Injured in a truck accident?
Get clear answers.
After a serious truck crash, you may be facing the driver, the trucking company, and multiple insurers. GJEL helps injured Californians preserve evidence, investigate fault, and pursue compensation, with no fee unless we win.
A lawyer will personally review your case and call you shortly.
We’ll call from a local number and tell you when to expect us.
A motorcycle and truck case against a cement company. The case details are confidential; GJEL published this result in 2010. Read this case
A minor was a passenger in a van that rear-ended a big rig on I-5. Expert analysis identified inadequate reflective tape and documented future disability and earning losses. Read this case
A semi-truck entered the client's lane on I-5. Jim Larsen resolved the claim for neck and back injuries and a concussion without filing a lawsuit. Read this case
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case turns on its own facts, injuries and insurance coverage.
Who will pay for treatment? What happens if you cannot work? Was the truck driver responsible, or did the trucking company, a loading crew, or a vehicle problem contribute?
Our California truck accident lawyers help injured drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and their families work through those questions. We investigate crashes involving semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, big rigs, delivery trucks, and other commercial vehicles. The starting point is what happened to you and what evidence can explain it.
GJEL has represented injured Californians since 1972 and recovered more than $980 million across the firm's injury cases. The published truck cases show specific examples of our work. A conversation with a lawyer can help you decide whether representation makes sense for your situation.
Free case review
Tell us what happened. A GJEL lawyer will review it, explain your options, and tell you honestly whether the firm can help.
Call 911 for an emergency and follow the responders' instructions. Get medical attention appropriate to your injuries. If you can do so safely, record the truck's company name, license plate, and USDOT number, exchange driver and insurance information, and collect witness contact details. Do not enter traffic or approach an unstable truck to take photographs.
Keep photographs, messages, medical records, receipts, and information about missed work. Report the crash to your own insurer according to your policy. Before signing a release or giving a recorded statement to another party's insurer, understand what is being requested and consider legal advice. You do not need a completed police report to speak with a lawyer.
Commercial truck claims may involve records held by several businesses. We look for evidence that connects a specific act or failure to your injuries, rather than assuming that the truck's size proves fault.
| Evidence | What it may help establish |
|---|---|
| Dashcam footage, scene photographs, and witnesses | Vehicle positions, lane changes, signals, visibility, and the sequence of impacts. |
| Electronic logging and dispatch records | Driving and work schedules, routes, and whether fatigue needs further investigation. |
| Engine data and other vehicle recordings | Available speed, braking, or other recorded information. The data depends on the equipment installed. |
| Inspection and repair records | Reported brake, tire, lighting, or other problems and what was done about them. |
| Cargo and loading records | What the truck carried, how it was secured, and who handled loading. |
| Medical and employment records | Your injuries, treatment, missed work, and supported future care or earning needs. |
An electronic logging device records driving-duty information; it is not required to record speed or braking. Other onboard equipment may provide different data.
The carrier may hold driver logs, dispatch messages, and truck records; repair and loading businesses may hold separate records. Video may belong to a driver or a nearby business. Retention periods vary. For example, covered motor carriers generally retain duty-status records and supporting documents for six months under 49 CFR 395.8. That is not a deadline for every type of truck data. A lawyer can request preservation of relevant records and equipment; a request does not guarantee that everything exists or will be recovered.
The driver is one possible defendant. The evidence may also support a claim involving an employer or another business. Each party's role, conduct, and connection to the crash must be established.
| Party to investigate | Key question |
|---|---|
| Truck driver | Did unsafe driving, distraction, fatigue, or another driving error contribute? |
| Trucking company or employer | Was the driver acting within the scope of employment? Did the company's own hiring, supervision, or maintenance practices contribute? |
| Loading or maintenance business | Did improperly secured cargo or negligent repair work help cause the crash? |
| Truck or component manufacturer | Did a vehicle or component defect contribute, and can the physical evidence establish it? |
| Road contractor or public entity | Did a work-zone hazard or dangerous road condition contribute? Different liability requirements and deadlines can apply. |
Federal rules require covered carriers to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain vehicles under their control. These maintenance duties can guide an investigation. A safety violation alone does not establish every element of an injury claim.
A supported injury claim may include medical expenses, future care, lost earnings, reduced earning capacity, property damage, and the pain and disruption caused by the injuries. These categories appear in California's civil jury instructions on damages. Medical opinions, employment records, and information about your daily limitations help document those losses. The available recovery depends on liability, the evidence, and applicable insurance and law.
