Maison Law can guide you through the claims process if you’re injured in a truck accident in Manhattan Beach. Whether you’re driving down Sepulveda Boulevard on your morning drive to work, heading along Pacific Coast Highway, or making a quick stop near Manhattan Village, sharing the road with a big rig truck is just part of everyday life. Most trips end without a second thought. But when you’re in an accident with one, the outcome is usually much more serious. We’re here to help you through it. Set up a free consultation today.
Why a Lawyer Makes Sense After a Truck Accident
A truck accident follows the same basic claims process as a car accident, but that’s about where the similarities end. What makes these cases different is everything happening behind the scenes. It’s rarely just you and the truck driver. Depending on how the accident happened, you could be dealing with the trucking company, its insurance carrier, a maintenance company, a cargo loader, or even the manufacturer of one of the truck’s parts.
Then there’s the damage itself. Because trucks weigh so much more than regular cars, the injuries are typically more serious, the medical treatment you need lasts longer, and the financial loss you go through is much greater. That’s a lot for one person or family to take on while trying to heal. So it’s not surprising that talking to our team makes a lot of sense after a truck accident. When you do, we can:
- Get to the bottom of what caused the accident.
- Figure out who’s actually responsible for your injuries.
- Track down the evidence before it has a chance to disappear.
- Handle the trucking company and the insurance company for you.
- Make sure every dollar of your losses is accounted for.
- Keep you informed so you’re never left wondering what happens next.
After a truck accident, it’s easy to assume the evidence speaks for itself. Unfortunately, that’s rarely how these types of situations work. There’s always unanswered questions and information that’s hard to come by. We take all that on for you, giving you the space to focus on healing.
What Do I Need to Look For After My Accident?
Truck accident claims usually come down to one thing: what you can prove. The problem is that proving what happened isn’t always easy. And that comes down to one reason: A lot of the evidence is controlled by the trucking company—not you. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do, though.
As long as you’re physically able, you should call 911 and report what happened. Then, while you wait for an ambulance and police, try to get a few basic things like:
- Photos and videos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, skid marks, debris, road conditions, and any visible injuries.
- The truck driver’s contact and insurance information, along with the trucking company’s name and any identifying numbers on the truck.
- Names and phone numbers for anyone who saw the accident happen.
- Notes about what you remember, including the weather, traffic conditions, and anything you noticed before the collision.
That’s just what you can gather at the scene. Over the next few days and weeks, it’s also helpful to keep track of things like:
- Medical records and treatment plans.
- Bills for hospital visits, prescriptions, physical therapy, and follow-up care.
- Receipts for towing, rental cars, and vehicle repairs.
- Documentation showing the work you’ve missed.
- Emails and letters from insurance companies.
- A journal describing your recovery, pain levels, physical limitations, and how your injuries are affecting your everyday life.
Of course, there’s the evidence you probably can’t get on your own. Things like:
- Black box data
- Driver logbooks
- Hours-of-service records
- GPS data
- Maintenance records
- Inspection reports
- Cargo loading documents
- Driver qualification files
Getting these things typically takes legal action, and it’s important to move quickly before anything is lost or destroyed. Remember though, your first priority is getting medical care. If you’re seriously hurt, don’t worry about trying to also get evidence. Once you’re safe, our team can step in and help get much of the information needed to build your claim.
Who Pays for Damages After a Truck Accident?
One of the biggest differences between a truck accident and a typical car accident is figuring out who’s actually responsible. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times, it isn’t.
Sure, the truck driver may have been careless or reckless, but that doesn’t automatically mean they’re the only one who can be held responsible. There’s a lot of moving parts with driving a truck. Trucking companies have to hire qualified drivers, inspect their vehicles, maintain their equipment, and follow both California and federal safety regulations. If they cut corners anywhere along the way, they may share responsibility too. Outside of all that, it also depends on the specifics of what caused your accident. One way or the other though, legal responsibility for your damages typically falls on:
- The truck driver and trucking company. Speeding, distracted driving, fatigue, overloaded schedules, or violations of trucking regulations can all play a role.
