Truck accidents are traumatic experiences that, more often than not, result in serious injuries, extensive property damage, and various financial consequences. However, there is hope if you have been involved in a truck accident in Beverly Hills, CA. Consider working with an experienced truck accident attorney. They can help you understand if you have the legal grounds to pursue a claim against the truck driver or truck company, leading to the maximum compensation you deserve.
In some instances, multiple liable parties may be responsible for your injuries, property damage, pain, and suffering, and a personal injury lawyer can help you pursue a claim against all of them. At Crown & Stone Law, P.C., our Beverly Hills truck accident lawyers are dedicated to fighting for the rights and interests of truck accident victims.
Whether you have lost a loved one or got injured in a truck accident, our compassionate truck accident attorneys will advocate for your rights, thoroughly analyze your case, and hold the responsible parties liable for their negligence or wrongdoings. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more and let our dedicated lawyers guide you. Here is everything you need to know about truck accidents in Beverly Hills, what to do, and how a truck accident lawyer can help.
Why You Should Seek Legal Representation After a Truck Accident
A collision with a large vehicle, such as a truck, is often more dangerous than a collision with a smaller vehicle. Size, weight, and mass, apart from speed, play a crucial role in vehicle crashes, and such collisions with large trucks often result in catastrophic accidents, severe injuries, fatalities, property damage, and other life-altering consequences.
Injuries from truck accidents are not limited to physical injuries. In fact truck accidents commonly impact mental health, leaving truck accident victims to deal with even more future consequences that will affect their day-to-day lives. Our experienced personal injury law firm can help you obtain the maximum recovery for both your physical and mental health injuries.
This is why you will rarely see a motorcycle accident lawyer or car accident lawyer deal with a truck accident, as several case complexities differ.
Insurance companies or the at-fault party may offer them lesser amounts to settle the case as soon as possible.
In most instances, victims will be glad to receive financial support only to learn later that it does not cover their true costs. Usually, in most personal injury cases such as truck accidents, the more a victim needs recovery time, and the more extensive the injuries they have received, the higher the compensation to which they are entitled.
Most victims do not realize the true damages they are owed, but this is where an experienced truck accident attorney can make a difference. A Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer will be able to thoroughly investigate your case, assess your damages, gather evidence, and negotiate on your behalf with the insurance company to get you the best compensation possible.
With a truck accident attorney from Crown & Stone Law, P.C., you can gain a fighting chance at receiving maximum compensation if the circumstances of your case allow it. Additionally, truck drivers aren’t the only ones that may be responsible for the accident. Sometimes, through their negligent hiring practices, trucking companies contribute to serious accidents and can also be held liable.
No matter who the negligent party is, you deserve compensation if you were wronged and the evidence points towards a negligent driver, truck company, road maintenance agency, or vehicle manufacturer.
Complexities Surrounding Truck Accident Laws
Truck accidents are more complex to deal with than regular passenger vehicle accidents. Unlike passenger vehicles, trucks are subjected to certain federal regulations, such as those imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
These regulations govern truck driver behavior, vehicle maintenance schedules, cargo loads, training, and other crucial aspects to ensure road safety. If, after a thorough investigation, some of these regulations were violated and contributed to the truck accident, then victims will have an even stronger claim with more liable parties.
Beverly Hills truck accident attorneys can help you determine if the trucking company, truck manufacturer, or even maintenance providers are liable parties in your case, among others. Large truck accidents often have more than one liable party as they are subjected to more regulations such as speed limit, weight limit, and other factors that are sometimes violated.
For example, some trucks might not have hazardous materials insurance, or the truck driver drove recklessly, causing rollover accidents or jackknife accidents. To ensure the best outcome, you should take immediate action and pursue a claim no matter what type of truck accident you were involved in. Beverly Hills follows California’s two-year statute of limitations on truck accidents; however, claims against any responsible governmental entities must be asserted within six-months.
The statute of limitations is the legal timeframe in which you can pursue a claim, and it starts ticking from when your truck accident occurs. If a loved one passes away due to a truck accident, the statute of limitations begins from the date of death.
Even if you believe you are partially liable for the truck accident, you can still recover damages, as California follows a comparative negligence system. This means that following an investigation, there will be an allocation of your percentage of fault (if any) for the incident, which will be used to calculate your compensation. Yet, the good news is that even if you are discovered to be 99% at fault for the truck accident, you can still recover damages, whereas, in some states, you are barred from recovering damages if you are assigned more than 50% fault.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Beverly Hills
In Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, there were over 500 people injured in 2021 alone in various vehicle accidents. Some studies conducted on truck accidents that occurred on minor roads vs. major roads indicate that the following factors contribute to most truck accidents in Beverly Hills and other regions:
- Driver Fatigue
Driver fatigue is one of the most common causes of truck accidents. Truck drivers who break hours-of-service regulations pose a risk to other traffic participants. Driving a large truck is physically and mentally exhausting. Without proper rest periods, drivers can easily find themselves unable to focus and put others in dangerous situations as their judgment and reaction times decrease. A truck accident attorney in Beverly Hills can expose whether or not the negligent driver broke regulations or if the trucking company were neglectful in their hiring practices.
- Improper Maintenance
Improper truck maintenance can easily cause truck accidents. A sudden stop or lane change can prove fatal if the truck has defective parts. In such instances, the person responsible for the incident will usually be the manufacturer or the service providers.
