A two-vehicle crash on State Route 43 (SR-43) in Selma disrupted the Wednesday afternoon commute near East Saginaw Avenue. According to initial reports, the crash involved a dark blue vehicle and a white work truck, and the blue vehicle sustained major front-end damage. Emergency responders were dispatched shortly after the incident was reported at approximately 3:25 p.m. on Nov. 11, 2026.
What We Know About the Two-Vehicle Crash
The crash occurred along a busy stretch of Highway 43, a major north-south route that carries local traffic, agricultural vehicles, commercial trucks, and commuters through Selma and the surrounding Fresno County communities.
Early information indicates the collision involved a passenger vehicle and a work truck. Heavy front-end damage to a vehicle often signals a significant impact, and even when occupants walk away from the scene, crashes of this kind can cause injuries that do not appear right away.
Authorities have not released an official cause. Anyone with information about the collision is encouraged to contact the responding agency. As more details become available, they will help clarify how the crash unfolded and who may be legally responsible.
Why Collisions Involving Work Trucks Can Be More Complicated
When a work truck is part of a crash, the legal picture can extend beyond the driver. If the driver was on the job at the time, the employer may share responsibility under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers liable for the negligent acts of employees acting within the scope of their work. Commercial or business insurance policies, company maintenance records, driver logs, and any onboard camera or GPS data can all become important evidence.
This evidence is often controlled by the company, not the injured person. Acting quickly to preserve it can make a meaningful difference in how a claim develops. Work truck collisions also tend to involve more insurance and more potential defendants than a typical two-car crash.
Depending on the facts, the driver, the employer, a vehicle owner, or a third party that maintained or loaded the truck may share responsibility. An employer can face a direct claim for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or maintenance, for example, if it put a driver with a poor driving record on the road or ignored known mechanical problems.
California’s permissive use statute, Vehicle Code Section 17150, can also make a vehicle’s owner liable when someone else drives it with permission, though the amount recoverable under that theory is limited. Companies often assert that a driver was an independent contractor or was off duty to avoid responsibility, so questions about the scope of the driver’s work can become a central dispute.
Business auto policies and employer defense teams also tend to respond quickly, sometimes before an injured person has finished medical treatment. For these reasons, it is important to send a prompt preservation request for dash camera footage, GPS and telematics data, dispatch records, maintenance logs, and the driver’s cell phone records, since that information can be overwritten or discarded in the ordinary course of business.
How Fault Is Determined After a Two-Vehicle Crash in California
California follows the principle that every person is responsible for injuries caused by their failure to exercise ordinary care, as set out in Civil Code Section 1714. In practical terms, investigators and insurers look at whether a driver violated traffic laws, such as the basic speed law under Vehicle Code Section 22350, failed to yield, or followed too closely.
Physical evidence, vehicle damage patterns, witness statements, and surveillance or dash camera footage all help reconstruct what happened. California also applies a pure comparative fault system, established in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975). Under this rule, an injured person can still recover compensation even if they were partly to blame, but the award is reduced by their percentage of fault.
For example, a person found 20 percent at fault for a crash would see their recovery reduced by 20 percent. Because insurers often try to assign as much blame as possible to the injured party, it is wise to be careful about what you say in recorded statements.
Steps to Take After a Crash on Highway 43
If you or a loved one was involved in this collision or a similar crash, a few steps can protect both your health and your legal rights. Seek medical attention right away, even if you feel fine, because adrenaline can mask pain, and conditions such as whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries may take hours or days to show symptoms.
Report the crash to law enforcement, gather photographs of the vehicles and the scene when it is safe to do so, and collect the other driver’s contact and insurance information. California law also requires drivers to file a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1) with the DMV within 10 days if the crash caused more than $1,000 in property damage or resulted in any injury or death.
