After a truck accident, getting answers is not always as simple as reviewing a police report and filing an insurance claim. The company that owns the truck may have records that help explain what happened, and some of that evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes.
Your case may involve information that is rarely part of a typical car accident claim. Driver logs, electronic logging device data, maintenance records, inspection reports, and onboard vehicle data can help show whether a trucking company followed federal safety requirements or ignored warning signs before the crash.
If you were injured in a collision with a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or other commercial vehicle in Riverside, JSM Injury Firm APC can investigate what happened and identify every company or individual that may be responsible for your injuries. To discuss your case, contact JSM Injury Firm APC for a free consultation.
Truck accident claims often involve records that do not exist in a typical car accident case. Commercial carriers are required to maintain records that can show how a truck was operated before a collision.
Those records can show whether a driver exceeded allowable hours behind the wheel or whether a company ignored maintenance requirements before the crash. That information can help explain how the collision happened and whether federal safety rules were violated.
The truck driver is not always the only party responsible for a collision. A trucking company can share responsibility for a crash, and in some cases another company involved with the truck may also be liable.
That issue is particularly important in Riverside, where commercial trucks regularly travel through major freight corridors serving distribution centers throughout the Inland Empire. In some cases, the cause of a crash can be traced to a maintenance problem or another safety failure that occurred before the truck reached the road.
Riverside sits near some of Southern California’s busiest freight routes. Commercial trucks travel through the area at all hours, creating heavy truck traffic on local highways and connecting roads. When a collision occurs, the cause is often tied to a specific safety failure rather than a mistake made in the moment.
Common causes of truck accidents in Riverside include:
A truck accident claim can involve more than one defendant. The facts of the crash and the companies involved in operating the truck can affect who should be held accountable for the harm that occurred.
Truck drivers are expected to follow traffic laws and federal safety requirements while operating their vehicles. A driver can be held accountable when unsafe conduct behind the wheel causes a collision.
Records created before and during the trip can help show what the driver was doing before the crash. In some cases, those records reveal safety violations that played a role in the collision.
The company that owns or operates the truck is not automatically protected because someone else was driving. A trucking company can face liability when its own conduct helped create the conditions that led to a crash.
Company records sometimes show safety violations or other problems that existed before the collision occurred. Those issues can help explain whether the company contributed to the events that led to the crash.
A loaded trailer must be secured correctly before a truck begins its trip. When cargo shifts inside a trailer, the truck can become more difficult to control.
If another company loaded the trailer, that company can share responsibility when improper loading contributed to the crash.
Not every truck accident is caused by driver conduct. Some crashes occur because a critical vehicle component fails or because a known maintenance issue was not addressed.
When a defective part or poor maintenance contributes to a collision, the company that manufactured the component or performed the work can share responsibility for the resulting injuries.
Truck accident cases often involve records and electronic data that are not available in a typical car accident claim. Those records can provide information about the truck’s operation and the events leading up to the collision. Evidence that can provide important information about a truck accident includes:
A police report does not always answer every question after a truck accident. Records created before the trip began can provide information that is not available from the crash scene itself, particularly when questions involve the truck’s operation or the companies involved in the shipment.
A truck accident can continue affecting you after the collision itself. Medical treatment often continues for weeks or months, and the financial effects of an injury can follow just as long.
Some losses can be measured directly. Medical treatment often creates expenses that continue to grow while you are still recovering from your injuries. Your claim can also account for income you were unable to earn because your injuries prevented you from working.
Some effects of a truck accident cannot be measured with receipts or account statements. A serious injury can affect how you move through the day and how easily you perform tasks that once felt routine. California law recognizes these losses even though they do not appear in financial records. The impact of an injury is not limited to expenses that can be added up on paper.
Most truck accident claims focus on the harm caused by the collision. California law also allows punitive damages in limited situations. Under California Civil Code § 3294, punitive damages can be available when the evidence shows conduct that involves more than ordinary negligence. Whether punitive damages apply depends on the specific facts of the case.
Jamal S. Mahmood, Esq. is the Founder and Principal Attorney of JSM Injury Firm APC. He represents injured clients throughout California and handles claims involving serious motor vehicle collisions, including truck accidents.
Truck accident cases often involve questions that reach beyond the collision itself. Truck accident claims often involve issues that are not present in a typical car accident case. Attorney Mahmood represents clients facing those challenges after serious collisions.
California Bar Number: 321915
Years of Personal Injury Experience: 8+ Years
“A serious accident can change the course of a person’s life. My goal is to help injured clients pursue the compensation they need while holding the responsible parties accountable.”
— Jamal S. Mahmood, Esq.
The following results were obtained in prior injury cases handled by JSM Injury Firm APC.
$1.25 Million Settlement — Auto v. Auto (Spine Injury)
Recovered for a client who sustained a spine injury in a motor vehicle collision.
$1 Million Settlement — Auto v. Bus (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury)
Recovered for a client who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury following a collision involving a bus.
$750,000 Settlement — Premises Liability (Fractured Foot)
Recovered for a client who sustained a fractured foot in a premises liability claim.
Results may vary. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The answer depends on what caused the crash. In addition to the truck driver, responsibility can sometimes fall on the trucking company or another business involved in operating the truck. A review of the evidence is often necessary to determine who contributed to the collision.
Truck accident claims often involve evidence that does not exist in a typical car accident case, including electronic logging device records and information from the truck’s onboard systems. They can also involve federal safety regulations and multiple companies connected to the truck.
California generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity is involved, different deadlines can apply and much less time may be available.
The value of a truck accident claim is influenced by the losses connected to the injury. The cost of medical treatment and the effect the injury has had on your ability to work are two factors that can affect the value of a claim.
You can still recover compensation if you were partly responsible for the accident. California follows a comparative fault system, which means your recovery can be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Your claim can involve federal trucking regulations if the crash raises questions about whether the driver or trucking company followed safety requirements. Those regulations can provide important information about what occurred before the collision.
Yes. If the truck driver was working when the collision happened, the trucking company can also be involved in your claim. That issue can affect who is responsible for the crash and what information is available during the case.
