Santa Clarita Truck Accident Attorneys

What to Do If You Were Involved in an Accident with a Semi-Truck

When people in passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs are involved in accidents with large tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and big-rigs, the consequences are often catastrophic. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 4,889 large trucks and buses involved in fatal crashes in the United States in 2017 (the latest year for which data is available). That same year, there were 116,000 crashes involving large trucks and buses that resulted in injury. Sadly, in the vast majority of these cases, individuals in smaller passenger vehicles were the ones to suffer the brunt of the injuries and deaths. However, reaching out to California truck accident lawyers may open up options for those who were injured in one of these accidents.

If you were injured or if your loved one was killed in an accident with a large truck, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses, such as medical bills, funeral costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. At the Law Offices of C. Ray Carlson, we can help you navigate the legal process and handle all of the various aspects of your claim. Our Santa Clarita truck accident lawyers have a proven record of success in fighting for catastrophically injured victims, having secured millions of dollars for our clients over more than 40 years in practice. We invite you to contact us as soon as possible to learn how we can help after a California truck accident.

On This Page

• Common Causes of Truck Accidents & Who Is Liable
• Determining the Value of a Truck Accident Lawsuit?
• How an Attorney Can Help You Recover Damages

Call our office at (661) 765-8484 or submit a free online case evaluation form to get started.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents & Who Is Liable

Like other types of motor vehicle accidents, truck accidents are often the result of negligence—be it negligence on the part of the truck driver, the trucking company, or even another motorist on the road. When people are careless, inattentive, or reckless, it can lead to devastating or even fatal consequences. The good news is that victims and the surviving loved ones of those wrongfully killed in truck accidents are often entitled to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the liable party and seek compensation for their damages. But you must prove liability in order to recover compensation for your claims. This complicated process may require the help of a skilled California truck accident lawyer.

Determining liability in your accident case is critical, but it is also complex. Even if a truck driver seemingly caused the accident, he or she might not be entirely liable. Laws in California (and in other states) make it so that employers can be sometimes held liable for the actions of their employees. Therefore, the trucking company that employs the driver might be liable for the accident. Identifying who is liable for your damages depends largely on pinpointing exactly what happened and what caused the accident.

Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:

• Distracted, inattentive, and/or careless truck drivers
• Truck drivers who violate traffic laws, including laws prohibiting drunk driving
• Violations of federal hours-of-service regulations
• Poor truck maintenance or lack of truck maintenance
• Defective trucks or truck parts, such as tires, brakes, etc.
• Defective or dangerous road construction or design
• Overloaded or improperly loaded trucks
• Negligent third parties, such as other drivers

Once our Santa Clarita truck accident lawyers have identified how the accident happened, something we often accomplish with the help of trained professional accident reconstruction experts, we can then determine who is liable for your losses. From there, we are able to begin building a case aimed at maximizing your recovery.

What Are Some Factors That Determine the Value of a Truck Accident Lawsuit?

The value of your truck accident case will depend on a variety of factors, from how the accident occurred to what injuries you suffered to the extent of the impact these injuries have had and will continue to have on your life. It is not possible to immediately assign a value to a given case without first going over the many various factors involved.

That being said, some damages that can be recovered after a truck accident include:

• Past or future medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages or loss of earning capacity if the injured party is no longer able to work
• Ongoing medical expenses due to the victim’s accident-related injuries
• Disfigurement and inconvenience
• Emotional distress and trauma
• Funeral expenses
• Loss of love, companionship, financial and emotional support, and consortium

Our attorneys can meet with you to discuss the specifics of your case and go over your legal rights and options with you during a free, confidential consultation. We provide legal services in Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, and Tagalog to better serve our clients in SCV and the surrounding areas.

How a Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You Recover Damages

A truck accident attorney understands California negligence laws. Negligence occurs when someone acts carelessly, both directly and indirectly, and causes harm or injury to someone else. The degree to which negligence is shared will vary.

The first steps of a case like this will determine if the at-fault party owed a duty of care to the victim and if they failed to fulfill this duty. If there was a breach of the duty of care, the at-fault party is financially liable for any injuries that they caused during the truck accident.

The statute of limitations to file a truck accident lawsuit depends on whether the accident occurred with a truck or bus that was owned by a private, public, or government entity. In the state of California, you typically have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. In this time, you must make an effort to settle the suit and if it doesn’t happen, you may file a lawsuit that will be tried in court with the help of a truck accident attorney.

Hire an Attorney Today

Truck accident claims are incredibly complex and involve going up against large trucking companies and their legal teams. That’s why it is important to seek the help of an experienced attorney with a proven track record of success in cases like this. When you turn to the Santa Clarita truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of C. Ray Carlson, you will receive a professional experience in which we can navigate the legal waters for you and keep you informed regarding the progress of your case along the way. We will take the time to investigate your accident in our efforts to determine the cause and gather evidence or testimony that will help make your case strong.

We believe in giving you the most honest feedback possible during a free consultation. We will discuss your case and decide whether or not we feel we can help you efficiently. We serve clients in Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, Santa Clarita, Fillmore, Santa Paula, the San Fernando Valley, and all of the surrounding communities.

Contact us today at (661) 765-8484 to schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation.