 335.1, we have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit with the San Diego County courthouse. The same deadline applies to wrongful death lawsuits, but that deadline begins on the day the victim dies.

Missing this deadline will affect your ability to collect compensation for your losses. If the deadline expires, the courts could bar your case. In turn, you will lose any negotiating leverage with the insurance companies.

We can protect your right to sue, but you need to contact us as soon as you can. Not only can we protect your rights, but we can also preserve evidence before it is lost. In fact, evidence such as driver’s logs, employment records, the electronic logging device (ELD), and maintenance records will be in the hands of potential defendants in your case. We can send spoliation letters to them and secure this evidence.

Contact an Attorney Today

Truck accidents can happen in an instant, but sorting through the liability and insurance can be a complex ordeal best left to a legal professional. Our lawyers can help. Our law firm can investigate your accident, identify the liable parties, and fight for your compensation. Plus, we work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win.

Call Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers today for your free case consultation.