Local office in Salinas, CA30 E. San Joaquin St, Suite 203-ADirections

Truck accident in Salinas?Talk to a lawyer for free.

Big rigs and farm trucks share Highway 101 and Highway 156 with commuters every day, and trucking companies only have to keep their drivers' logs for six months. Talk to us early.

  • No fee unless we winWe only get paid when you get paid.
  • Zero upfront costYour consultation is free, with no obligation.
  • Hablamos españolNative Spanish speakers. No confusion. No delays.
  • Available 24/7We'll meet you at your home or hospital.
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Call our Salinas office(831) 215-546224/7 line: (800) 985-9565

No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation. Clients may be responsible for case costs. Read the disclaimer

The Salinas arch over Main Street in Oldtown Salinas
Recommend this law firm. Ask for Leticia R. She helped me with my father's case and did an outstanding job.
RenoValero Law Group clientGoogle review

Results that speak.Millions won for injured clients.

We've won over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients, including the truck accident case below.

Recognized for excellence

Avvo Rating: Excellent, Top Rated Personal InjuryTop Rated by Super Lawyers
  • $6.25MPersonal injuryA confidential personal injury settlement.
  • $5MAuto accidentFor a husband and wife after the husband suffered a brachial plexus injury.
  • $2.34MAccident claimA win for a client injured in an accident.
  • $2.1MTruck accidentA settlement for a client with spinal and orthopedic injuries after a crash with a commercial truck.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

View all results

Here to protect your interests, not the trucking company's

Trucking companies have a team.You should have one too.

Trucking companies and their insurers have claims staff and lawyers, and they hold the evidence: the driver's logs and the truck's own data. After a crash on Highway 101, Highway 156 or Highway 68, the trucking company's insurer may call within days, and what you say can shape the rest of your claim.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Did the truck driver, the trucking company or another driver cause the crash?
  2. Was the driver over the hours limit, or the truck overloaded or poorly maintained?
  3. Will the settlement cover your treatment and lost income months from now, not just today?

From one of our car accident cases

The insurer's best offer$410,000

What we won for our client$4.4M

A car accident that left our client with a neck injury. Most people would have taken the offer. We won more than ten times as much.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

Get my free case review
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Our office in Salinas

Local truck accident lawyers,right here in Salinas.

Not every firm that advertises in Salinas has an office here. We do.

We're on East San Joaquin Street in south Salinas, just off South Main Street. Come in, or we'll come to you anywhere in Monterey, Santa Cruz or San Benito County.

Nearby officesSan JoseModestoStockton

Why choose Valero Law Group?

We champion every case,big and small.

Whether your case is worth $5,000 or $5 million, we bring the same skill, attention and determination to every client we represent.

So don't let the size of your case keep you from seeking justice: every injury deserves serious representation. Let us fight for the compensation you're owed while you focus on what matters most, your recovery.

They made me feel like a priority, and they put my needs first as a client.

IsabelValero Law Group client

400+five-star Google reviews

Real reviews fromour clients.

  • Samuel M. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $881,000 settlement check
    Samuel M.$881,000
  • Victoria M. smiling in front of the Valero Law Group logo wall with her $625,000 settlement check
    Victoria M.$625,000
  • Karina C. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with her $625,000 settlement check
    Karina C.$625,000
  • Angela M. smiling and pointing to her $625,000 settlement check
    Angela M.$625,000
  • Destiny H. smiling with her $500,000 settlement check
    Destiny H.$500,000
  • Javier P. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $375,000 settlement check
    Javier P.$375,000
I got hit by a semi-truck on the streets and I was severely injured. Eric Sapir was very helpful and caring. He made sure I got the right doctor to take care of all medical needs to help me get my health back on track!
Victoria M.Google review
Read all 400+ of our reviews
Mrs. Romero was extremely helpful! Grateful for the support I received. Will recommend her to others!
Cassandra A.Google review
I had a very exceptional experience with this firm. They cater to all your needs; they make you feel at home.
Kevin F.Google review

What you can recover aftera truck accident in California.

More than one company may be responsible for a truck crash: the driver's employer, the truck's owner, the company that loaded it, and others. Each one that played a part can be held responsible for what it cost you.

Economic damages

The costs you can add up

  • Emergency care, surgery and hospital bills
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Repairing or replacing your vehicle

Non-economic damages

The harm that has no receipt

  • Pain and physical suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of companionship
  • Lost enjoyment of life
  • $750,000The insurance minimum for most trucking companiesFederal law sets it for carriers hauling freight for hire across state lines (49 CFR §387.9), and California sets the same floor for carriers that stay in the state (Vehicle Code §34631.5). That's 25 times California's $30,000-per-person minimum for a car.
  • 80%What you keep if you were 20% at faultCalifornia's pure comparative fault rule reduces your award by your share of the blame instead of erasing it.
  • 9 in 10People killed in California truck crashes who weren't in the truckIn 2024, 353 of the 391 people killed in crashes involving large trucks in California were in other vehicles, walking or biking (NHTSA).

