California is a place where busy people can set down roots or pick up their roots and move at a moment’s notice. Families looking for a change of address could be moving into California, moving between cities, or moving out of state.
Those trips usually mean renting a moving van or hiring a moving crew to help with packing up and relocating. It’s a lot of people in bigger vehicles who may not have the experience they need to drive a larger, heavier truck or van.
This inexperience can lead to dangerous hazards on the road for people in moving trucks and for any motorists and pedestrians around them. Victims injured in accidents may be forced to ask for financial help from not only the driver of a moving truck, but the rental company involved as well.
A Free Consultation for California Moving Van Accident Victims
After you’ve been in a frightening accident involving a moving truck, you should be allowed to focus on healing without the worry of how you’ll pay for your care. Unfortunately, getting fair compensation to cover your medical bills and your lost time at work isn’t automatic.
You may have to file a claim for damages with an at-fault driver’s insurance provider, and in some cases the moving company, to receive financial support for your hardships. You must stay informed of your legal rights as a victim and know how much your injury may be worth.
You won’t lose anything by taking advantage of a free case consultation with Maison Law. This evaluation comes with no obligation to you or your family. Discussing what happened with a skilled California Moving Van Accident Attorney will help you understand the options you have before you.
Moving Van Accident Dangers in California
It doesn’t take a lot to qualify for a moving van or truck rental. You need a driver’s license and you’ll need the money to pay a rental company like U-Haul, Budget, or even a company like Home Depot.
There’s little to no training. It may seem simple to operate a van or big truck, but the added size and weight make these large vehicles handle much differently than a car or SUV.
The heavy items people can pack into these trucks make a dramatic difference in how a truck steers and how long it takes to stop. Shifting loads can also make steering a difficult task and cause a hazard that could cause a truck to overturn.
Someone moving in a van may get stuck in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Fresno traffic. That stop-and-go rhythm can make it especially hard for people in trucks with so much weight behind them. Stopping over and over again can lead to inattention on the driver’s part and eventually a moving van personal injury accident.
People traveling through the Central Valley can see straight stretches of road and be tempted to go much faster than is safe in a large van. A sudden stop in traffic ahead can leave a mover with far too little space to come to a full stop.
Because of the shape and weight of the vehicles involved, these accidents can result in far more serious injuries than seen in accidents involving normal cars and SUVs. Impacts are more powerful and vehicles can easily end up under large trucks to increase the threat of a traumatic injury for drivers and passengers.
Who Pays After an Accident and Injury Involving a Moving Van?
An accident with a moving van or truck will usually be more difficult to sort out. Even when a van driver admits fault, there are likely several other parties who should be offering you financial support as you heal.
- Driver and Rental Company Insurance — If you are hurt in an accident caused by a rented moving van driver, you’ll likely first be calling upon the driver’s car insurance policy for coverage. This may leave you suddenly reaching insurance liability limits while still having medical bills to pay. A company like U-Haul may also provide a very limited amount of coverage to help you with hospital bills and lost wages at work.
- Rental Company Negligence — A further claim for damages can be filed against a truck rental company if it’s found the company’s negligence is responsible for your injury accident. They may have failed to verify the background of a driver and may have given a truck to someone without a driver’s license. The driver may also have been clearly intoxicated when a rental company handed them the keys to a van.
- Rental Truck Maintenance — A truck rental company like Budget may have improperly maintained a rental truck. The accident may have been caused by faulty brakes or tires that should have been replaced. It’s up to your personal injury lawyer to investigate these factors to hopefully earn you additional money for recovery.
- Professional Trucking Company — When a professional moving company is moving someone’s household items, the company or corporation should have commercial insurance that would cover the victims of their employee’s mistake.
Sorting out just who owes you compensation as you heal can be hard to determine. A truck accident lawyer serving California victims is ready to meet the challenge. They’ll fight back on your behalf when one or all of these parties tries to deny blame or restrict the support you receive to far less than you require.
What Can I Receive Support for After a Moving Van Accident?
Involving every party that may owe you fair compensation is vital to your moving van personal injury case. Everything that isn’t accounted for will come out of your pocket and your family’s savings. This should never be allowed to happen. You didn’t cause your accident and you shouldn’t absorb any financial penalties for the cost of recovery.
Your California personal injury lawyer will be fully investigating your case to build a strong case that every insurance company involved will have a difficult time rejecting.
In an insurance settlement or through a courtroom verdict you can hope to receive these benefits and more after an accident:
- Your hospital bills now and any expected in the future.
- All costs associated with a long-term injury or permanent disability.
- The physical pain and emotional distress you endure through recovery.
- Your lost paychecks while missing work hours.
- Travel costs associated with your care.
Contact a California Moving Van Accident Lawyer
In California, injured victims have up to two years to file a claim for damages against an at-fault driver’s insurance company. This statute of limitations applies to the employers or rental companies involved in your accident.
This may seem like a long time, but you should talk over your case with a skilled California Truck Accident Lawyer as soon as possible. The sooner your attorney can begin working on your case, the easier evidence and documents will be to obtain, and the easier it will be to keep track of witnesses.
Attorney Martin Gasparian offers a free and confidential case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian works hard to make sure clients are allowed to restore their health and their lives without worrying over hospital bills and lost paychecks. A free case evaluation is also available to families who have lost a loved one in a tragic accident involving any large truck. Family members must understand the benefits available to them through a wrongful death claim.
