Truck Accident

If you were hurt in a collision with a tractor-trailer, you might be able to hold the responsible party liable for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, future healthcare costs, and diminished earning capacity. A Woodland Hills truck accident lawyer could build a strong case and demand appropriate compensation for your injuries.

An experienced Woodland Hills truck accident lawyer from Valero Law Group could build a strong case and demand appropriate compensation for your injuries. Call our legal team today to schedule a free consultation in English or Spanish.

Steps to Take After a Truck Accident

When an accident occurs, many people feel disoriented and make mistakes. While it can be hard to control certain actions in a bad emotional and physical state, everything that comes after emergency treatment must be well planned.

The key steps to take after taking care of immediate medical issues include:

Seek Further Medical Care

After receiving emergency care, the victim should visit a doctor in order to receive a full evaluation. Willingness to follow medical advice as well as medical records obtained during treatment, becomes key evidence in a personal injury lawsuit.

Get a Copy of the Police Report

After taking care of urgent medical needs, the injured person should obtain a copy of the police report. This report often contains important details, including witness statements and road conditions. These are necessary to support the future claim. If it seems problematic, an attorney can help retrieve the report at any time.

Contact a Truck Accident Attorney

Speaking with a lawyer early on helps protect the injured person from aggressive insurance tactics. A Woodland Hills truck accident attorney could explain their rights, communicate with insurers, and preserve evidence. Early legal help often leads to a stronger case and a better outcome.

Who Is Liable in a Tractor-Trailer Collision?

When someone sustains a crash-related injury, the at-fault party is responsible for paying the damages of anyone who suffered losses. In a truck accident case, multiple parties could share liability.

If a trucker is at fault in a crash, their employer is most likely responsible for the damages. Employers are often vicariously liable for their workers’ negligent acts while employed.

Occasionally, faulty brakes, tires, and other truck components might contribute to semi accidents. A manufacturer, service contractor, or truck owner could be liable in such cases. Similarly, poor loading could cause a truck to overturn or jackknife. If a loading error caused a collision, the loading company could be responsible for a victim’s losses.

A seasoned attorney in Woodland Hills could investigate an accident to identify all the potentially responsible parties.
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Gathering Evidence of Negligence After a Semi Collision

Proving responsibility for an accident usually requires proving negligence, which indicates that a person failed to use the degree of care the circumstances required. If an insurer knows that an injured person could present a persuasive argument for negligence in court, the insurance company is more likely to offer a reasonable settlement before trial.

When building a case against a trucking company and other potentially reckless parties, a legal professional could review the following:

• Driving logs
• Vehicle maintenance records
• A trucking company’s delivery schedule
• A driver’s cell phone records
• Truck’s data recorder
• In-cab and external video footage
• A driver’s personnel file and training records

This evidence could indicate whether a trucker might have been distracted or tired, which is evidence of carelessness. In addition, if driver error was a factor in a collision, these records might determine whether the driver’s training was inadequate, meaning that the trucking company was guilty of negligent hiring.

A diligent attorney could collect evidence from the trucking company and other sources to prove negligence after a tractor-trailer crash in Woodland Hills.

When Can a Truck Accident Victim File a Civil Lawsuit?

California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 allows anyone injured in a truck accident to file a lawsuit seeking compensation within two years of an incident. However, an accident victim should contact a legal team member immediately.

An important reason to get in touch with a legal representative is to give the legal professional time to establish evidence of negligence. It is beneficial to begin gathering evidence immediately since evidence could erode over time, and witnesses might die, move away, or disappear.

Having legal representation means the injured person will not have to contend with pressure from a trucking company’s insurer. They frequently will offer a settlement soon after an accident and push an injured person to accept their offer. An attorney could handle communication with the other parties and their insurers to ensure any settlement offers are adequate to cover the injured person’s losses.

Wrongful Death Claims

If a person passes away due to the injuries sustained in a truck accident, their family can file a wrongful death lawsuit. Damages they can recover include:

Funeral and Burial Costs

A family can recover the money they spent on funeral and burial services. These expenses tend to add up quickly and lead to financial issues.

Loss of Financial Support

If the person who died helped support the household, their family may receive compensation for that lost income. This includes the wages the person would have likely earned in the future had the crash not happened.

Loss of Household Services

Families often rely on the daily help their loved one provided at home. This includes things like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. When these services are lost due to someone’s negligent actions on the road, the family can seek financial damages to help replace them.

Loss of Companionship and Comfort

When someone dies in a truck accident, their family loses their guidance and emotional support. California law allows survivors to receive compensation for this deep emotional harm.

Loss of Consortium

A surviving spouse or registered domestic partner may recover damages for the loss of affection and intimacy. These losses, similar to the loss of companionship, are non-economic damages.

If the person did not die immediately after the collision and needed medical treatment, the family can also recover compensation for medical bills. A compassionate Woodland Hills truck accident attorney could help you understand your options for recovery.

Seek Help After a Truck Accident from a Woodland Hills Attorney

Trucking companies must take responsibility when one of their vehicles causes significant injuries to other drivers. A Woodland Hills truck accident lawyer could ensure that the trucking business and other negligent parties pay you the compensation you deserve.

Valero Law Group has already helped many truck accident victims receive the money they deserve. If you sustained injuries because someone acted negligently on the road, contact a local injury attorney as soon as possible after your truck accident.  Click to Call (800) 303-3444