Keep all medical records and repair estimates, and avoid posting about the crash on social media. Safety comes first in the minutes after a crash on a high-speed route like Highway 43. If your vehicle can still be driven and it is safe to do so, move it out of the travel lanes and onto the shoulder or a nearby side street, turn on your hazard lights, and stay out of live traffic, since secondary collisions are a real danger on state highways.
If the vehicle cannot be moved or anyone is hurt, stay put with your seatbelt on until help arrives and call 911 right away. Once the scene is secure, exchange names, phone numbers, driver’s license details, license plate numbers, and insurance information with the other driver, and if a work truck is involved, also write down the company name on the vehicle and any USDOT or other identifying numbers displayed.
Be polite, but do not apologize or say anything that could be interpreted as admitting fault, because even a casual remark can be used against you later. Take wide and close-up photographs of all vehicles, the point of impact, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, signage, and road conditions, and ask any witnesses for their contact information before they leave.
In the days that follow, keep a simple record of your symptoms, missed work, and medical visits, follow your doctor’s treatment plan, and be cautious with the other driver’s insurance company, which may call quickly and request a recorded statement or offer an early settlement before the full extent of your injuries is known. Speaking with a personal injury attorney before you respond can help you avoid costly missteps while you focus on getting better.
Understanding Your Time Limits to File a Claim
Deadlines matter in California injury cases. Under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, a personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the date of injury. If a tragic loss occurs, wrongful death claims under Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.60 are also generally subject to a two-year limit, and a decedent’s own claims may be pursued through a survival action under Section 377.30.
Claims involving a government entity are subject to much shorter notice requirements. For example, a claim for personal injury against a public entity generally must be presented within six months under Government Code Section 911.2, and Government Code Section 835 governs liability for dangerous conditions on public property.
If a roadway defect or design problem contributed to a crash, those shorter deadlines may apply. Missing a filing deadline can permanently end an otherwise strong claim, so it helps to know that the clock starts running on the date of the crash.
In most California car accident cases, Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 gives an injured person two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, while claims for damage to a vehicle or other property generally have a three-year window under Code of Civil Procedure Section 338. Wrongful death claims are also generally subject to a two-year limit, measured from the date of death.
Shorter and stricter rules apply when a government entity may share responsibility, such as when the work truck belonged to a city, county, or special district, or when a dangerous roadway condition contributed to the collision. In those cases, Government Code Section 911.2 generally requires that a written claim be presented to the entity within six months of the incident.
A lawsuit typically follows within six months of the claim’s rejection. A late claim application may be available in limited circumstances, but it must be made within a reasonable time and no later than one year after the incident. Certain exceptions can extend these deadlines, such as for injured minors, but they are narrow and fact-specific, and no one should assume they apply.
Your own insurance policy may also require prompt notice of the crash, separate from any court deadline. Because these time limits vary depending on who is responsible, it is wise to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after a collision rather than waiting until the deadline is near.
How Settlement Value Is Estimated in Injury Cases
No two cases are alike, but attorneys and insurers commonly use two methods to estimate the value of non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. The multiplier method takes the total of economic losses, including medical bills and lost wages, and multiplies it by a number that typically reflects the severity of the injury, the length of recovery, and the impact on daily life. More serious or lasting injuries generally warrant a higher multiplier.
The per diem method assigns a daily dollar value to the pain and disruption a person experiences and multiplies it by the number of recovery days. Both approaches are only starting points. Actual outcomes depend on the strength of the evidence, the available insurance coverage, comparative fault, and the credibility of the injured person’s medical documentation.
Personal Injury Settlement Calculators and Why They Matter in Estimating Case Value
A personal injury settlement calculator is an online tool that gives an injured person a rough estimate of what a claim might be worth by combining the main components of a case. Most calculators ask for economic damages, such as medical bills, future treatment costs, lost wages, and property damage, and then add a figure for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
That second figure is usually produced with the multiplier method, which multiplies economic losses by a number reflecting the severity and duration of the injury, or the per diem method, which assigns a daily value to the pain and disruption of recovery.
