Home Truck Accident

Long Beach Truck Accident Attorneys

Legal Help After a Long Beach Truck Accident

Truck accidents are worse than other types of vehicle crashes. Considering a commercial truck carrying a full load can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and that passenger vehicles weigh about 3,000 pounds, it's easy to see how catastrophic truck vs. car accidents can be. The sheer size of a truck can cause immense damage to other vehicles it collides with. Sadly, these accidents can cause severe injuries or be fatal for the drivers and passengers in the other car.

Have you recently been injured in a Long Beach large truck accident? Have you lost a loved one due to a trucker's reckless and negligent driving? Are you suffering pain, racking up debt, and unsure what to do next? Don't wait for the at-fault trucking company or its insurance company to make a measly offer — call The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV now and get the compensation you deserve before it is too late.

California has a statute of limitations on filing a claim, and it is a ticking clock. Don't lose out on this opportunity; the company responsible for your pain would like nothing more than for you to disappear. The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV won't let this happen — so long as you call today.

Dial (562) 901-0840 to get a free and confidential case evaluation with a top Long Beach auto accident lawyer.

Common Types of Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Commercial trucks — also known as tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, or big rigs — are dangerous due to their size, weight, and design. Let's consider some traffic accidents that are unique to semis.

Jackknife Accidents: As the name "tractor-trailer" implies, big rigs are made up of two components: the trailer (in some cases, two trailers) where the cargo is carried, and the tractor or cab, which tows the trailer. Jackknife accidents occur when the trailer swings out to the side and is no longer under the driver's control. Jackknifing is often caused by slippery road conditions, braking or turning at high speeds, and driver inexperience.
Wide Turns: These are particularly risky for trucks, as they need more room to maneuver and may inadvertently hit vehicles or pedestrians in adjacent lanes or on sidewalks.
Overloaded Trailer Accidents: Legally, a tractor-trailer combo cannot exceed 80,000 pounds, and smaller classes of trucks have to adhere to lighter weight restrictions. These limits are in place to reduce wear and tear, prevent crashes, and protect other vehicles. However, many trucking companies will overload trailers to increase profits. Overloading can make braking more difficult and increase the chances of rollovers and jackknifing.
Underride Accidents: Underride accidents occur when a passenger vehicle slides under a trailer, either from the back or the side. While there are side and rear underride guards for big rigs, only the rear guards are required by law, and they are often too weak to be effective.
Hours of Service Violations/Fatigued Drivers/Impaired Drivers: For the safety of all who use America's roadways, the hours a tractor-trailer operator is allowed to drive per shift and week are strictly limited. However, many trucking companies encourage drivers to work longer hours and skip breaks to make deadlines and increase profits. This can result in fatigued and sleepy drivers, who sometimes resort to using amphetamines and other stimulants to stay awake. Impaired driving is a recipe for disaster.
Rear-End Collisions: These occur when a truck crashes into the vehicle in front of it, often due to tailgating or sudden stops. This may result in severe whiplash or other injuries.
Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Semi-trucks travel thousands more miles yearly than passenger vehicles. Because of this, commercial trucks require constant maintenance. If a trucking company tries to save money by not performing regular maintenance on brakes, steering mechanisms, and clutches or not replacing worn-out tires, windshield wipers, hoses, etc., accidents are more likely to happen.
Runaway Trailers: These are caused by brake failures and faulty hitches. This threatens other drivers and often leads to collisions that cause devastating injuries.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Truck accidents are often the result of dangerous driving behaviors. Speeding is a major cause of truck crashes, as it reduces a driver's ability to react to road conditions and increases the severity of collisions. Tailgating, or following too closely, can lead to rear-end collisions, especially since trucks require longer distances to come to a full stop. Unsafe lane changes result when drivers don't check blind spots or fail to signal their intentions in advance.

Driving under the influence (DUI) and distracted driving are especially dangerous in the context of truck driving due to the sheer size and weight of these vehicles. DUI impairs a driver's judgment, reaction time, and overall ability to operate a truck safely, significantly increasing the risk of an accident. Distracted driving, which can involve anything from using a cell phone to adjusting the radio, takes the driver's attention away from the road. These types of careless behavior lead to catastrophe, including multi-vehicle pile-ups and disastrous injuries.

Compensation for Truck Accident Victims in Long Beach

After a truck accident, victims may face overwhelming medical expenses. These can range from emergency room fees to ongoing rehabilitation costs. Compensation should cover past, present, and future medical bills related to the accident.

Lost wages are another critical component. If the injury prevents a return to work, compensation may include both current lost income and future earning capacity.

Calculating compensation for pain and suffering involves assessing the non-economic impacts of a truck accident. This is often a complex process because it translates intangible losses into monetary value. Factors considered include the severity of the injuries, the level of pain experienced, and how the injuries affect the victim's daily life and mental health. The process also takes into account the duration of recovery and any long-term effects or disabilities.

Punitive damages are designed to punish particularly harmful behavior and deter future misconduct. These damages apply when a defendant's actions were willful, reckless, or grossly negligent. Examples might include a trucking company knowingly allowing a truck with mechanical issues to operate or a driver operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The aim is to send a strong message that such behavior is unacceptable and carries severe consequences.

