Truck Accident FAQ

After any type of auto accident, including those involving commercial trucks, victims may be able to file personal injury claims and pursue compensation for their damages if certain legal elements are met. Specifically, these include proving that the accident could and should have been prevented if not for negligence.

For example, safety violations made by truckers or trucking companies are a clear exhibition of negligence and a failure of their duty to take reasonable measures to keep the public safe. If this negligence more likely than not caused an accident, then victims have grounds to pursue a claim. Additionally, victims must have suffered actual injuries and damages for which they can be compensated. These can include physical injuries and emotional injuries.

Car accidents and trucking accidents vary in several ways. Most notably, truck accidents involve much larger motor vehicles, including some trucks that weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. As a result, these wrecks commonly result in more serious injuries, or even death. That means victims of trucking wrecks may have more extensive damages and needs than those harmed in car accidents, and that these cases often have more at stake. Additionally, trucking companies and their commercial insurance providers are businesses intent on making money, not paying out claims. When victims pursue compensation, they often utilize their resources to pay as little as possible.

Truck accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. In the scope of personal injury claims, there are many potential causes that exemplify the negligence of trucking companies or their drivers. These include tired and overworked truckers, drunk or drugged drivers, unsafe speeds, and other instances of driver error.

Trucking accidents may also be caused when cargo is improperly secured, vehicles are not adequately maintained, and trucking companies fail to adequately hire and retain safe drivers who do not pose unreasonable risks to the public. In some cases, trucking wrecks may be caused by unsafe and defective auto parts or products.

Who can be held liable in a trucking accident will depend entirely on the unique facts of your case. Often, truckers are employed by a trucking operator that is ultimately responsible for the conduct of their employees. This means that many claims are filed against trucking companies. However, the relationship between trucking operators and their drivers may not always be clear, such as in the case of contractors, and claims may need to be filed against drivers themselves or other entities. In cases where trucking wrecks were caused by defective parts or products, claims may be filed against the manufacturers or distributors that made these products available to the public (product liability). Our legal team investigates all aspects of your case to determine which party should be held at-fault and liable for your damages.

Successful personal injury claims can enable victims, and their loved ones in certain cases, to recover financial compensation for the damages incurred as a direct result of their accident and injuries. For example, victims are entitled to a recovery of their economic damages, which includes past and future medical expenses, lost work wages and future earnings, and other financial losses.

They can also recover compensation for non-economic damages, such as their pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and loss of quality or enjoyment of life. In cases involving catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, families of victims may be entitled to compensation for their damages, including their loss of financial and emotional support.

When considering whether you need a lawyer, simply look at what’s at stake and how difficult trucking cases can be. Injuries sustained in these wrecks can create extensive burdens for victims and their families, including hefty medical bills and lost wages caused by missing work. They can also subject victims and families to considerable pain and suffering and emotional injuries.

No victim should be forced to bear these burdens when another’s negligence is to blame. Just because you are entitled to compensation for these damages, however, does not mean that you will automatically or fairly be made whole by trucking companies and their insurance providers. As previously mentioned, these corporations are in business to make money, and they all too often place profits over people when disputing, denying, and underpaying claims. By working with a lawyer, you can level the playing field between yourself and these big businesses, and put yourself in position to recover the compensation you need and deserve.

Our attorneys at the Law Office of Larry S. Buckley have drawn from decades of experience to recover millions of dollars in compensation for our clients, including those harmed in trucking wrecks. Since 1999, we have focused exclusively on protecting the rights of the injured, which is why we have accumulated the extensive insight needed to handle challenging personal injury claims against large corporations and insurance companies that simply don’t care about the lives of victims.

Our compassionate lawyers strive to make the difference for our clients because we know they are facing some of the toughest times in their lives. It’s why we make ourselves available around the clock and why there are no fees unless a positive recovery is made in a case. Our former clients and legal peers continually vocalize that we are the right choice for injured victims in Northern California. See why our clients choose us.

It is important to remember that every accident and case is unique, and that answers to your questions will depend on the unique facts and circumstances involved. As such, we encourage you to reach out to our legal team for a personalized case review during which you can gain a better understand of your rights, whether you can seek a recovery of your damages, and what our firm can do to help.