Santa Maria motorists on local streets or traveling Highway 101 will likely notice a stream of large trucks and vans clogging the lanes. These big rigs and delivery trucks often provide a physical barrier to the occupants of smaller cars and SUVs. When truck drivers get careless real harm can fall upon nearby drivers.
These large, heavy vehicles often cause more damage in impacts and leave victims with much more severe injuries. Patients and their families will wonder how to seek justice from a reckless truck driver. A Santa Maria Truck Accident Lawyer can help victims hold drivers and their trucking companies fully responsible for the costs of recovery.
Schedule a Free Big Rig Accident Case Consultation with a Skilled Local Attorney
If you or a loved one are hurt in a big rig collision on a Santa Barbara County freeway or boulevard, speak with a Santa Maria Truck Accident Lawyer before saying anything to an insurance company. A commercial truck insurance company isn’t required to inform you of the benefits available to you and your family. In fact, they want you to accept as small a settlement as possible.
This can be an easy mistake to make when you don’t know what your injury is actually worth and how much support you should expect. Contact Maison Law of Santa Maria for a free and confidential case evaluation. You can quickly get an honest appraisal of what you’ll need to fully recover after a devastating box truck or semi accident.
Truck Accident Dangers in Santa Maria
Santa Maria is a hub for trucks traveling in and out of local farms and manufacturing plants. Large trucks from local vineyards and wineries and other farm equipment can take up more than one lane on rural roads and routes like Highway 166.
A trip to get groceries down Broadway can include a frightening look in the rearview mirror as a distracted truck driver attempts to stop to keep from rear-ending you.
A collision with a tractor-trailer or a fully-loaded Amazon van can cause massive damage. Smaller cars can end up underneath these trucks. Victims might suffer life-threatening injuries while waiting to be freed from the wreckage.
Truck impacts easily cause broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and other internal injuries. Victims will have hospital bills arriving in a matter of weeks, and they could face additional recovery costs in the months ahead. A Santa Maria Truck Accident Lawyer fights to make sure these bills are all covered by an at-fault truck driver and the employer who hired that driver.
At-Fault Parties in California Truck Accidents
Truck accident victims can often file injury claims against several commercial truck insurance companies after a serious crash.
These and other parties might all be liable for the cost of your hospital stay and physical therapy expenses:
- Independent Truck Driver — You could be in a crash involving local drivers who work for themselves. They will carry commercial truck insurance that you will be able to target in a claim for damages.
- Trucking or Delivery Company – Whether a local company or a giant corporation like Amazon, these businesses all employ drivers. They are responsible for making background checks on their hires and providing proper training. They must have safety guidelines in place for all employees. Companies are also liable for the injuries their drivers cause when they don’t properly maintain their big rigs.
- Agricultural Company – Farms and vineyards in the area must also accept responsibility for their farm workers when they take to the road.
- Truck Manufacturer – The truck maker could be forced to support you during recovery if a malfunction or defect on the truck or a truck part caused your accident. Recalls on unsafe trucks could also provide you with a reason to file a claim against a truck manufacturer after an injury.
Compensation Available to Santa Maria Truck Accident Victims
Truck accident victims and their families must beware of trucking companies and other businesses when filing accident claims. A trucking corporation or a big agricultural firm will have access to corporate lawyers. They get paid to try to limit the amount of support victims receive after an accident
Hiring a truck accident attorney is a safeguard against their tactic designed to rob you of compensation. Insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers will be calling you after an accident, asking if you’ll give a recorded statement about the crash. You should politely decline and only give basic information. They are hoping you’ll say something they can twist to hurt your case later.
When you have a skilled personal injury attorney on your side, you can refer insurance representatives and other lawyers to your attorney. This allows you to focus on healing while your lawyer negotiates to earn you all the support you need to recover physically and financially.
Your lawyer would file a claim with a complete list of every hardship you’ve faced in recovery to earn the largest truck accident settlement check possible.
These factors should all help determine the amount of compensation you receive.
- Totals on medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Mental trauma
- Medical travel costs
- Lost wages
- Vehicle repair
In cases that involve long-term injuries and permanent disabilities, your lawyer would make sure you received enough support to have the money to pay for medical care and home care needed in the years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I wait to file a truck accident claim over an injury?
Two years. California provides injured victims a two-year window to file a claim. Once that deadline has passed, any case filed will likely be thrown out.
Can I receive benefits if my spouse or parent is killed in an accident caused by a truck driver?
Yes. The family of victims can file a wrongful death claim and get help with funeral costs and remaining hospital bills. Families should also receive help supporting themselves in the future after a victim’s weekly income is lost.
What if I can’t afford to hire a Santa Maria Truck Accident Lawyer?
You won’t need any money to hire strong legal representation from Maison Law. We don’t get paid unless we win your truck accident case for you. Then our fee comes out of your settlement award.
Contact a Santa Maria Big Rig Accident Lawyer
Local drivers probably don’t go a day without sharing the road with a semi and tractor-trailer, a loaded-down box truck, or a produce truck from a local farm. The size and shape of these giant vehicles make them more prone to accidents that involve major injuries for victims.
Then, when filing an insurance claim to secure support that’s only fair, victims might be forced to battle more than one insurance provider.
To make sure your injury is treated seriously, and you receive the maximum compensation available, discuss your best options with a skilled Santa Maria Truck Accident Lawyer. Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, offers a free, no-obligation consultation for all Santa Barbara County victims and their families.
