• Go to a Doctor.

Being in a commercial truck accident can be incredibly jarring and may even have adverse effects on your life. If you have been involved in a commercial truck accident it’s imperative to get medical help immediately, especially if it’s a life threatening situation. Your life, safety, and health come first as well as those in your company. Additionally, compensation may not be recovered if you don’t see a doctor. Even if at the time of the accident you feel fine and don’t seem to have sustained any serious injuries, adrenaline coupled with the stress and intensity of a truck accident may veil the true extent of your injuries. It is always better to stay on the safe side and see a medical professional right away. 

After your primary health is taken care of, a comprehensive medical evaluation should be conducted. At this point you may want to request or put together your overall medical record and any documents that may be necessary that could support your medical background. This information could help your overall case when the time comes and it is always better to be prepared.

• File a Report of the Accident

It is best that a California Highway Patrol Officer or the LAPD comes and makes an official crash report of the collision. Once the report is made be sure to obtain a copy of it and review the information to ensure any misleading or false information can be corrected. 

• Supporting Evidence

In any case it’s always best to have supporting evidence to your claim. On site of the crash if it’s safe to do so and your medical health isn’t in danger, photographs, videos, and witness testimonies and information should be gathered. Any information pertaining to the company of the truck and it’s driver should also be obtained if possible. 

• Don’t Wait to File

The statute of limitations is two years for truck accidents, but you should file as soon as possible anyway so any evidence, reports, or witness testimonies are still fresh and viable. A statute of limitations means that after a certain amount of time, you can no longer pursue legal action. The sooner you speak to a lawyer at Point Law Group, the best truck accident attorney Los Angeles, the sooner your case will be handled.

• Things to Look Out For

The main thing you want to keep an eye out for is negligence by way of the other party. This is because in California, a claim for a truck accident has to have its foundation based on the negligence of the truck driver and you have to be able to prove that because of their negligence an accident was caused. 

Some examples of negligence may include:

• A fatigued truck driver.
• The truck driver was on an unreasonable delivery deadline and was speeding in order to meet that deadline. 
• The truck driver was distracted.
• The truck driver was intoxicated, drunk, or otherwise inebriated.
• The truck driver was undertrained.
• The truck driver didn’t properly load their trailer.
• The maintenance on the truck was not maintained or was poorly maintained. 
• The inspections on the truck or the trailer were performed inadequately. 

The most common type of truck accident cases are:

• Jackknife
  When the cab of a big rig folds on itself at a 90 degree angle, usually due to braking too hard too quickly which may result in a more serious accident that can involve multiple parties.
• Rollovers
  This happens when a truck driver loses control and the truck physically tips over onto its side. Unfortunately the trucks being so large this can be catastrophic for any vehicles and people nearby. 
• Blown Out Tire
  As with any vehicle, tire blowouts happen, but with large trucks it’s on a much larger scale and this can be detrimental to other drivers and people nearby because a blowout can send a truck in an uncontrollable direction out of nowhere. 
• Too Wide of a Turn
  When a driver takes a too tight turn or too wide turn and isn’t aware of their surroundings and or their rig, people and vehicles can become trapped.
• Blind Spot
  Because of the enormity of a truck, they unfortunately have multiple blind spots that limit the driver’s field of vision. This can lead to a truck driver unaware of another driver changing lanes, or be unaware of a vehicle next to them. This can put other people at risk of being forced off of the road, being crushed, or hit. 
• Rear End
  Trucks often keep a wide berth from other cars in front of them because of the weight of the truck. If a truck has to hit the brakes it takes longer for them to come to a complete stop especially when going at a higher rate of speed. This can cause accidents of catastrophic proportions, where loss of life and serious injuries can occur.
• Under Ride
  This occurrence involves another car or vehicle becoming wedged under the trailer of a truck due to the truck driver making a sudden stop as a smaller vehicle is approaching. Because the trucks rig is usually raised up off of the ground by a few feet the smaller vehicle doesn’t hit the side of the truck with the nose of their car which would allow the airbags to deploy and give the other driver a safety net. Instead the nose will usually go under the rig, leaving the main impact for the windshield and upper portion of the car. Tragically these are some of the most deadly accidents involving trucks. 
• Lost Load
  If a freight or truck load isn’t secured properly to the rig, it can become detached. This can create very dangerous situations for drivers and have been known to cause multi-car accidents.
• Head On Collision
  These almost always result in serious injuries or fatalities.
• T-Bone
  This type of accident happens when a truck driver hits another car perpendicularly. 

If any of these or other accidents have happened to you or anyone you know, refer them to the best truck accident lawyer Los Angeles, Point Law Group. 

Common truck accident injuries include but are not limited to:

• Head, and/or traumatic brain injury
• Paralysis or paraplegia brought on by spinal cord damage
• Severe back and/or neck injuries
• Whiplash
• Dislocated, fractured and/or broken bones
• Limb loss/ amputation
• Disfigurement
• Burns and lacerations
• Internal injuries, internal bleeding, and organ damage
• Wrongful death

Some common causes of truck accidents include but are not limited to:

• Severe weather
• Bad road conditions
• Road construction
• The truck driver was undertrained
• The truck driver was inexperienced or unfamiliar with the road
• The truck driver overloaded the truck with cargo
• The truck malfunctioned
• Poor maintenance
• Negligent driving
  

This Includes:

• The driver speeding
• The driver is not paying attention
• The driver was tired
• The driver aggressively driving or having road rage
• The driver changing lanes without checking their blind spots
• The driver changing lanes frequently
• The driver failing to use their signals or turning improperly
• The driver tailgating
• The driver not obeying the rules of the road

One of the most asked questions of a semi-truck accident attorney California is, “What compensation does the victim(s) receive who have been involved in a truck accident in California?” Because each situation is unique there is not always a straightforward answer to that and will best be answered by the lawyers at Point Law Group who offer a free consultation at (310) 560-0606.

In general, if you are not at fault most cases will cover:

• Any medical expenses incurred because of the accident
• Any pain and suffering you may have gone through because of the accident
• Any vehicle damages sustained because of the accident
• Any wages lost because you cannot work because of the accident
• Any past or future losses you may sustain because of the accident
• Any out of pocket expenses incurred that you had to pay upfront because of the accident
• Any life-changing disabilities sustained because of the accident
• And other punitive damages

If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck accident in Los Angeles, it can be a traumatic experience and the thought of filing a claim or a lawsuit can be daunting, however your safety, wellbeing, and your future well being means a lot to us. We will make sure you have access to the best medical care and stand up for you. A truck company has lawyers that may try to bully and take advantage of you, we are here to make sure that doesn’t happen and to ensure that you are getting the deal you deserve.