- Distracted Driving & Poor Visibility
Distracted driving and poor visibility can lead to various truck accident scenarios. These situations may cause the truck driver to make unexpected and dangerous lane changes. A truck’s speed is also more challenging to perceive, at least in comparison to that of a regular passenger vehicle. In an instance of distraction, this can prove fatal as trucks aren’t as quickly responsive to breaking and steering inputs.
- Overloaded or Improperly Loaded Cargo
Trucks can sometimes be overloaded or improperly loaded, leading to devastating truck accidents. This is because the vehicle’s stability and maneuverability will be significantly affected. Contact a Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer to seek legal assistance and ensure that all the parties involved are held liable.
Types of Truck Accidents and How an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney Can Help
A commercial truck can be involved in various types of accidents, and large truck accidents do not result only in simple collisions but rather in complex situations, such as jackknife accidents. Here is what you should know and a couple of examples:
Underride Accidents
In an underride accident, a passenger vehicle slips underneath a truck. These rear-side truck collisions aren’t always fatal; sometimes, the car driver is solely responsible. However, with a skilled attorney, you can showcase that the truck driver acted negligently instead if the evidence supports it.
Jackknife Accidents
One unique car accident that can occur when a truck is involved is the jackknife type of accident. In this situation, the truck folds in half and forms a V-shape with its attached trailer due to sudden braking, traction issues, or other factors.
Blindspot Accidents
Blindspot accidents are also common with trucks as they have reduced visibility due to environmental factors or their design blindspots, making it hard for truck drivers to see other traffic participants.
Rollover Accidents
Truck rollover accidents are very dangerous to both truck occupants and vehicle passengers. No matter which vehicle rolls over due to the collision or other factors, severe injuries or fatalities are common in such situations.
Steps to Take After Truck Accidents & Communication With the Truck Driver
When you are involved in an accident with a commercial truck in Beverly Hills, everything you do from the moment the accident occurs plays a vital role in your claim. To protect your rights and strengthen your potential legal case, here is how you should proceed:
Seek Medical Attention
Always prioritize your health when you are involved in an accident. Request medical aid at the accident scene or ask someone else to do it if you are unable to do so. Once they arrive, accept medical care even if you feel fine. Your injuries might not be visible or carry immediate symptoms. Accepting medical aid is crucial for your legal claim later.
Contact Law Enforcement
In Beverly Hills, CA, you are required by law to contact law enforcement and report a vehicle accident if someone is injured, died, or the property damage exceeds $1,000. The police report will also help your claim later, and truck accident attorneys will use it well.
Gather Information & Document the Scene
You can be held responsible for the assumptions of the truck driver. However, it is important to remain calm, do not admit guilt, and instead focus on gathering information and documenting the accident scene before leaving.
Collect evidence, such as writing down the name of the trucking company, contact information from the other party, and possible eyewitnesses. Take photos and videos of the accident scene and highlight your injuries, road conditions, and vehicle damage.
Contact Your Insurance Company and a Truck Accident Attorney
After you receive medical attention, your own insurance company should be informed about the incident; it is best that this is done by your lawyer and is why you should immediately consult with a Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer. Do not provide any insurance company with a recorded statement without first talking to your lawyer. The Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer will help you understand if you have the legal grounds to pursue a claim and defend your rights.
How a Beverly Hills Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
At Crown & Stone Law, P.C., our dedicated Beverly Hills truck accident attorneys can evaluate your case and assess the available evidence. Among the most common truck accidents we take on include:
- Accidents involving semi-trucks or tractor-trailers
- 18-wheelers, big rigs or cargo trucks
- Delivery vans or tanker trucks, and more
Tractor-trailer and semi-truck accidents are among the most common vehicles involved in collisions in the transportation system. Our Beverly Hills truck accident lawyers can help you establish who the liable party is and hold them accountable for your injuries and other damages.
Our aggressive lawyers will strengthen your case through all available means. We will help you gather evidence, accident reports, and medical records, prepare witnesses, and even work with third-party experts, such as accident reconstruction specialists, to highlight the merits of your claim.
If the at-fault party tries to shift some of the blame on you, we will help you counter these arguments with the available evidence and legal strategies. Suppose the insurance company wants to settle things outside the courtrooms. In that case, our lawyers will negotiate on your behalf to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries and other losses.
We believe that at the core of any successful truck accident claim is a strong attorney attorney-client relationship where all aspects are discussed transparently, and communication is emphasized so that all parties involved are up-to-date with the latest news and changes. Contact our law firm in Beverly Hills for a free consultation and learn more.
Compensation Available to Truck Accident Victims
Depending on the circumstances of your truck accident in Beverly Hills, you may be entitled to more than just compensation for your medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, and property damage.
Everything can vary depending on the severity of your injuries, the recovery time, and how many entities are held responsible. Your Beverly Hills truck accident attorney can showcase that the incident affected your mental health. In that case, you can also pursue compensation for pain and suffering, PTSD, depression, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, and other non-economic damages.
This is why it is important to work with a truck accident lawyer in Beverly Hills who isn’t only aggressive in their stance of protecting and ensuring the rights of truck accident victims but is also compassionate and transparent. At Crown & Stone Law, P.C., we work on a contingency-fee basis, so you won’t have to pay unless we win.