After a Salinas truck crash,what comes next.

The report, the truck's records, the roads and the rules trucks follow, explained.

Valero Law Group attorneys meeting around a conference table
  • Getting the crash report
    On Highway 101, Highway 156, Highway 68 outside the city and the county roads around Salinas, the CHP's Monterey Area office usually takes the report, and you can request it online; south of Soledad, it's the CHP's King City office. On Salinas city streets, it's usually Salinas Police, whose reports can be bought online about 10 to 15 days after the crash.
  • Public agencies have shorter deadlines
    Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. If a public truck or bus or a road defect played a part, a written claim is usually due within six months, to the agency that runs the vehicle or the road: MST for its buses, the City for its streets and vehicles, the County for county roads, the State (Caltrans) for the highways.
  • Write down the truck's details
    On most big rigs, the trucking company's name and its USDOT number are on both sides of the cab. Photograph them, the trailer and its plates, and ask witnesses for their names and phone numbers.
  • The company's records don't last
    Carriers only have to keep drivers' logs for six months, and getting the truck's own data may take the owner's consent or a court order (Vehicle Code §9951). A lawyer can write to the company early and ask it to keep the truck, its data, the logs and any video.
  • Farm and freight trucks share the highways
    The Transportation Agency for Monterey County calls Highway 101 the Central Coast's primary artery, linking the region's farms to markets around the country, and Highway 156 between Castroville and Prunedale one of the region's busiest trucking routes. Trucks have big blind spots, which the DMV calls No Zones. Where the truck was, and where you were, matters to the claim, so write it down.
  • Trucks follow their own rules
    Big rigs may not go faster than 55 mph on any California highway and must keep to the right-hand lanes (Vehicle Code §21655). A commercial driver is over the limit at 0.04% blood alcohol, half the limit for other drivers. Drivers hauling farm products from the field to the first packing or processing plant may work longer hours under California rules, but how long a driver had actually been working still matters.
A man and a boy in traditional Colombian hats and jerseys holding Valero Law Group signs at a community event

Al Barro Foundation: supporting over 400 orphans in Mexico

From the community, for the community.

Hablamos español.

We're a Hispanic-focused firm with native Spanish-speaking attorneys. We understand your family's needs, walk you through every step in your language, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.

Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.
…they speak excellent Spanish, know how to help, and look out for their clients' best interests.
Yesica H.Google review
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Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.

Common questionsafter a Salinas truck accident.

How long do I have after a truck accident in Salinas?
Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. If a city, county or state vehicle or road was involved, a written claim is usually due within six months. Some evidence, like video, can be gone within days, and drivers' logs after six months, so call us early.
Who is responsible for a truck accident?
It may be the driver and the trucking company they drove for, the company that owns or leased the truck, a broker that hired an unsafe carrier, the company that loaded the cargo, a repair shop or a parts maker. Often more than one is responsible, and each may have its own insurance.
I was injured in a farm labor bus or van. What should I know?
In California, a bus or van carrying nine or more farmworkers to or from work is a farm labor vehicle. The CHP must inspect it at least once a year, it can't be driven without a current inspection certificate, and every passenger seat must have a seatbelt, worn by the driver and every passenger. If you were injured riding to or from work, workers' compensation may cover you, and you may also have a claim against another driver who caused the crash. Talk to us about which applies.
The driver owned the truck and leased it to a company. Who's responsible?
Federal leasing rules make the carrier take complete responsibility for operating a leased truck during the lease, so the company that hired the driver can be responsible too.
Was the driver drunk or too tired? How would I know?
After a crash that kills someone, and after some injury crashes, the trucking company must test its driver for alcohol and drugs. The driver's logs show how long they had been driving, which is why getting them before they can be discarded matters.
Can you get the truck's "black box" data?
Most big rigs record data such as speed and braking. Getting it may take the owner's consent or a court order (Vehicle Code §9951). We can ask the company in writing to keep it.
Do you have an office in Salinas?
Yes. Our office is at 30 E. San Joaquin St, Suite 203-A, Salinas, CA 93901, in south Salinas just off South Main Street. Come in if you like, or we'll come to you, at home or in the hospital. Call (800) 985-9565 any time, 24/7.
What does a truck accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Your consultation is free, and no attorney's fees are owed unless we recover compensation for you. You may be responsible for case-related costs and expenses; we'll explain them before you sign.
Attorney Kyle Valero
Kyle ValeroAttorney, Valero Law Group

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We make getting legal help simple.

  1. Free consultationCall us 24/7 or fill out our form. We'll review your case at no cost.
  2. Review your caseOur experienced attorneys investigate and evaluate your case to build the strongest claim possible.
  3. Injury litigationWe fight for maximum compensation, in negotiation or in court.
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Have a question about a potential case?Talk to a Salinas truck accident lawyer today.

Your consultation is always free, with no obligation. We're happy to answer any questions and walk you through your options. No pressure, just honest answers.

(831) 215-5462

24/7 line: (800) 985-9565

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