GJEL Accident Attorneys is a California Truck Accident Law firm with a 99% success rate. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a semi-truck or commercial truck we can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Accidents happen, but when they involve a truck on California’s highways, the consequences can be devastating. The aftermath of such an incident can be overwhelming – dealing with injuries, medical bills, loss of income, not to mention the emotional trauma. This is where the role of a seasoned truck accident attorney becomes indispensable.
At GJEL Accident Attorneys, we understand the pain and confusion you’re going through. We’ve witnessed firsthand the struggles that victims face in their fight for justice and fair compensation. We’re here to tell you that you’re not alone, and you don’t have to face this legal battle on your own.
Truck accidents can lead to severe, life-changing injuries, or tragically, even loss of life. The compensation from these cases goes beyond covering your medical bills. It’s about securing your future, compensating for your pain and suffering, and holding the responsible party accountable for their actions.
We take pride in our track record of success. With a 99% case success rate and over $950 million recovered for our clients, we have the expertise and determination to fight for the justice you deserve.
Don’t let the weight of a truck accident crush your hope for a fair settlement. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident in California, contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
At GJEL Accident Attorneys, we’re committed to fighting for your rights, and we won’t rest until you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today or fill out our online contact form, and let’s take the first step towards justice together.
GJEL Truck Accident Lawyers were just rated a top truck accident law firm by Best Lawyers for 2021 and 2022. We have also recovered over $950 million dollars with a 99% success rate for victims who were injured in semi-truck accidents. Truck accident cases can be complex, so it is important to have an experienced truck accident injury lawyer on your side.
Our truck accident attorneys have helped hundreds of clients over the past 40 years get the settlement they deserve due to someone else’s negligence.
GJEL truck accident injury attorneys recently won a $3.8 million settlement for a truck vs. motorcycle accident. View more of our actual settlements & verdict example amounts here.
There is no cost or obligation
Being involved in a tractor-trailer accident can be terrifying. With such a huge vehicle involved, getting overwhelmed and confused is common.
Preparing for one of these collisions will ease your nerves and help your truck wreck lawyer build a case.
After an accident, ensuring the safety of everyone involved and preventing pileups is near the top of the to-do list. Pull your car to the side, turn off the engine, and turn on your hazards.
Adrenaline often stops us from realizing we’re injured. Take a second to check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Ask everyone if they’ve been hurt and where it hurts. Head injuries could manifest as confusion, dizziness, and coordination loss.
Call 911 as soon as possible. Tell them how many vehicles are involved, the severity of the accident, and where you’re located. If you think anyone could have been seriously injured, let them know so they can summon an ambulance.
Because truck drivers’ driving records determine if they’re eligible for hire and their pay scale, they might try and negotiate with you to keep the authorities out of the picture.
Saying yes will only create difficulties for your truck accident lawyer down the line.
If possible, take photos and videos of the scene. Jot down phone numbers of willing witnesses, and get the other driver’s license, registration, and insurance information.
On-scene documentation will help your lawyer for truck accidents verify the facts.
Ask any truck accidents attorney – they’ll recommend being looked at by paramedics at the scene, as well as going to get checked out by a doctor a few days later. Documented health reports are very helpful for a case.
Notify your insurance provider within a week so that you can get assistance paying for a rental car or replacement vehicle, and let your truck accident lawyer know.
Call our commercial truck accident attorneys to know whether filing a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident is the right course of action for you. Sometimes, it’s not possible to negotiate a fair insurance claim settlement and you need to pursue legal action against the truck driver and his or her trucking company.
We also have experienced truck accident lawyers that understand what it takes to win your case, including gathering the right types of evidence, working with expert witnesses from the commercial trucking industry, and establishing that the truck driver is legally at fault for the accident:
Immediately after a truck accident, a claims adjuster from the truck driver’s commercial insurance company may contact you. You should never speak to a claims adjuster without consulting with a truck injury lawyer. A claims adjuster might come across as friendly, but it’s important to remember that this person’s goal is to settle your claim for as little money as possible. He or she might try to get you to say things that ultimately hurt your claim.
When you are the victim of a truck accident, it is important to have experienced 18-wheeler accident lawyers to represent you. You can trust our trucking accident lawyer to navigate the road to recovery. We’ve helped big rig accident victims who experienced injuries and property damage. Here are a few things we can help with:
GJEL was excellent and kept me informed. For results, call GJEL
–E.M.
See more GJEL Reviews
Our truck & semi-truck accident law firm has maintained a 99% success rate for our clients. Here are a few of the case types we have handled in the past:
If you are successful in a truck accident lawsuit, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the following types of harm.
If the truck driver was totally at fault, you should receive full compensation for the costs of your medical treatment. This includes costs for time spent in a hospital, copayments for visits to your doctor, prescription drug costs, and the cost of any ongoing physical therapy or other care you had to undergo as a result of the accident.
