Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a large truck accident, you can recover compensation for your injuries and losses.
Featured in Newsweek’s Top 10 Trial Lawyers, The Reeves Law Group is a personal injury law firm that has been helping truck accident victims in Los Angeles, and throughout Southern California for over 30 years.
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We have recovered over $250,000,000 for our clients. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles truck accident lawyer. For the convenience of our clients, The Reeves Law Group has offices in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California ready to deal with your commercial truck accident claims.
Award-Winning Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer
The Reeves Law Group is well known and respected through a long record of success, fighting large insurance companies, and well-financed trucking companies. For over 30 years, we have been helping victims of catastrophic injuries and families dealing with the wrongful death of a loved one. We have recovered over $250 Million dollars in financial compensation for our clients.
Lead Los Angeles truck accidents attorney at The Reeves Law Group, Derek Pakiz, was featured as Newsweek’s Top 10 Trial Lawyers in the Country. He is also recognized by The National Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States.
A Review of The Reeves Law Group, California Truck Accident Lawyer
“The Reeves Law Group helped me out of a really difficult situation and I am so glad I worked with them. I was driving through Chino on my way to work when an 18 wheeler changed into my lane and crashed into me. I went headfirst into the center divider and ended up facing backwards on the 60 freeway. It was by far the scariest/worst thing that has ever happened to me… I know first hand now that the Reeves Law Group has the best truck accident lawyer in San Bernardino.”
Jesus C. via Avvo
Review Rating: 5 / 5
Date Published: 01-20-2022
Do I Need an Attorney for a Truck Accident?
You’ll want to seek the compensation you deserve from your truck accident injuries and in order to do that you’ll need the services of a personal injury law firm to represent you. That’s where we come in.
At The Reeves Law Group, our Los Angeles truck accident law firm is fully prepared to win your case. When you need to file a truck accident injury claim or help to deal with an insurance company, we’re here to help you get the fair compensation you deserve.
With accidents involving commercial vehicles, like big rigs, semi-trucks, and 18-wheelers, and delivery vehicles like FedEx trucks, UPS trucks, and Amazon trucks, determining what caused the accident, who is responsible, and how to be compensated for your suffering are complicated questions.
Commercial trucking accident lawsuits may involve many parties, including the truck driver, the owner of the truck involved, the vehicle manufacturer, and the owner of the transported load.
An experienced Los Angeles truck accident attorney will have the ability to reconstruct how your accident happened and determine whether you have a valid claim for compensation.
If you need to consult with a Los Angeles truck accident attorney regarding a trucking accident, contact us today. Our trial team has the knowledge and skill to help our clients get the best representation for their accident cases.
How Can The Reeves Law Group Help with Your Truck Accident Case?
Large commercial vehicles have the potential to cause serious and catastrophic damages in a traffic accident and severe injuries to all individuals involved in the accident. Commercial truck accident victims have the legal right to seek recoverable economic, non-economic, and punitive damages due to negligence on the part of the trucking company, or the truck driver because the victims may hold the company that hired the trucker liable for the losses incurred.
Truck companies will generally do everything in their power to avoid liability for accidents caused by their truck drivers. They will employ tactics to try and minimize or avoid altogether paying for damages incurred by the victims.
Although filing a claim against a commercial truck company for negligence will often be your best chance at receiving any compensation, to make sure you receive the full amount of compensation you deserve, it is advisable to let a skilled and knowledgeable Los Angeles truck accident lawyer fight on your behalf against all responsible parties including the trucking companies, the truck drivers employed by them, and their insurance companies.
The Reeves Law Group is a firm with the necessary resources needed to win your case. Our Los Angeles truck accident law firm will never settle your case for less than it is worth. Start with a free consultation to assess your case.
How Much Compensation Are Truck Accident Victims Owed in California?
A frequent question our attorneys answer during innitial consultations is “how much is my truck accident case worth?” In California, if someone else is found fully or partially responsible for your accident, you may be able to recover compensation to the extent of the other party’s culpability for some or all of these damages:
- Medical Bills – for your past, present, and future costs of the medical treatments;
- Property Damage – for the damage to your car;
- Pain and Suffering – for the physical pain and limitations resulting from the crash;
- Loss of Wages – for the time you had to take off of work to recover from the accident or to visit doctors, therapists, and others who are helping you to cope with your injuries;
- Impairment of Earning Capacity – for the diminishment of your ability to earn a living;
- Lifestyle Changes – for the loss of enjoyment in your life due to debilitating injuries;
- Life-Care – for the ongoing non-medical needs you may have if you were badly injured; and
- Punitive Damages – if the trucking company’s intentional or reckless acts contributed to causing the crash that injured you.
Catastrophic trucking accidents that result in severe and life-threatening injuries will receive the greatest compensation compared to minor incidents. A catastrophic accident causing fatality can turn into a wrongful death claim where even further damages may be awarded. To find out how much your truck accident claim may be worth, seeking the legal services of an experienced law firm can often be your best course of action to recover from economic and non-economic damages sustained and to get the full amount of compensation you deserve. Don’t simply accept a settlement offer from the insurance company without consulting with a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer.
How Large Truck Accidents Can Be Serious and Life-Threatening
Anyone who has been involved in a crash with a big rig knows that this isn’t like a common accident. Commercial trucks cannot stop as quickly or maneuver nearly as well as a car can.
The destructive combination of large mass and speed, along with the potential to impact many smaller vehicles, make the damage caused by out-of-control trucks much greater than most other highway accidents.
Contact our Los Angeles truck accident law firm for a free case evaluation if you are a truck accident victim.
