The team at Maison Law is ready to help all victims of a Los Banos truck accident. If you or a family member recently became the victim of injuries due to an accident with a semi-truck or big rig in the Los Banos community, reach out to Maison Law to explore your options and learn about the legal merit of your case at a free consultation with one of our Los Banos truck accident lawyers.
For a local example, see the MSN report on a Highway 152 truck collision near Los Banos.
Do I Need to Hire a Los Banos Truck Accident Lawyer
Victims of a big rig accident need to know that they are never legally required to hire a lawyer to represent them in a truck accident lawsuit. You have the right to prepare and file a claim or lawsuit on your own if you believe the matter is basic or straightforward. However, you must understand the time-consuming processes required to file a lawsuit in California successfully.
Many truck accident victims find that their time is much better spent focusing on their recovery and healing process than learning the intricacies of the legal system and personal injury law. They are even more eager to hire Maison Law to handle this matter when they find that our team never asks for any upfront payments, and we only get paid if we win your case. Finally, when these victims discover that most claims and lawsuits are settled for a larger amount when handled by a truck accident lawyer than the victim themselves, the choice to hire a Maison Law truck accident lawyer becomes easy to make.
Scheduling Your Free Consultation
Right after your Los Banos truck accident, all you can think about is that you are sure to feel better in a few days. The mammoth size of a semi-truck as compared to the average personal vehicle is about 20 times that of your car or SUV. So, the impact is typically violent. But as the days pass, you become stiffer and sorer, your worries about financial matters increase, and you feel a burning desire to learn more about the potential for a truck accident lawsuit in Los Banos to resolve your issues.
The great news for Los Banos truck accident victims is that the team at Maison Law is eager to provide a free consultation and case evaluation. At this meeting, you can ask all the questions that are causing you to lose sleep at night and constantly be searching Google during the day. By the end of the meeting, you will understand your options and how the Maison Law truck accident lawyers can help you resolve this matter with as little stress and hardship as possible. Another person’s negligence caused your losses and expenses, and our lawyers will help to ensure you get the compensation that is owed to you.
What is the Value of a Los Banos Truck Accident Lawsuit
After surviving an accident with a big rig, it is understandable that you feel lucky to be alive. But those feelings of gratitude and elation can fade quickly as the bills begin to arrive. Feeling overwhelmed is common, but it can be detrimental to your health and healing. The Los Banos truck accident lawyers at Maison Law are here to help you investigate the potential value of your truck accident lawsuit and understand the items that can be included in the compensation you are seeking with your lawsuit.
The economic damages that are most commonly included in a truck accident lawsuit generally include:
- All current and projected medical expenses related to the injuries sustained in the Los Banos truck accident
- The cost of any therapy or counseling to work through the trauma of the semi-truck accident and the scars it has left behind, like anxiety, depression, lack of ability to sleep, and even fear of driving or being in a vehicle
- Your lost wages if the injuries from the truck accident prevent you from working until you are fully recovered
- Diminished earning potential if the injuries created disabilities or limitations that will negatively impact your ability to earn a living in the future
In cases that involve a wrongful death as a result of a big rig truck accident, the family of the deceased can also seek compensation for the funeral and burial costs of their loved one as well as the lost income and financial support they would have provided for their family in the future.
Los Banos Truck Accident Liability
Most vehicle accidents are the result of negligence on the part of one or more drivers involved in the incident. Many people do not recognize that we all place a great deal of trust in the drivers with whom we share the roadways. One mistake by the driver of a car can result in an accident that will alter a life. But in the case of a negligent act by the driver of a big rig, the result can be a multi-vehicle pile-up that changes the course of dozens of lives. Some of the more common poor choices made by truckers that result in truck accidents and injuries include:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Driving under the influence of a mind-altering substance
- Distracted driving
- Incidents of Road Rage
- Driving past the daily hours limit for a professional truck driver
- Driving while overly tired
- Speeding
- Ignoring road and weather conditions and using added caution
You might assume that a driver is always to blame for a Los Banos truck accident. But that is not the case. You will discover that several other parties can share in the liability for a truck accident or be wholly responsible. That list of potential responsible parties includes:
Depending on the facts, a trucking company may face vicarious liability. Cornell Law School also explains the doctrine of respondeat superior.