Our California trucking accident lawyer helps our clients with their medical, vehicle repair and replacement, rental car, and other bills from day one.
If your injuries were severe and caused you to experience extreme pain and emotional suffering, the truck crash lawyer will help you to get this compensation.
If you had to take time away from your job to recover from the injuries you sustained in the accident, you may receive an amount equal to what you would have earned during that time. Some truck accident victims are permanently disabled or have a reduced capacity to work in the future. In this case, you may be entitled to monetary damages for lost future earnings.
If your vehicle or other property was damaged in the accident, the trucking accident injury lawyer will help you to get compensation for the fair market value of your property at the time of the truck accident.
Ascertaining the identity of potentially responsible defendants in a commercial trucking accident case can be challenging. Particularly in cases where the truck involved in the accident might be under-insured in light of the injuries and damages that occurred to the Plaintiffs, identifying all responsible defendants is of the utmost importance.
An experienced semi-truck accident lawyer who handles these accident cases can help you better understand how much your case may be worth and what types of damages you should expect to receive.
If you were seriously injured in a truck accident in California, contact our truck accident lawyer to discuss how to secure compensation for injuries and other losses. Because semi-truck accidents can be highly complex and almost always involve one or more commercial insurance policies, you should never try to negotiate or settle a truck accident injury claim on your own.
Commercial trucks are vital to California’s economy. Big rigs, tractor-trailers, equipment haulers, semi-trucks, refrigerator trucks, tanker trucks, and other large commercial vehicles transport raw materials, food, gasoline, chemicals, machinery, and finished products in and out of the state. Without the trucking industry and the truckers, California would come to a standstill.
Unfortunately for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and drivers of passenger vehicles, accidents involving large trucks are extremely common and often cause serious or fatal injuries. In 2014 alone, close to 4,000 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in the United States.
Both the federal government and the individual states keep track of all types of motor vehicle accidents. The statistics about truck accidents are often categorized separately from passenger vehicle accidents.
In 2016, 4,440 commercial trucks were involved in fatal crashes. This was a 2 percent increase compared to 2015. The rate of fatalities from these large truck accidents in 2016 was 0.144 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by all motor vehicles. In 2016, there were an estimated 119,000 injury crashes caused by commercial trucks in the United States.
Commercial trucks were involved in more than 475,000 crashes reported to the police in 2016. Of those accidents, 0.8 percent involved a fatality and 22 percent involved an injury. Of the fatal accidents, 61 percent occurred in rural areas. About 27 percent of the fatal accidents took place on an interstate. Only one vehicle, the commercial truck, was involved in 22 percent of the crashes. Most accidents involving commercial trucks included two vehicles.
Of the fatal truck accidents, 37 percent happened at night from 6:00 pm until 6:00 am. About 23 percent of injury accidents involving commercial trucks took place during these hours. Most of the accidents took place on weekdays.
Rollovers happened in 5 percent of the fatal crashes involving large trucks in 2016. About 8 percent of fatal accidents happened in work zones. In fatal accidents involving commercial trucks, 91 percent of the fatalities were not occupants of the truck. Most of the accidents involved one death, with an average of 1.12 deaths per fatal accident involving a large truck in 2016.
There are over 16,000 truck accidents in California each year and truck accidents account for 3% of all traffic fatalities in California. In a collision with a commercial truck, most passenger vehicles will bear the brunt of the damage. Commercial trucks fill the interstates, thoroughfares, arterial roads, and byways, and their drivers are often overworked and under-rested.
In 2015, there were nearly 300 fatal accidents in California involving a large trucks. With commercial trucks weighing as much as 80,000 pounds (or 40 tons), these devastating consequences come as no surprise. That’s why GJEL is committed to being the California truck accident attorney that helps you get your life back after a serious injury. We are one of the best rated injury accident lawyers serving California according to US News & World Report.
When a semi-truck or other large commercial truck is involved in an accident, there may be many contributing factors at play. These are just some of the most common causes of truck accidents in California.
Although state and federal laws require drivers to get rest for certain amounts of time during every long shift, unscrupulous trucking companies sometimes put pressure on their drivers to drive even though they are fatigued or exhausted. Driver fatigue leads to poor decision-making and slowed response times, and is a major cause of trucking accidents in California.
Truck drivers are often required to drive at a lower speed than drivers of passenger vehicles. When truck drivers fail to abide by posted speed limits or drive too fast for road conditions, the consequences can be devastating.
Modern commercial trucks are highly sophisticated machines with advanced equipment on board. Despite technological advances in the trucking industry, equipment failures are still a major contributing factor in truck crashes.
