Injured in a truck accident in California?

California has the highest number of trucking accidents in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in 2010, more than 2,900 trucks were involved on crashes resulting in more than 3,800 injuries and more than 400 were involved in an accident resulting in a fatality. What many people do not realize is that more than three-quarters of accidents occur on weekends and more than two-third occur in rural areas.  Victims of truck accidents often suffer from injuries that are more severe than those involving another car.

Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can be caused by aggressive driving, drivers who are distracted because they are texting or talking on the telephone as well as drunk driving. Unfortunately, other accidents can be caused by drivers who have been traveling too long, drivers who have not been properly trained and cargo that is improperly secured. Nearly all of these issues can cause an accident that could have been prevented.

When You Are Injured or Lose a Loved One

When you are involved in a truck accident or someone you love has been killed by a reckless driver of a truck, you have the right under California personal injury statutes to file a suit against the responsible person to recover financially. While California is a comparative fault state, meaning if you are partially responsible for the accident, your ultimate award could be reduced by your portion of the responsibility, there are some basic costs that you could recover including:

• Medical care current and future – after a truck accident, your injuries will likely mean you will spend time in the hospital recovering and depending on the severity of your injuries, you may require surgery.  In many cases, you will then be transferred to a rehabilitation center to finish healing and may even require additional care at home.  Frequently, victims of truck accident will have long-term medical needs that could cost thousands of dollars. A truck accident attorney can help ensure you recover damages that include all medical costs associated with the truck accident.
• Lost wages – during the time you are recovering from your injuries and while in rehabilitation you are not able to work. In addition, even after you recover from your injuries, you may not be able to return to the same job at the same pay level due to your injuries.  Hiring a truck accident attorney can help ensure that consideration is given to your lost wages as part of your settlement.
• Wrongful death – in the event you have lost a loved one in a truck accident it is imperative to speak with a truck accident attorney about filing a wrongful death suit. Since California laws only allow you to file suit for two years after an accident, you could lose a settlement that would include medical bills, lost wages and funeral and burial costs as well as other non-monetary losses such as loss of companionship.

Victims Need an Advocate

Truck drivers are often employees of large companies who have legal teams on their side. It is imperative that you have a California truck accident attorney to serve as your advocate. Keep in mind, whenever possible, a company is going to attempt to get their insurance company to settle with you as quickly as possible. These types of settlements often mean you are forfeiting your rights to compensation for future medical care and loss of wages. Never settle with an insurer without consulting with a truck accident lawyer first.

Being involved in any type of an accident can result in serious injuries however, the chance of serious injury in a truck accident is even higher simply because of their size. Regardless of whether you are a victim of a truck accident or you have lost a loved one in a truck accident, call us today for a free case evaluation.

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