Steps to Take After a Long Beach Truck Collision

It's an incredibly stressful time following a crash with severe damage to the passenger vehicle. While victims often know that a lot needs to be done, they don't know where to start. Or they're simply too overwhelmed with the emotional trauma of the situation to think about their next steps. The most important things to do after a truck wreck are:

Call the police. The police need to be called whenever an accident results in property damage, injury, or death, so this is the first thing that needs to be done. The police can also organize the scene of an accident and get victims the help they need.
Get medical attention. Your injuries are likely to be serious after a truck accident, but even if you feel fine, it's still important to get medical treatment as soon as possible. There could be injuries that can't be seen or felt right away, like a concussion or internal bleeding, but the symptoms can show up at a later time when you're in danger.
Contact a lawyer. You will need to speak to a lot of people in the days following the collision. This will include your own insurance company, the trucking company, and possibly even the trucking company's insurance company. Before you speak to anyone, you should hire an experienced Long Beach truck accident lawyer.

Assuming you have received the appropriate medical treatment, whether it was emergency care or a quick examination, Attorney Joseph H. Low IV highly recommends against speaking with anyone other than the police, health practitioners, and your family. Specifically, you and your family will want to avoid speaking with the negligent trucking company and the insurance adjustors assigned to the accident. It is imperative that you avoid these leeches for a number of reasons.

To start, trucking companies have a tremendous amount riding on their shipping performance. Even the smallest incident can result in economic complications for their shareholders. More importantly, the insurance agencies providing coverage for the fleet also have a large investment to consider. When accidents occur, these agencies stand to lose significant money. The end result is increased premiums for the trucking company and an overall net loss for the insurance company that holds the policy. This is something that both parties will attempt to avoid in every way.

Since trucking companies and insurers have a great deal of money on the line, they will do everything in their power to avoid serious losses after a crash. This means getting the people who were harmed to accept the lowest settlement amount possible. This can be accomplished in a number of underhanded ways, from bullying you into signing a one-sided deal or prying into every corner of your personal life to dig up potentially harmful information. In every case, they will attempt to manipulate, persuade, and harass victims in hopes of securing a low settlement deal.

A qualified truck accident lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve after a wreck. Compensation may be granted to cover medical expenses, lost income due to an inability to work, pain and suffering, future medical expenses and therapy, and any loss of future earnings. These expenses can quickly add up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's easy to see why the trucking and insurance companies don't want to pay these claims, but we will fight to get you and your family everything you deserve.

Who Can Be Sued in a Truck Accident?

While it's logical to assume that the truck driver was solely responsible for the accident, that's not always the case. There are a number of people who could also be responsible, including:

The trucking company
The manufacturer of the truck
Individuals who loaded or unloaded the truck
Mechanics who performed work on the truck

Many parties are involved, and even the relationship between the truck driver and trucking company may play a part. For instance, if the truck driver was an employee of the trucking company, the company could be partially to blame. However, if the driver was an independent contractor, he could be wholly at fault. Determining who to hold liable for the accident can be complicated; this is another way a qualified Long Beach truck accident attorney can help you.

Regulatory Violations Cause Truck Accident Injuries

When analyzing trucking accidents, it's essential to consider the role of both California and federal regulations. These rules serve as the foundation for establishing safe practices within the trucking industry. These regulations cover a wide array of aspects, from vehicle maintenance standards and weight limits to hours-of-service regulations aimed at reducing driver fatigue.

Compliance with these regulations is not just a matter of legal obligation — it significantly affects the determination of liability in truck accidents. Violating any of these regulations can be a decisive factor in court, potentially shifting the blame to the trucking company or driver.

Liability in Large Trucking Accidents

Large trucking companies, such as Amazon, UPS, and FedEx, often pressure their drivers to meet strict deadlines. This can lead to risky behaviors such as speeding, aggressive driving, or neglecting required rest breaks. The urgency to deliver may overshadow the adherence to safety regulations and increase the risk of accidents.

When investigating a truck accident, your attorney from The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV will closely examine logbooks, delivery schedules, and company policies to identify if the pressure to meet deadlines contributed to the crash. If evidence suggests that a company's scheduling practices compromised safety, the company could be held liable for creating conditions that encourage unsafe driving.

Specifically, when an accident involves an Amazon vehicle, the liability issues can be complicated because the company often uses independent contractors to shield itself from liability. Still, we will seek compensation from all negligent parties. Amazon's emphasis on rapid delivery can lead to drivers rushing to fulfill their quotas, potentially leading to accidents. It's important to assess whether Amazon provided adequate training and enforced safe driving practices and whether its systems incentivized unsafe behavior.

Unlike Amazon, which relies heavily on independent contractors, UPS and FedEx maintain more control over their fleets and drivers, making it easier for your truck accident attorney to collect compensation directly from these companies.

Speak with Our Long Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV is ready to stand by your side and represent your needs both in and out of the courtroom. Our Long Beach personal injury attorney has had years of experience taking on the companies that want to cancel your settlement and let you live on in pain and crushing debt. Call (562) 901-0840 today to schedule a free and confidential consultation with our lawyer to discuss your legal options.

Additional Information

"Joseph, Thank you for your assistance. Your understanding compassion & incredible expertise are admired & appreciated. I will be referring any of my clients who require legal help to you."
- M.D.