Many calculators also let you adjust for comparative fault, which matters in California because a recovery is reduced by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility under the pure comparative fault rule. Used properly, a calculator helps you understand what categories of damages exist, organize your bills and records, and judge whether an early insurance offer is anywhere near reasonable.
It can also keep you from undervaluing a claim by overlooking future medical care, long-term loss of earning capacity, or permanent impairment. At the same time, a calculator is only a starting point, not a prediction. It cannot weigh the strength of the liability evidence, the available insurance coverage, the credibility of medical documentation, the venue, or how a particular insurer is likely to negotiate.
Catastrophic injury can carry a value far outside any standard formula. For an accurate assessment, speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can review the full facts of your case and build a valuation grounded in your actual losses. Call us now at 1-855-508-9565 to speak with the experts.
Take Action Today: You Won’t Pay Unless We Win
“If you or someone you love was hurt in the Highway 43 crash in Selma, please know that you do not have to figure out what comes next on your own. Injuries from a collision like this can show up days later, and the insurance company will often call before you have even had a chance to heal. Get medical care first, avoid giving a recorded statement, and talk to an attorney before you accept any offer. California’s time limits are strict, and evidence from a work truck, like camera footage and driver records, can disappear quickly. Our team has spent more than 40 years standing up for injured Californians, and we handle every case on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win. Call us at 1-855-508-9565 and let us carry the burden while you focus on recovery.”-Andy Gillin, Managing Partner, GJEL Accident Attorneys
At GJEL Accident Attorneys, we have more than 40 years of experience representing injured Californians and have recovered over $950 million for our clients. If you were hurt in a collision on Highway 43 or anywhere in the Selma and Fresno County area, our team is ready to review your case at no cost.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case. Call us today at 1-855-508-9565 or visit the Fresno office to schedule your free consultation.
Local Resources for Selma Crash Victims
Several agencies can provide reports, traffic information, and guidance after a collision on Highway 43 or elsewhere in the Selma area. In an emergency, always dial 911:
Law Enforcement and Collision Reports
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Fresno Area office has primary responsibility for collisions on state highways, including State Route 43. The office is located at 1380 E. Fortune Avenue, Fresno, CA 93725, and can be reached at (559) 705-2200. The office page is available at https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/central-division/435-fresno. For non-emergency questions about collision reports, call 1-800-TELL-CHP (1-800-835-5247) or visit https://www.chp.ca.gov. Live CHP incident information is posted at https://cad.chp.ca.gov.
The Selma Police Department is located at 1935 E. Front Street, Selma, CA 93662, and handles incidents on city streets within Selma. Its non-emergency line is (559) 896-2525, and its department page is at https://cityofselma.com/departments/police.php. For county-level assistance, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (559) 600-3111 or at https://www.fresnosheriff.org.
Road, Traffic, and Highway Conditions
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 6, headquartered in Fresno, maintains the state highway system in Fresno County. Its page is at https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-6. Caltrans QuickMap shows real-time lane closures, CHP incidents, and traffic cameras at https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov, and current highway conditions are available at https://roads.dot.ca.gov or by phone at 1-800-427-7623.
Planned lane closures for District 6 are posted at https://lcswebreports.dot.ca.gov/searchdistricts?district=6. If a roadway defect, signal malfunction, or missing sign may have contributed to a crash, these agencies are the starting point for identifying who maintains that stretch of road. For problems on city streets that feed into the highway, the City of Selma Public Works page is at https://www.cityofselma.com/departments/public_works/index.php.
DMV and Insurance Resources
California law requires drivers to report a collision to the DMV within 10 days when anyone is injured or killed, or when property damage exceeds $1,000, regardless of who was at fault. The Report of Traffic Accident (SR-1) can be filed online at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/accidentreport, and more information is available at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv-virtual-office/accident-reporting/. For questions about insurance companies and licensing, visit the California Department of Insurance at https://www.insurance.ca.gov.
