Maison Law represents truck accident victims in California. Whenever there’s a truck accident, it can leave you with serious injuries. This makes the legal process very important to your physical recovery, and an important part of your claim is the evidence you can present–including accident reconstructions. We partner with accident reconstruction teams and can help you. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Should You Hire a Lawyer?
Legally speaking, a truck accident isn’t any different from other accidents in California. But, in the real world, a truck accident is usually much more devastating in terms of the injuries and damage it can cause you and your family. Hopefully, your accident is minor and won’t require further legal action. But if your injuries or accident is more in line with a typical one involving a big rig, you’re probably going to need all the help you can get.
Our team has the experience and resources to help you in this situation. Here’s how we approach these cases:
- Legal help – Our team knows a lot about truck accidents and how California law applies to them. We’ll explain your rights and what might happen.
- Investigating the accident – We have extensive experience at investigating and looking into accidents, especially with reconstruction teams. We gather proof, talk to witnesses, and study the scene to figure out who’s responsible.
- Talking to others involved – We deal with talking to insurance companies and other people, so you don’t have to. We make sure you don’t say anything that could hurt your case.
- Fair settlements – We’re skilled at getting fair deals for our clients, whether it’s with insurance or settlements. We aim to cover your medical bills, fix your things, pay for lost work, and make up for your pain and suffering.
Most importantly, we’re here to make things easier for you. You can focus on getting better, and we’ll handle the legal side of things.
What is the Accident Reconstruction Process After a Truck Accident?
Another way that truck accidents are unique is in the actual data and evidence that’s available. You’ll still have standard pieces of evidence to show your losses, like medical records and repair estimates, but with a big rig, there’s usually things like black box data and dash cams available. So, looking at the accident reconstruction process involves:
- Examining the accident scene – First, the team goes to the accident spot and carefully looks at everything. They measure things, take pictures, and write down details like how the road is set up, what signs are there, what the weather was like, where tire marks are, and how debris is scattered.
- Checking vehicles – Next, they check all the vehicles involved in the crash really well. They look closely for any damage, mechanical problems, or anything strange. This includes looking at the big rig, other vehicles, and important parts of the vehicles.
- Gathering information – The team collects data from different places to understand what happened before the accident. They might get info from the big rig’s central computer, talk to people who saw what happened, watch dash cam or other footage, and get data from Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in the vehicles if they have them.
- Talking to witnesses – Hearing from people who saw the accident can help understand what happened. The team talks to witnesses to hear what they saw, like how the vehicles were moving, how fast they were going, how the drivers acted, and other important details.
- Recreating the accident – Using special computer programs and science, the team looks at all the data to figure out the order of events that caused the accident. They might make computer models or small versions of the scene to see how things happened, like how fast the vehicles were going and how hard they hit each other.
- Determining fault – After studying everything, the team decides what caused the accident and who is responsible. They look for things like breaking traffic laws, careless driving, mechanical problems, or bad weather that might have caused the accident.
- Reports and testimony – Finally, the team puts together a big report with all their findings, conclusions, and suggestions. This report helps in legal cases, insurance claims, or more investigation into why the accident happened.
All of this adds up to important evidence for your claim. That said, understanding the actual legal process means that this evidence actually has to be presented, and our team will be there to help in that regard.
Claims Process After a Truck Accident
Every claims process after a truck accident is going to involve two main options: filing an insurance claim or filing a personal injury lawsuit.
In an insurance claim, the company investigates the incident, collects evidence, and may offer a settlement. However, this settlement might not cover all expenses, especially for significant injuries, prompting consideration of a lawsuit.
In a lawsuit, our team guides you through court proceedings, including filing a Complaint, attending hearings, negotiating, and potentially going to trial.
The goal of both processes is to recover “damages”, including things like:
- Medical costs
- Lost income
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- In some cases, punitive damages
It’s crucial to file within California’s two-year statute of limitations and understand the comparative negligence rule, which affects potential recovery based on your fault in the accident. This is what makes presenting your case effectively so important, as it will ultimately determine what you walk away with in terms of the amount of damages.
Contact Maison Law For a Free Consultation
At Maison Law, our lawyers and partners will do everything we can to make sure you have a strong claim after a truck accident. Whether that takes accident reconstruction or any other legal support, we’ll be there for you throughout the process. Contact us today for a free consultation to get started
