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Who Is Responsible for Damages After A Fatal Big Rig Truck Accident?

Big Rigs, tankers-trucks, and box trucks race across California night and day. These giant, heavy vehicles not only provide additional collision risk, but when they are involved in impacts, the resulting injuries can be that much more severe.

In the most tragic instances, a California big rig collision can claim one or more lives and devastate the family members left behind.

When California truck accidents cause fatalities, it’s critical that close relatives are protected from the financial hardships that often follow.

Seeking Support After a Fatal California Truck Accident

The families of fatal big rig accident victims should be allowed time to grieve such a terrible loss. However, these families can often face enormous financial burdens just days after a tragedy occurs. It’s critical that close relatives know about every benefit available to them after a California Wrongful Death Accident.

The California Truck Accident Lawyers at Maison Law offer a free consultation to all families facing such difficult circumstances. This case evaluation is completely confidential and it’s a no-risk way to find out how to seek financial support to protect families who have lost a loved one.

Big Rig Truck Collision Dangers in California

There isn’t a corner of California you can drive to without having a semi-truck, box truck or delivery van in a lane nearby. All that industry is great for the economy, but having such wide, hefty trucks on the sometimes narrow lanes in rural parts of the state often proves dangerous.

The corner of a drifting big rig can inch into your lane. A single bump might leave you spinning out of control. Cars and SUVs are always at risk of ending up underneath a tractor-trailer, leaving the victims inside waiting on urgent medical care until they can be extricated.

These additional risks threaten lives each day across California, and the loss of life will devastate family members emotionally and financially. It’s vital that they are protected from hardships now and in the years ahead.

Who Is Liable After a Fatal California Big Rig Accident?

When a truck driver’s tragic mistake ends up robbing someone of life, the family left behind must become the focus when considering liability.

Truck accident claims often differ quite a bit from normal collision claims. A truck driver is often behind the wheel for a company or corporation and more than one party could have to contribute to the wrongful death settlement provided to the family.

It can be hard to identify every party that may bear fault, but it’s an important task so that the victim’s close relatives receive the care they need to rebuild their lives. These are just a few of the parties that may have to provide a big rig accident insurance settlement check to family members:

  • Self-Employed Driver – Drivers working for themselves or who own their own small trucking company could be responsible for a fatal accident. These drivers pay premiums for commercial truck accident coverage.
  • Local Transport Company — Drivers may be working for a local trucking company that contracts out drivers to larger companies. These local businesses should also have policies that cover California truck accidents.
  • Large Corporations and National Distributors– Giant trucking corporations may hire their own full-time drivers. These corporations may have a million dollars or more in liability insurance backing their truck drivers. However, they will also have teams of lawyers at the ready to help them avoid accepting fault in fatal accidents. This is one reason your family must speak with a California Truck Accident Lawyer before speaking to any insurance representative or lawyer representing a trucking company.
  • Truck Manufacturer – A flaw in a truck’s design, like a problem with a brake system, might have caused a tragic impact. Truck manufacturers and those responsible for maintenance on trucks might be found responsible for a fatal accident and would be financially responsible.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim for a Family After a Truck Accident?

California law works to protect families who have lost a loved one to a tragedy. Certain family members can file a truck accident wrongful death claim against every at-fault party to seek financial help.

A spouse or domestic partner is permitted to file this civil lawsuit on behalf of the rest of the family. Children or grandchildren of the victim could also file this claim. In some cases, when a deceased victim doesn’t have a spouse or partner, the parents or siblings of the victim could file a wrongful death claim.

A California Wrongful Death Attorney can also file this claim on behalf of a grieving family. An attorney would secure evidence and testimony to make sure a truck driver and trucking company had no room to avoid accepting responsibility. The attorney would also handle all communications regarding the case so the family would experience as little disruption as possible at such a difficult time.

What Kind of Compensation Can be Awarded After a Fatal California Truck Accident?

During such a heartbreaking period, families will understandably want to avoid discussing financial issues left behind after a tragic big rig collision. Yet, it’s also important to secure fair support from those at fault, so that family members are left to suffer economic strife in the months and years ahead.

These are just a few of the economic damages a truck driver’s insurance provider can be responsible for:

  • Support to pay for a funeral.
  • Support to pay for a burial.
  • Support for medical bills and ambulance fees the victim accumulated before passing on.
  • Support for the guidance the loved one can no longer provide in the future.
  • Support for the income the loved one can no longer provide in the future through employment.

Contact a California Fatal Truck Accident Lawyer

A California big rig accident can devastate a family after a loved one’s death. These tragedies are that much worse when close relatives are left with crippling debt in the years that follow.

Contact Maison Law for a free case consultation if you’ve lost a loved one in a California truck accident. Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, has an extensive background in taking on insurance companies to see that families aren’t subjected to their tactics and robbed of fair financial support. Families need time to grieve and proper support to begin rebuilding their lives.

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