- A maintenance company. If poor repairs or missed inspections contributed to the accident, the company responsible for maintaining the truck may also be liable.
- The truck or parts manufacturer. Defective brakes, tires, steering components, or other equipment failures sometimes lead to serious accidents.
- A cargo loading company. Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo can shift during transport, making a truck much harder to control.
- A government agency. Poor road maintenance, missing signs, or dangerous roadway conditions can sometimes contribute to an accident.
- Another driver. Sometimes another driver’s actions set off the chain of events that leads to a collision because the truck couldn’t reach in time.
The important thing isn’t just finding everyone who might be responsible. It’s figuring out exactly how the accident happened before evidence disappears and people start pointing fingers at each other.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Truck Accident?
This is what really separates a truck accident from other vehicle accidents. The huge size disparity and what it’s carrying tends to leave you dealing with a lot more than damage to your car after an accident.
At the same time, though, the actual way you get damages—filing an injury claim—works the same way as a normal car accident. You can either go through insurance or go to court with a lawsuit.
One difference, though, is that there’s a lot of different insurance companies involved in a typical truck accident. It’s not just the trucking company, it might involve the company that loaded the cargo or the company that was contracted to take care of maintenance. But it’s still outside of court. Of course, the more insurance gets involved, the more fingers get pointed. That stretches things out and makes them more confusing.
If that’s what happens, you can file a lawsuit in civil court. That gives you a fairer shake in terms of getting fuller damages like:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship in certain cases
- Funeral and burial expenses in fatal accidents
California generally gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident. That might seem like plenty of time, but it can take a long time in untangling liability and other important factors. The sooner you decide to move forward, the easier things can be.
Kinds of Truck Accidents in Manhattan Beach
Truck accidents can happen anywhere trucks and normal cars share the road. And when you think about it, Manhattan Beach has plenty of places where that happens every day. You have delivery trucks making stops around downtown, long-haul trucks traveling through the South Bay, big rigs sharing the road on Sepulveda Boulevard and PCH, and heavy freight trucks moving along the 405.
The problem, again, is that trucks already have a lot working against them. They’re bigger, heavier, and take much longer to stop than a normal car. When you add in all the normal things that lead to accidents—distracted driving, fatigue, poor road conditions, improperly loaded cargo, equipment problems—it’s not hard to see how accidents happen. Typically, though, you see them result in:
- Rear-end collisions when the truck can’t slow down in time
- Jackknife accidents when a truck’s trailer swings out from behind the cab, often because of sudden braking, slippery roads, or a loss of control.
- Underride accidents, where a smaller car can slide underneath the back or side of a truck.
- Rollover accidents that happen when weight shifts or a driver takes a turn too quickly.
No matter how your truck accident happened, you have a lot of challenges ahead of you. One way or the other, though, our team will be with you from the beginning to guide you through it all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the truck driver or trucking company is from out of state?
It doesn’t mean you can’t file a claim. Most trucks that go through Manhattan Beach and the South Bay are with companies based outside California. If the driver, trucking company, or someone else connected to the truck caused your accident, they’re still legally responsible.
Who can file a claim if my truck accident is fatal?
A fatal truck accident means filing a wrongful death claim. Currently in California, wrongful death claims can be filed by surviving spouses, children, or an executor named in a will.
What if I don’t know what caused my truck accident?
That’s actually pretty common after a truck accident, especially when there are multiple vehicles, companies, or possible causes involved. Evidence like black box data, driver logs, maintenance records, witness statements, and the accident scene itself can help uncover what really happened.
Contact Our Manhattan Beach Truck Accident Lawyers
Sharing the road with big rig trucks is just a part of life in Manhattan Beach. But that familiarity brings serious challenges when there’s an accident and you’re injured. At Maison Law, we understand how damaging truck accidents can be, and we’ll be there to help you through the claims process. Set up a free consultation today to get started.