State and federal regulations require commercial trucking companies to adhere to specified load sizes. When a truck is carrying too much weight, braking time can be affected and this can lead to devastating accidents.
Commercial truck drivers and their employers follow strict alcohol and drug testing rules that are required by federal law. Nevertheless, drug and alcohol abuse among truck drivers remains a major problem and is often a contributing factor in serious truck accidents.
Anyone who has driven on California’s highways has probably witnessed aggressive driving. When a commercial truck driver engages in aggressive or reckless driving, the results can be catastrophic.
Almost all of these common causes of trucking accidents are preventable or can be controlled with proper safety measures. If you believe that one of these contributing factors played a role in your truck accident, contact a truck accident lawyer right away to discuss your case.
According to federal statistics, 73 percent of fatal semi-truck crashes involved the encroachment of another vehicle or a person in the lane occupied by the truck. About 23 percent of the fatal crashes involved the erratic movement of the truck or some loss of control not caused by the presence of any other vehicles or pedestrians. About 74 percent of fatal truck accidents and 76 percent of non-fatal crashes involved a collision between a moving truck and another moving vehicle.
In about 5 percent of fatal commercial truck crashes and 3 percent of non-fatal crashes, problems with the truck were the main cause of the accident. The most common cause of those issues was the commercial truck’s tires. Other vehicle-related problems identified as causes of commercial tractor-trailer crashes included shifting cargo, spilled cargo, and brake problems. Issues such as debris in the road, an animal in the road, or a problem with the road itself are also causes of commercial truck accidents.
Commercial trucks weigh much more than a passenger cars, even when the trailer is not at capacity. A typical box truck or city delivery truck weighs 10,000 to 19,500 pounds. A furniture truck, city refuse collection truck or truck tractor weighs between 26,000 and 33,000 pounds. Cement trucks and trucks with sleeper cabs weigh at least 33,001 pounds. A pickup truck, SUV, or minivan weighs less than 6,000 pounds. This means that commercial trucks weigh two to five times as much as the heaviest passenger vehicles.
Truck drivers are often overworked. Their long hours on the road may result in fatigue. A tired driver is an unsafe driver. Some trucking companies may be lax on the maintenance and upkeep of their vehicles. Maintaining a fleet of commercial trucks is a costly endeavor, and attempts to cut costs might result in vehicles that are unfit to be on the road.
The size of commercial trucks also makes them less safe when compared to other vehicles. They need more time and distance to come to a complete stop. If the truck has a full load in the trailer, it needs more time to stop. Commercial trucks also require more space to turn. They are not as maneuverable as passenger vehicles. The length of the trailer creates a large blind spot around the vehicle, which also causes safety problems.
Commercial trucks may carry hazardous materials. About 4 percent of the commercial trucks involved in fatal accidents and 2 percent of those in non-fatal accidents in 2016 carried hazardous materials. In 16 percent of all commercial truck crashes involving an injury or fatality, hazardous materials were released from the truck. In more than 60 percent of those cases, the hazardous material released was gasoline, diesel fuel, or oil. These materials are flammable. The release of flammable materials and other hazardous materials puts the lives of other drivers, first responders, and the community at risk.
2.84 Million Dollar Settlement for Teenager Who Was Hit By A Truck
$850,000 for an ankle injury following a truck accident
$195,000 for Student Injured in Truck Accident
$992,969.40 for a client struck by a big rig
$100,000 for a Commercial Big Rig Truck Accident
GJEL offers FREE consultations. Our trucking accident attorneys will review your case details and information at no cost to you. Each case is different depending on the facto of the case. As always at GJEL, we don’t charge any fees unless and until we WIN your case. Our goal is to give you the best advice after your accident and help you get better faster.
GJEL serves all of California from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Here are some nearby office locations.
June 2, 2023
April 30, 2023
April 28, 2023
April 28, 2023
April 28, 2023
April 28, 2023
GJEL has a 99% success rate. Our commercial trucking accident attorney fights to get each accident victim maximum compensation.
You can receive compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. Our truck injury lawyers will ask the insurance company to compensate you for medical bills, car repair expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We will request all possible damages from your accident.
A court might find a trucker negligent for things like speeding, texting while driving, driving while exhausted, making unsafe lane changes, or driving while intoxicated. Negligent driving means that the driver didn’t behave as a reasonable person would.
A California trucking accident lawyer looks out for your interests and negotiates with the insurance company on your behalf. Truck accident settlements with corporate insurance companies can be complicated. The attorneys at GJEL have been winning truck accident cases for 40 years, and we want to get you maximum compensation.
With so many vehicles on the road, it’s no wonder why there are so many truck accidents yearly. These companies have previously been labeled as companies with the worst drivers.
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2016
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/paffairs/faq/faq32.htm
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/hdbk/driver_handbook_toc
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/commercial/commercial