A settlement should be evaluated against your needs, including treatment still ahead, rather than a supposed average truck settlement. Our truck accident results illustrate why outcomes differ. If someone died in the crash, the family may have a wrongful death claim with different rules about who may bring it and the losses recoverable.
California generally uses comparative fault, explained in CACI 405: responsibility assigned to you can reduce your recovery without automatically preventing a claim. An insurer's initial fault assessment is not the final word. The investigation should consider every vehicle's actions and any company or equipment failures that contributed.
Most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury. A claim against a public entity generally must be presented within six months for injury or death, before a lawsuit can proceed. Separate lawsuit deadlines follow, and exceptions can change the calculation. Children and other special circumstances require individual review.
An insurance claim and a lawsuit are different steps. Negotiating with an insurer does not, by itself, extend the filing deadline. The California Courts deadline guide explains the general rules. Have a lawyer identify the applicable dates from the crash facts, the defendants, and any notices you receive.
A truck hitting stopped traffic calls for a closer look at following distance, speed, visibility, braking, and the events before impact. In a pileup, the sequence matters: several drivers may have contributed. Video and reconstruction can help distinguish the first impact from later crashes.
A trailer can swing across lanes or a truck can overturn. We examine steering and braking, curve speed, cargo movement, road conditions, and equipment problems. The truck's final position does not by itself establish why the driver lost control.
Read more about jackknife causes and truck rollover crashes.
When a smaller vehicle travels beneath a trailer, lighting, reflective markings, visibility, and the condition of any required rear guard may matter. The applicable equipment rules depend on the vehicle. Preserving the truck and damaged vehicle can allow a qualified expert to examine them.
Our underride crash guide explains this type of impact.
A truck's blind spots do not resolve who was responsible for a crash. We examine the vehicles' paths, signals, mirrors, available camera footage, and room to turn. These issues can affect people in adjacent lanes, cyclists, and pedestrians at intersections.
A lost load or mechanical failure may involve more than driving conduct. Loading records, worn or damaged parts, inspection reports, and repair history can help identify the cause and responsible business. Where practical, preserve failed components for examination before repairs or disposal.
Driver logs, dispatch messages, trip records, and available video may help establish work schedules and attention before impact. Hours-of-service requirements and exceptions depend on the operation. A compliant log does not answer every question about fatigue, and a log violation does not by itself prove causation.
Learn more about truck driver fatigue.
Rain, fog, wind, narrowed lanes, or changing traffic patterns can affect how a truck should be driven. We examine conditions at the time, speed, signage, and traffic-control arrangements. Contractor or public-entity involvement requires a separate review of legal responsibility and deadlines.
Report what you remember to police, including the company name, markings, or part of a plate number. Witnesses and nearby video may help identify the truck. If it cannot be identified, a lawyer can review your own insurance for potentially applicable uninsured-motorist coverage and its requirements.
Free case review
Get a clear answer about deadlines, insurance, and your options before you decide what to do.
The case review is free and carries no obligation. GJEL works on a contingency fee: no attorney fee unless and until we win. Your written fee agreement explains the percentage, litigation costs, and how those costs affect a recovery. Ask the lawyer to walk through those terms before you sign.
Yes. GJEL offers home and hospital visits, and a family member can make the first inquiry. Bring whatever information you already have. You do not need to finish treatment, collect every medical bill, or obtain the truck's records before asking about your options.
Not every claim requires a trial, and some resolve without a lawsuit. Whether yours settles depends on the evidence, the losses, and whether the parties can agree. If filing is appropriate, your lawyer should explain the likely steps and the decisions that remain yours. Our personal injury lawsuit timeline explains filing, discovery, settlement discussions, and trial.
There is no reliable timeline based only on the type of truck. Ongoing treatment, disputed fault, multiple defendants, and the need for a lawsuit can affect timing. Understanding your medical outlook helps a lawyer evaluate whether an offer accounts for future needs as well as current bills.
If available, bring the crash date and location, photographs, the report number, insurance letters, and a short account of your injuries and treatment. Mention any settlement offer, signed document, or approaching deadline. Missing documents should not prevent an initial conversation.
A company being based elsewhere does not automatically rule out a California claim. Where the crash happened, the parties involved, and the company's activities can affect where a lawsuit may be filed. A lawyer can review those facts and the deadlines that apply.
Each of these is a GJEL page for that city, with the local roads, local courts and the office that would handle your case.
Andy Gillin is GJEL's founding and managing partner. He has represented injured Californians since 1972 and earned his law degree from the University of Chicago. Read Andy Gillin's biography or meet the GJEL lawyers.
A lawyer will personally review your case and call you shortly.
We’ll call from a local number and tell you when to expect us.