Newport Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

Being involved in a truck accident can completely upend your life. A truck accident can leave you in excruciating pain from your injuries, unable to work again, and saddled with extensive medical bills. With the tremendous toll that a truck accident can take, what are your options if you find yourself in this situation?

One option you have is to file a claim against the truck driver who hit you and any other responsible parties. The Newport Beach personal injury lawyers at OnderLaw can help you file your injury claim and get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. This includes compensation for your physical and emotional pain and the financial cost of being involved in a truck accident.

Our team of dedicated and experienced personal injury attorneys will fight to make sure the responsible parties are held liable for their actions. To get started, call or visit our contact page for a free initial consultation.

Why You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer

While it’s not a legal requirement to get a truck accident lawyer to pursue compensation for your injuries, you will be in a much better position if you have an experienced attorney by your side. For one thing, personal injury claims related to truck accidents can be extremely complicated, even more so than car accidents. In many truck accident cases, there’s more than one party that’s liable for your injuries. The truck driver likely played a significant role, but their employer, the truck’s manufacturer, and maintenance workers often bear some portion of responsibility for the accident as well.

Another reason to hire a lawyer is that trucking companies and their insurance companies have significantly more resources than you do. These are often large corporations with millions of dollars at their disposal so they can hire the best defense lawyers available. The trucking company’s insurance carrier will also put up a significant fight because they don’t want to pay you any money unless absolutely necessary.

Lastly, the law surrounding truck accident liability can be difficult to parse without a lawyer’s help. With multiple potentially liable parties, you need someone who’s studied the necessary laws and understands the various regulations that govern truck accidents. Without this knowledge and experience, you risk losing your case or not getting the full amount of compensation that you may be entitled to.

Why Choose OnderLaw for Your Truck Accident Case?

Our track record speaks for itself at OnderLaw. We have recovered more than $3 billion in compensation for our clients while handling some of the most difficult and complex personal injury cases you’ll find. Among our many successful truck accident claims, we recently helped a former nurse recover $6 million for her injuries after she was hurt in a jackknife truck accident. We take a contingency fee approach to truck accident cases, meaning you don’t owe us any fees unless we get you money for your injuries.

Our commitment to our clients and our stellar track record have earned us widespread recognition from our peers and the communities we serve. Among other honors, founding attorney Jim Onder has an AV Preeminent rating from the Martindale-Hubbell rating service, which is their highest possible rating. Our firm is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an invitation-only group of trial lawyers who’ve won judgments of at least $1 million for their clients. Fewer than one percent of all lawyers nationwide are members of this group.

Hiring a truck accident lawyer is about more than awards and the money you’ll receive, though. You want a lawyer who will treat you with dignity, respect, and compassion throughout the legal process. Our attorneys will take the time to get to know you as a person and understand your particular situation. We know the physical, emotional, and financial toll that a truck accident can take, and we’re dedicated to doing whatever we can to help you find a brighter future.

Truck Accident Cases We Handle

Here are a few of the truck accident cases we handle at OnderLaw:

• Head-on collisions
• Read-end collisions
• Sideswipe collisions
• Override and underride collisions
• T-bone collisions
• Jackknife collisions
• Rollover accidents
• Tire blowout accidents
• Wide-turn accidents
• Blind spot accidents
• Cargo-related accidents

This is just a sample of the kinds of cases our firm can handle. If your accident happened somewhat differently, rest assured that we have the knowledge, experience, and drive to bring your case to a successful resolution.

Causes of Truck Accidents

There are many different causes of truck accidents, ranging from negligent driver behavior to mechanical issues and the failure of truck companies to adequately oversee their drivers. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:

• Driver intoxication – If a truck driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs, their judgment is impaired, and they cannot react as quickly in an emergency situation. This is true even if the driver is on prescription medications, as some of these medications have serious side effects that drivers need to be aware of. In some instances, a driver may be so impaired that they fall asleep at the wheel, putting themselves and anyone around them at significant risk.
• Driver fatigue – Though there have been some recent changes in trucking regulations to curb driver fatigue, it’s still one of the most common causes of truck accidents. This is because truck drivers often drive long hours without taking breaks to make sure they make their deliveries on time. Because there’s such a strong financial incentive to make their delivery deadlines, truck drivers may push themselves to keep going even when doing so compromises their safety and the safety of others on the road.
• Speeding and reckless driving – Speeding is particularly dangerous for truck drivers because of how long it takes to stop a truck in the event of an emergency. Other kinds of reckless driving behavior, such as unsafe lane changes and taking turns at high speeds, also put truck drivers and others at risk.
• Distracted driving – Truck drivers are even more at risk from the dangers of distracted driving than passenger car drivers because of how big and heavy commercial trucks can be. When a truck driver takes their eyes off the road to send or read a text message, or their attention wavers because they’re talking on the phone, they may not notice dangers around them. Alternatively, they may see the danger but not be able to react in time because they were distracted. In either case, the result of being distracted is a disastrous collision.
• Inexperienced or inadequately trained drivers – Driving a commercial truck is not the same as driving a typical passenger car. Large trucks are bigger, heavier, and much less maneuverable than passenger vehicles. Trucks also need to take special care when navigating turns, especially when they’re pulling a trailer. It takes a long time and special training to learn to handle these vehicles safely, but trucking companies sometimes hire inexperienced or untrained drivers. When this happens, it’s much more likely that the truck driver will be involved in an accident.
• Mechanical defects – The additional size and weight of commercial trucks make it all the more important that all of the truck’s parts are in proper working order. When mechanical issues arise, they can make it much more difficult for the driver to stop or safely handle the truck, which often leads to an accident. These mechanical defects may result from improper maintenance, but they can also be the result of manufacturing or design defects.
• Improperly secured cargo – If a truck’s payload isn’t properly secured, it can shift while the truck is moving, causing the truck to become unstable and difficult to handle. In some cases, this can cause a truck to tip and roll over. Improperly secured cargo can also come loose on the road, causing an accident if the cargo strikes another vehicle or if another vehicle has to swerve to avoid being hit.

How Do I Get Compensation for My Truck Accident?

If you’re involved in a truck accident, there are many parties who could be liable for your injuries. The potentially liable parties include:

• The truck driver
• The truck driver’s employer
• The manufacturer of the truck
• Parts suppliers
• Maintenance workers
• Cargo loaders

California is an at-fault state for truck accident claims, which means the person responsible for the accident pays for the damages. You can still file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your injuries, even if you were partially responsible for causing the crash.

State law allows truck accident victims to pursue compensation for a wide range of losses, including:

• The cost of your medical bills related to the accident
• The cost of any future medical care you might need
• Your lost wages while you recover from the accident
• Your reduced ability to work and earn a living if you were disabled in the accident
• Your physical pain and suffering as a result of the accident
• Any mental anguish you’ve sustained because of the accident, such as post-traumatic stress disorder

Contact OnderLaw Today About Your Truck Accident Case

In most cases, California law gives you just two years to file a lawsuit after a truck accident. The sooner you speak to a Newport Beach truck accident lawyer, the sooner they can start working on your case to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact OnderLaw today by calling or visiting our contact page.