Gilroy Truck Accident Lawyer

Maison Law helps people struck by truck drivers in Gilroy. We stand up for local victims and make sure truck drivers and their employers help fully with medical bills and all lost income.

If you have been injured, please contact a Gilroy Personal Injury Lawyer for a free case consultation. It’s an easy, no-obligation way to get your questions answered and find out what you should be compensated for.

When You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer

When a truck strikes you or your vehicle, and it only results in very minor injuries or just property damage, you may be fine handling your case without legal assistance. Unfortunately, with the size and weight of most trucks and delivery vans, victims often come away with much more troubling injuries.

With a serious injury, your medical bills will immediately jump, and the time you are away from work can cost you major income. This increased value for your case makes insurers fight harder against taking full blame. They can try to slide the blame attached to their truck driver to someone else. They can also question your doctor’s diagnosis of how bad your injuries are.

These tactics are all to get away with offering you as little as possible, or nothing at all. Your lawyer fully investigates your case and uses hard evidence to block these tactics.

A Gilroy Truck Accident Lawyer can help you fight back by taking these actions and others:

• Tendon, ligament, and muscle tears
• Fractured bones anywhere in the body
• Knee and hip injuries
• Damage to internal organs
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), including moderate to severe concussions
• Neck and back injuries (including serious whiplash cases and herniated discs)
• A serious truck accident injury suffered by a loved one who was riding with someone
• A family member was tragically killed by a reckless truck driver

With these types of expensive injuries, your case is in jeopardy from another source.  Trucking companies and corporations behind careless truck drivers can bring in teams of lawyers to attack your case.

You always have the right to file claims on your own. However, when a serious injury is involved, an experienced attorney can often protect your case and secure thousands of dollars more for you and your family.

Schedule a Free Consultation

You may still have a lot of questions about your truck accident case and the chances of winning the support you need.

Maison Law of Gilroy never wants you to feel helpless. We offer a free, confidential review with no obligation. It’s a quick way to determine who might be responsible and how much they may end up having to pay you. If we can’t help you earn more for your case, we’ll tell you that. But we’ll also point you in the right direction to file a successful claim yourself.

If we can help you earn more, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay a lawyer at such a difficult time. Maison Law doesn’t seek any fee unless we win your case for you. Then our attorney’s fee is paid out of the settlement check a commercial truck insurance company must send you.

Finding Out Who Is Responsible

One of the toughest things about a truck accident, aside from the potential for major injuries, is the task of unraveling liability.

Unlike in a normal accident involving two drivers in cars, a truck accident can involve several different parties. It can start with the truck driver and the business that sent the driver and vehicle out on the road

These are a few of the parties that a skilled attorney would be investigating:

• Truck driver – Drivers could be on the road working for themselves as owner/operators. They will have commercial truck insurance, but it may not cover as much as a policy from a large company or corporation.

• The trucking company – The company that hired the driver might also be responsible for their actions while they’re working.
• Truck or parts manufacturer – If there’s a problem with the truck itself, like a design flaw or a faulty part, the manufacturer could be held responsible. If a specific part of the truck fails and causes the accident, the company that made that part could be liable.
• Cargo loaders – If the cargo isn’t loaded correctly and causes an accident, the people who loaded it might be at fault.
• Maintenance workers – If the truck wasn’t maintained properly and that caused the accident, the maintenance workers could be responsible.

Truck accidents can be complex because there are many factors that could contribute to a collision. It’s not just about the truck driver’s mistakes; others on the road could also share responsibility–just like any other car accident. A lawyer can help you identify who can be held liable. In some cases, it may be wise to file claims against several parties. 

What You Should Ask For After a Truck Accident

Victims in big rig accidents can suffer major injuries and spend days or weeks at a Santa Clara County trauma center.

They might be victims in a much smaller car who end up under a tractor-trailer, awaiting help until they can be cut from the wreckage.

They may be in an SUV nearly crushed by a speeding produce truck from a local farm. A careless truck driver can also put a pedestrian crossing the street at risk, a motorcyclist in the next lane in danger, or a rider in a bike lane in harm’s way.

Victims might require future surgeries, home care, and medical equipment, just to have the best chance at a normal life.

