Beverly Hills Truck Accident Lawyer

Large trucks have the ability to cause catastrophic accidents due to its size and weight. Multiple vehicles may get caught up in such a collision, and will result in many serious or fatal injuries depending on the intensity of the contact. Victims who are involved in a truck accident are encouraged to seek legal assistance from a skilled attorney.

At West Coast Trial Lawyers, our Beverly Hills team has over 100 years of collective experience handling personal injury cases and has won more than $1.5 billion in settlements and judgments on behalf of our clients. Due to our ongoing success, we are confident that we will deliver justice to those who suffered injuries and damages as a result of a negligent driver’s actions.

To schedule a free consultation, we welcome you to reach out to us by calling (213) 927-3700 or completing our quick contact form.

Beverly Hills Truck Accident Laws

In a Beverly Hills truck accident, more than one party can be held responsible for causing injuries and damages. Under California’s negligence law, the injured party will need to prove that the motorist who hit them committed the three elements of negligence, which are:

• The defendant owed you a duty of care,
• The defendant breached their duty of care, and
• The defendant’s reckless behavior caused you to endure losses.

A duty of care is a legal requirement in which all motorists must use reasonable caution when operating a vehicle. For instance, a duty of care for a truck driver would be to keep an eye out for pedestrians and vehicles, and obey the city’s traffic lights and signs.

According to the state’s strict liability law, you can pursue legal action against an entity, such as designers or manufacturers, in a product’s chain of distribution if a faulty parttriggered your accident. Under this circumstance, you will not be required to prove that the defendant failed to provide reasonable care like you would in a negligence claim. You will only need to show that the truck’s part was defective and it ultimately lead to your injuries or damages.

There are several areas within the large vehicle that may become unresponsive or nonfunctional. Some examples include:

• Tires,
• Brakes,
• Accelerator pedals, or
• Cargo ties or straps.

Common Types of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents happen due to a variety of reasons. Below, we will go over each type of collision and what specific circumstances may lead to its occurrence.

Tire Blow Out

A tire blow out can put you and drivers nearby in a dangerous position. It is unpredictable, and can cause the truck to rollover, jackknife, or abruptly enter another lane. Typically, the factors listed below can trigger a tire blow out to occur:

• Manufacturing defect,
• Poor road conditions,
• Air leakage
• Tires are worn out from being overly used,
• Air pressure is either high or low, or
• The goods were not evenly placed onto the truck .

Rollover Accidents

A rollover accident can happen when a truck turns too quickly or is unbalanced. It could also be caused by:

• Inexperienced truck drivers,
• Sudden lane changes,
• Bad road or weather conditions, or
• Inadequate truck maintenance.

A tripped rollover involves other objects having direct contact with the truck, whereas an untripped rollover will occur from speeding or a poorly executed turn.

Underride Accidents

An underride accident is when a passenger vehicle crashes into the rear of a truck and gets stuck underneath. Typically, drivers involved in this type of collision may endure serious or fatal injuries. To reduce the chances of this from happening, many large trucks now have rear underride guards hanging from the back.

Common causes of an underride accident include:

• A truck making a sudden stop,
• The truck driver not following the flow of traffic,
• The truck driver not signaling when they are going to make a turn, or
• The truck driver making dangerous turns or lane changes.

Jackknife Accidents

“Jackknifing” occurs when two parts of a large truck, such as an 18-wheeler, fold and create a “V” or “L” shape. This is caused by the wheels of a truck losing traction while the trailer is moving forward. Factors that may cause a jackknife accident are:

• Slippery roads,
• Overloaded trailers,
• Speeding,
• Braking problems, or
• Road hazards.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Truck accidents may cause trauma to the victim’s body. The severity may vary depending on how strong the collision is. Some common injuries include:

• Fractured bones,
• Cuts,
• Brain injuries,
• Bruises,
• Spinal cord injuries, and
• Burn injuries.

It is encouraged for truck accident victims to get examined by a physician soon after the incident. Your visits will be saved on file and can be used as proof that you did, in fact, sustain injuries as a result of the impact. If you do not take immediate action, the opposing side may argue that your wounds are not as serious as you claim or it was caused by another factor.

Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident?

To determine liability in a truck accident, you will need to collect evidence, such as:

• Photographs of your wounds, damages, and the accident scene,
• CCTV footage,
• Witness statements,
• A copy of the police report, and
• A copy of your medical records.

Once you gather these important details and images, you should seek legal assistance from an experienced truck accident attorney. They will go over your situation to learn what party should be held liable for the damages you endured.

Since California is a comparative negligence state, all parties involved in the truck accident will be evaluated. If both sides contributed to some form of negligence, you will be expected to provide compensation to the other side depending on how reckless you were and vice versa.

Beverly Hills Truck Accident Statistics

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), 4,714 people were killed in large truck accidents in 2021. It was reported that 68 percent were in passenger vehicles, 16 percent were truck occupants, and 15 percent were pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists. The number of deaths in large truck accidents was 50 percent higher compared to 2009, which was when the lowest number of cases occurred.

The following list provides additional details about the types of truck accidents that occurred in 2021 and the amount of motorists affected:

• In two-vehicle crashes between a passenger vehicle and a large truck, 97 percent of those killed were occupants of passenger vehicles.
• 11 percent of all motor vehicle deaths were linked to large truck accidents.
• 74 percent of fatal large truck accidents involved tractor-trailers and 27 percent included singe-unit trucks.
• 63 percent of truck drivers who were in a multi-vehicle accident were struck by another truck.
• 48 percent of large truck accidents took place on major roads excluding interstates and highways, 36 percent were on interstates and highways, and 16 percent were on minor roads.
• 50 percent of truck accidents happened between 6am to 3pm, and 16 percent occurred on weekends.

Truck Accident Compensation in Beverly Hills

Truck accident compensationis different for each case due to the unique factors involved. Some may involve more damages than others. To learn what you can be entitled to, you should schedule a consultation with a Beverly Hills truck accident lawyer.

Generally, victims may be awarded the following damages:

• Medical bills,
• Lost wages,
• Property damage, and
• Pain and suffering.

These will be determined based on the amount of tangible and intangible losses you endured as a result of the truck accident.

How Can a Beverly Hills Truck Accident Lawyer Help?

If you would like to file a truck accident claim against a liable party, our Beverly Hills truck accident lawyers at West Coast Trial Lawyers are readily available to assess your case and figure out what necessary steps should be taken to ensure you are granted the compensation you deserve.

We run on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that you owe us nothing until your case has settled. To schedule a free consultation, you may reach out to us by calling (213) 927-3700 or completing our easy contact form. We are available 24/7 to answer phone calls and form submissions.

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