What are Common Causes of Truck Accidents
The owner of the truck or trucking company may not be at the wheel when the crash occurs, but that owner may be liable for the truck driver’s negligence. Sometimes, the owner may also be potentially liable for punitive damages when the conduct of the owner is particularly egregious.
For example, if the trucking company did not adequately follow safety regulations or if they cut corners by requiring truck drivers to drive too many hours, leading to truck driver fatigue and a big rig accident, this may lead to additional damages imposed on the trucking company, in the form of punitive damages.
Effective accident attorneys can identify the responsible parties and determine if they followed state and federal regulations designed to prevent common causes of truck accidents.
What are Common Truck Accident Injuries
If a commercial truck crashes into your car, you and your passengers have likely suffered serious injuries. Unseen internal injuries, like brain damage and spinal cord injuries, can go undetected, sometimes with catastrophic results. If the injuries result in death, the surviving family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim.
Common truck accidents injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Wrongful death
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Bone fractures
- Burns
Common Vehicles in Truck Accidents include
Here is a list of the different types of trucks and commercial vehicles:
- Big Rigs
- Semi-trucks
- 18-wheelers
- FedEx trucks
- UPS trucks
- Amazon trucks
- Dump Trucks
- Tow trucks
- Cement trucks
Who Is at Fault for Your Truck Accident? Is It the Truck Driver or The Trucking Companies?
Truck accident cases can be complex and expensive to prosecute. After an accident, you should realize that various possible defendants might be liable and responsible for compensating you for your pain and suffering. Sorting out negligent defendants is a complicated process and another reason why prompt investigation and liability analysis are crucial.
Potential defendants who may be liable to you for your injuries and property loss include:
- Parties to the Accident: This includes the truck driver and drivers of other vehicles who may have contributed to the trucking accident.
- Defective Products Manufacturers and Retailers: Product defects that are present when the truck, its tires, engine parts, or other components.
- Employers of the Truck Driver
- Repair Facilities Responsible for the Maintenance: A repair facility that made faulty repairs to the vehicle that collided with your car may have contributed to your truck crash.
- Government Entities Responsible for Maintenance of the Roads: Truck accidents may occur because the government has failed to ensure that the road would not be dangerous for drivers.
If you or a loved one were a victim of a traffic accident involving commercial vehicles, including semi-trucks, and 18 wheelers, make sure you seek a successful law firm with a qualified Los Angeles truck accident lawyer for a free consultation. To get the most out of your settlement and recover substantial economic and non-economic damages that resulted from the accident, you’ll want us on your side.
What Do I Do After A Truck Accident in Los Angeles?
After being involved in a commercial truck accident you are likely to feel overwhelmed. Thinking clearly when you are scared and injured may be difficult.
The following steps should be taken as soon as possible:
- Obtain Prompt Medical Attention: You may find yourself insisting that you don’t need medical attention. Nevertheless, at a minimum, you should obtain a prompt medical examination.
- Preserve Evidence from the Accident Site: After a crash, it is important to preserve not only evidence of your medical condition but also evidence of what happened at the accident scene. The trucking company may have a rapid response team of experts and attorneys at the location almost immediately. They want to get critical measurements and photos before the vehicles and debris are cleared – which may happen before you can take them. Usually, the police will take crash-scene photos before the site is cleared. If not, request that they do so. If your condition and safety permits, take pictures of your own. Subtle clues from these photos may help your attorney’s experts reconstruct critical evidence that can help explain exactly what happened when that semi-truck or 18-wheeler collided with your car.
- Preservation of the Vehicle: If anyone was substantially injured in an accident, it is very important that that you also preserve your vehicle until you retain a lawyer.
- Contact a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer: Trucking companies hire experienced accident attorneys who specialize in personal injury cases involving commercial trucks, to fight liability and limit their damages.
If you or a loved one have suffered a truck accident injury, you will need an experienced Los Angeles truck accident attorney representing you as well. Trial lawyers must be able to hire investigators, preserve evidence as needed, and communicate effectively with truck companies, insurance companies, police, witnesses, and medical care providers. In the case of a fatality, personal injury attorneys may even pursue a potential wrongful death case.
Truck Traffic and Accident Statistics in Los Angeles
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a “large truck” is one weighing more than 10,000 pounds. An 18-wheeler tractor-trailer can weigh more than 80,000 pounds. A semi-truck or 18-wheeler rig can weigh 40 times as much as a standard passenger vehicle. That is about the ratio of a large professional football player to a newborn infant.
Large commercial vehicles traveling at a high speed among smaller vehicles are inherently dangerous, especially to a car’s driver and passengers. Just as truck crashes are not like car accidents, truck accident cases often involve greater injuries and pose legal problems and concerns not found in most car accident cases. That is why it is important that anyone injured in a truck crash obtains help from an attorney with experience and proven expertise in litigating truck accident cases.
Commercial truck accidents in California have seen a steady increase of fatalities and injuries due to crashes from 2013 to 2017 according to the California Highway Patrol. Los Angeles County continues to lead all counties with the most fatalities and injuries per year.
- 2013 – 53 fatalities and 1,689 injuries
- 2014 – 61 fatalities and 1,635 injuries
- 2015 – 49 fatalities and 1,722 injuries
- 2016 – 61 fatalities and 1,948 injuries
- 2017 – 46 fatalities and 1,918 injuries
Contact a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer
The Reeves Law Group has extensive experience and expertise in all types of vehicular accidents, including commercial truck accidents and tractor-trailer accident cases. We have obtained substantial compensation for individuals that have been injured in truck accidents across Southern California.
If you are a victim of a major trucking accident and would like to find out how much your case may be worth, contact us to speak with an experienced truck accident attorney in Los Angeles.
[Written by Derek Pakiz. Article updated on 2022-11-28]
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