The city of Anaheim is an ever-expanding place. With its amusement parks, sports centers, and growing commercial presence, Anaheim plays host to a large number of local and nationwide businesses. A major part of this is the number of large trucks on the road. Commercial trucks are involved in many devastating accidents each year, causing serious injuries and even death to the victims of such incidents.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The Anaheim personal injury attorneys of OnderLaw are well-equipped to help you build a winning truck accident case. Since 2002, we’ve been representing clients in a wide variety of motor vehicle accident cases, reaching favorable settlements and winning trials to obtain for them the compensation they deserve.

If you’re ready to take the first step towards securing restitution for your injuries, call OnderLaw today. We’ll schedule a preliminary, confidential case evaluation to help you determine the best next steps in your truck accident case.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer?

Hiring a lawyer is often a wise decision when it comes to building a personal injury case. The stress of compiling evidence, dealing with insurance companies, and documenting your losses can make building a compelling case a difficult process. At OnderLaw , we’re dedicated to prioritizing our clients’ best interests. Part of this commitment is the way we manage all communication on each client’s behalf. Rather than leave you to communicate with insurance companies and law enforcement, possibly risking accidental self-incrimination, we manage all communication for you so that you can focus on recovery.

We’re also committed to providing our clients with high-quality legal counsel. When you hire an OnderLaw attorney, you’re hiring more than the OnderLaw name. You’re gaining access to over nineteen years of successful experience, a wealth of tried-and-true legal strategies, and our network of connections that reaches beyond Anaheim to our locations across the country.

Why Choose OnderLaw ?

Besides the over $3 billion we’ve reached in awards and settlements over the years, our firm has been setting standards and promoting legal excellence, receiving recognition for our work on local and national levels. We’ve been recognized by organizations like the Martindale-Hubbell Peer and Client Review Ratings, the Litigator Awards™, and The American Trial Lawyers Association for our hard work and commitment to justice.

Matt O’Grady, one of our top personal injury attorneys, has been protecting clients’ rights since graduating from the Washington University School of Law. For over twenty-three years, O’Grady has secured six and seven-figure settlements for a wide base of clients. He was nominated to Missouri Super Lawyers each year from 2016 through 2018 and was nominated as a member of the Insurance Legislative Committee for the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys in 2017. His skill and legal prowess make him a valuable member of the OnderLaw team.

Types of Truck Accidents

With the many types of settings in which large trucks operate come many types of accidents in which they may be involved. Large trucks have a much longer stopping time than passenger vehicles due to their heavier weight. Because of their wide turns, limited visibility, and moving parts, large trucks may be involved in any of the following accidents:

  • Jackknife accidents
  • Wide-turn accidents
  • Head-on collisions
  • Rollover accidents
  • T-bone accidents
  • Underride accidents
  • Rear-end collisions
  • Stationary object collisions
  • Multiple-vehicle accidents

Causes of Truck Accidents

The causes of truck accidents vary with each scenario. Any of the following situations may cause an accident involving a large truck:

  • Distracted driving – If a truck driver should lose focus while operating their vehicle, they put both themselves and those around them at risk. Behaviors that may be considered distracted driving include phone use while driving, becoming distracted by external factors (weather conditions, roadside construction, nearby accidents, etc.), becoming distracted by internal factors (navigation, etc.), or “zoning out” while driving.
  • Mechanical malfunction – Instances of mechanical malfunction are more common in large trucks and commercial vehicles than traditional passenger cars, as these vehicles often have more moving parts and/or may be pulling heavy machinery or other cargo. Instances of malfunction may include brake failure, loss of power of steering, engine combustion, faulty trailer hitch or coupling mechanisms, or tire failure.
  • Driving under the influence – Should a driver choose to operate a large truck while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are putting themselves and those around them at risk. Driving under the influence may cause frequent swerving, loss of depth perception, and poor judgment, which can all lead to severe truck accidents.
  • Reckless driving – Reckless behavior may include failing to obey traffic signs, speeding, following too closely, or any other dangerous or negligent behavior a driver may exhibit that can lead to a truck accident.
  • Improper equipment/cargo loading – If a company should fail to properly load cargo onto a truck, they put both the truck driver and others on the road at risk of being injured in an accident. Loose or falling cargo from the bed or extended bed of a truck can be a severe hazard to nearby motorists. Top-heavy loads increase the possibility of a rollover accident.

Common Injuries Suffered in Truck Accidents

Injuries that can be sustained in a truck accident range from mild to severe. Following are types of injuries that frequently result from accidents involving big rigs:

  • Decapitation
  • Paralysis
  • Contusions
  • Lacerations
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Neck trauma
  • Broken bones
  • Internal organ damage
  • Internal bleeding
  • Burns
  • Amputation

Who Is Responsible?

There are several parties that may be responsible for a truck accident case. These may be the truck driver, the party who loaded the cargo onto the truck, the party who performed the most recent maintenance check on the vehicle, the trucking company, or the party who installed or provided the faulty piece of equipment that caused a trucking accident.

For truck accidents in the state of California, responsibility for an accident is measured in terms of liability. The party considered most liable will be held responsible to the highest degree. In most cases, liability is determined by the level of negligence a party is proven to have exhibited at the scene of the accident. Negligence occurs when one party owes another a courtesy or service and either acts or fails to act in a way that causes the other party harm.

California is a pure comparative negligence state, meaning you may still be entitled to compensation for the percent of an accident for which you are not considered liable. You’re your case goes to trial, a judge or jury will determine the amount of damages you have incurred as a result of the accident. If, for example, the court finds that you have sustained $300,000 in damages, but they also find you were 15 percent liable for the accident, you would still obtain the remaining $255,000 in damages to which you’re entitled by award of the court.

Compensation for a Claim

You may be eligible to pursue two different types of compensation after the accident:

Economic damages are the financial costs associated with a truck accident. Examples of economic damages may include:

  • Medical expenses – doctor’s appointments, diagnostic procedures, or treatments you receive as a result of a truck accident
  • Income loss – any lost income or wages that are a direct result of a truck accident or the recovery time for injuries sustained in a truck accident
  • Property damage – the cost to repair or replace any personal property that was damaged in a truck accident, including your vehicle and other personal belongings.

The best way to keep track of economic damages sustained in a truck accident is to keep copies of all medical records, time cards, pay stubs, and repair or replacement receipts.

Noneconomic damages are the intangible costs associated with the pain or suffering you experience as a result of the truck accident. These damages may include:

  • Emotional/psychological trauma – the mental stress of dealing with a truck accident that may result in anxiety, stress, fear, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other condition
  • Loss of mobility – when you are not able to move as you could before you were involved in a truck accident. Examples include being wheelchair-bound, losing a limb, or being forced to use a cane or walker
  • Loss of enjoyment of life – the general decrease in your quality of life as a result of a truck accident because you can no longer do the same activities you once enjoyed

The best way to document these damages is to keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings about your injuries, documenting how they affect your daily activities and routines.

California and National Accident Statistics

Data from the California Highway Patrol reflects that in 2017, there were 6,963 accidents involving large trucks statewide.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s data reflects that in 2019, there were 44 large truck occupants killed in accidents.

A report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration claims that in 2018, there were 5,096 fatal crashes involving large trucks and buses nationwide.

Need Help? Give Us a Call

If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, you know how stressful it can be to handle such an accident on your own. Call OnderLaw today. We’ll schedule a free, confidential consultation so that you can speak with one of our lawyers and determine the best legal option for you.