- The owner of the truck if it is anyone other than the driver
- The maintenance company contracted to care for the truck
- The trucking company and staff if they failed to take the proper steps to maintain the truck; if the truck was defective and a catastrophic failure or breakdown was the cause of the truck accident, the manufacturer can be held accountable
For more on crashes involving common grocery delivery fleets, see our pages on Walmart trucks, Target trucks, and Ralphs trucks. For industry context on independent-contractor driver classification, see the Journal of Commerce.
Kinds Of Truck Accidents in Los Banos
Most drivers are unaware of the wide variety of truck accidents that occur on the roadways each year until they are involved in one. A review of these common truck accidents can help other drivers recognize potential hazards and possibly avoid a truck accident and a very painful experience:
- Head-on collisions
- Hit-and-run truck accidents
- Sideswipe accidents
- Failure to yield truck accidents
- Accidents while making a left turn
- Wide right turn accidents, overloaded truck accidents
- Accidents caused by spilling a truck’s load
- Overturned trucks
- Jackknife truck accidents
- Runaway truck accidents
- Accidents caused by an oversized load truck
- Accidents involving trucks with livestock
- Accidents caused by poor truck maintenance
The Statute of Limitations on a Truck Accident
If you or a loved one were hurt in a truck accident in Los Banos involving a big rig, you have the right to file a lawsuit with the court to secure compensation for your losses and expenses. But you need to know that the time limit to take this action is two years from the date of the truck accident and your injuries. Once the time limit has expired, you lose the right to pursue any legal action to secure compensation for the losses and expenses related to that specific truck accident.
This information is particularly crucial if you have decided to handle resolving your truck accident claim with the insurance company covering the liable party without going to court.
The Infamous Insurance Company Stall Tactic
Many Los Banos truck accident victims choose to work with a representative of the liable party’s insurance company to resolve their losses and expenses without involving the court. The victims feel this is a more cost-effective and expedient solution. However, that is rarely the case. Unfortunately, some insurance company employees use stall tactics, including being slow to reply to questions or requests, ignoring calls and inquiries from the victim, and demanding many signed documents before they are willing to make an offer to the truck accident victim. The goal in this process is to waste the two years that the victim is given to pursue legal action.
The insurance company staff knows that once the Statute of Limitations has expired, the victim will have little choice but to accept any lowball offer made by the insurance company. So, do not be fooled by the insurance company rep who sounds sorry for your injuries and losses and pledges to help you resolve your claim swiftly. They are working for a company that is in business to make money. And they are in a role that directly impacts the company’s bottom line. When they offer a small payout and the victim takes it, the insurance company is making more money.
Frequently Asked Questions About Los Banos Truck Accidents
If I was partially to blame for the Los Banos truck accident, can I still pursue legal action?
Yes. California is a comparative negligence state. That means that multiple parties can share the liability for an accident. Each responsible party is assigned a specific share of the blame, expressed as a percentage. As a victim of a truck accident, you can sue for the portion of your losses and expenses equal to the percentage of liability assigned to the other responsible party or parties. For example, if you were given 25% of the liability for the accident, you can sue for the remaining 75% of your losses and expenses.
Are there laws in California that only apply to trucks?
Yes, California has laws and road rules that only apply to semi-trucks.
Most of the truck-specific laws are in place to increase safety due to the size and weight of the big rigs. Trucks are required to operate at lower speeds than the average passenger vehicle, and they are restricted to use of the right-hand lane in some areas. In addition, there are specific truck lanes, such as those common on I-5.
What is the weight limit of the average semi-truck?
A semi-truck is permitted to have a gross weight limit of 80,000 pounds. To add perspective, the average full-size SUV weighs in at a maximum of around 6,000 pounds. The added safety requirements for semi-trucks are the best way to increase driver control and limit the potential for deadly truck accidents in Los Banos and across the state.
Contact A Los Banos Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one faces hardships because of your involvement in a Los Banos truck accident, reach out to the dedicated Los Banos legal team at Maison Law. They are ready to provide you with a free, no-obligation case evaluation and consultation. There is no financial risk involved for you.
If you hire our Los Banos truck accident lawyer, we never ask for any upfront fees, and we only get paid after the case is completed. Our fees are contingency-based. That means our fees and expenses are included in the compensation you are paid when we win the case. You are never at risk to pay anything if we do not deliver on winning your Los Banos truck accident lawsuit.