An experienced attorney would factor all of the client’s needs in and make sure any settlement offer included these and other benefits:

• Medical expenses, including ongoing care – This covers the costs of medical treatment you need because of the accident, like doctor visits, surgeries, medications, therapy, or any ongoing care you might need.
• Property damage – If your vehicle or other property was damaged in the accident, this includes the cost of repairing or replacing it.
• Lost income – If you couldn’t work because of the accident, you can claim the income or earnings you would have earned during that time. If you’re permanently injured and can’t work, you can also recover future earning potential.
• Emotional distress – This includes any psychological suffering you experienced because of the accident, like anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
• Pain and suffering – These damages are for the physical and emotional pain you endured because of the accident, beyond just the medical treatment.
• Loss of companionship or quality of life – If the accident affected your relationships or overall enjoyment of life, this covers that loss.
• Wrongful death expenses – If a loved one died in the accident, this covers funeral and burial costs, as well as the financial support they would have provided.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Gilroy

Unfortunately, Gilroy see plenty of large trucks, delivery vans, and big rigs passing through, especially on Highway 101. 

The size and shape of these heavy trucks contribute to the number of accidents they cause. Truck driver carelessness can also cause major collisions.

Here’s a look at some of the more common causes of these accidents:

• Unsafe driving – This includes things like distracted driving, speeding, fatigue, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Not maintaining the truck – Trucks need regular upkeep to stay safe. Neglecting maintenance can lead to mechanical failures like brake or tire problems, causing accidents.
• Inexperience or poor training – Lack of experience or training can lead to mistakes, especially in challenging driving situations.
• Poor road conditions – Potholes or construction zones can make driving difficult, especially for larger trucks.
• Unsafe cargo loading – Cargo that’s overloaded or not secured properly can shift during transit, making the truck unstable and causing accidents.

No matter what the actual cause of your accident is, it’s important to do a few things to protect your claim.

Protecting Your Truck Accident Claim

A truck accident claim is more than just dealing with insurance; it’s supposed to set you up to rebuild your wellbeing. But it’s also about doing what you can to protect and strengthen your claim. Here’s how you can do that:

• Get medical care: Your health comes first, so call an ambulance for immediate assistance if anyone is injured. EMTs will assess you at the scene, but it’s essential to visit a doctor or hospital for further evaluation and treatment to identify any hidden injuries.
• Report the accident – Move to a safe location and call 911. The call may have Gilroy Police or the California Highway Patrol Responding. They will respond, secure the area, and assist in collecting information from all parties involved.
• Document the accident scene – Take notes and photographs of the accident scene, including the date, time, weather conditions, and vehicles involved. Exchange contact and insurance information with others, including any witnesses.
• Preserve evidence – Save your damaged clothing. Don’t wash what you were wearing. Keep copies of important documents, such as medical records and repair estimates. These documents will be valuable when dealing with insurance claims or legal proceedings.

Although severe injuries or fatalities often result from truck accidents, it’s often necessary to prove how badly you are hurt and how long you’ll need support. These are major factors in how much your Gilroy truck accident attorney will demand on your behalf.

How Many Truck Accidents Are There in Gilroy?

California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) reports that Gilroy has averaged around 6 truck accidents involving serious injuries a year over a 5-year span (2021-2025).

Of course, many Gilroy residents must also run into San Jose and Santa Clara for work, school, and even shopping. They can encounter plenty of trucks across the South Bay network of freeways and streets. TIMS reports that Santa Clara County sees an average of 132 serious truck accidents a year.

In 2025, Santa Clara County roads saw 161 truck accidents involving injuries. That was the highest total of the past 5 years. The discouraging number also caused at least 4 fatalities. 

• Highway 101 through Gilroy and throughout Santa Clara County was the scene for 37 truck accidents involving injury and at least one death in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a truck accident injury claim?

You have two years to take legal action against a truck driver and trucking company. You may have years to file, but acting quickly is in your best interest. Waiting to turn your case over to a skilled lawyer can mean evidence gets lost, witnesses become harder to track down, and surveillance video gets erased.

What type of documents should I bring to my meeting with a lawyer?

Bring copies of all medical receipts. Allow your lawyer access to your medical charts that go over your injury outlook as well. Bring pay stubs from your workplace showing the income you usually earn and the changes in your paycheck since you haven’t been able to work. If you have requested a copy of a collision report, you should bring it to. You can also turn over any photos you took at the scene of the accident and any contact information from witnesses you took down. If you don’t have any of this information yet, your lawyer can help you obtain it.

What if I can’t afford to pay a truck accident lawyer?

Victims of a truck accident should be allowed to focus on getting better and not on how they’ll get a lawyer paid. Our lawyers don’t accept any payment unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money that a truck accident insurance company is forced to provide.

Contact a Gilroy Truck Accident Attorney

Major trucking and shipping companies must have commercial truck insurance coverage for their full-time drivers, but accessing that support can be another issue.

Insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers can get involved to limit what injured victims receive. In cases involving a serious injury, it’s important to have a lawyer on your side to even the playing field.

If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident, take advantage of a free case review with a real lawyer at Maison Law. This evaluation comes with no obligation to you or your family. Find out what your injury is worth and how to make insurance companies pay what’s fair.