Riverside Truck Accident Lawyer

The city of Riverside is an ever-expanding place. With new businesses, residential areas, and historical and cultural landmarks emerging every day, it’s no surprise that the city’s roads should be busier than ever. Unfortunately, with so much growth comes some amount of risk. Each year, hundreds are wrongly injured in accidents involving large trucks.

If you or someone you love has been injured through no fault of your own in a large truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation. The award-winning team of Riverside personal injury attorneys at OnderLaw have been successfully handling truck accident cases like yours for over nineteen years. In each case that we take on, we strive to bring the same level of excellence and attention to detail that has been reaching favorable outcomes for our clients since 2002.

Are you ready to begin your journey towards justice? Call an OnderLaw attorney today to schedule a free, confidential consultation and to determine the best next steps to take in building your truck accident case and securing compensation.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer?

While no insurance claim or lawsuit is easy to build on your own, managing a case involving a commercial party can be a particularly difficult process. Many of the large trucks on the road belong to bigger corporations, meaning they bring with them their own set of regulations when it comes to accidents and insurance claims. Luckily, the truck accident lawyers of OnderLaw are adept at navigating the commercial, local, and federal legislation surrounding such accidents. We’ve been working with similar cases for many years and are well-equipped to help you understand the regulations surrounding large truck accidents.

Also, we are committed to handling all communication on your behalf to make the claims process easier for you. At OnderLaw , we don’t believe in leaving our clients to manage all discussions with third parties, insurance companies, and law enforcement. This puts you at the risk of accidental self-incrimination and can prove to be an arduous process. We handle all communication so that you can focus on getting back to your life and loved ones as you recover from your truck accident injuries.

Why Choose OnderLaw ?

At OnderLaw , we believe in putting our clients first. This belief has allowed us to reach over $3 billion in settlements and awards over the years and has earned us acclaim, both locally and nationally. OnderLaw has been recognized by such organizations as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The American Society of Legal Advocates, and Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America for our hard work and the way we fight for justice in each case that we take on.

Breanna L. Hunt, one of our top personal injury attorneys, has been defending clients’ rights since graduating from the Southern Illinois University School of Law. Hunt has received acclaim for her legal work from several organizations, including the American Bar Association (ABA) National Moot Court Competition and the SIU Intramural Moot Court competition and served as the president of the Phi Delta Phi Honors Legal Fraternity in her time as a student. Hunt’s dedication to justice and equality has fueled her success both in and out of the courtroom and make her a valuable member of the OnderLaw team.

Causes of Truck Accidents

Commercial trucks can be extremely large vehicles. Because of their weight and size, these trucks have a longer stopping time than traditional passenger vehicles. In addition, large trucks have “no zones” where they are unable to see whether another vehicle is in their blind spot. All of these factors can prove dangerous, both to those who drive large trucks and to surrounding vehicles.

There are a few common causes of large truck accidents:

• Distracted driving: Should the driver of a large truck become distracted while driving, they put themselves and all surrounding drivers in danger. Examples of distracted driving include becoming sleepy, “zoning out,” phone use while driving or becoming distracted by other factors such as navigation devices or changing the music on the radio.
• Mechanical malfunction/defective equipment: If a truck should have a defective part, they can be potentially hazardous to other vehicles on the road. A few examples of malfunctioning parts include faulty brakes, loss of power of steering, improper hitch, or broken taillights.
• External factors: Outside factors can lead to accidents, as well. Circumstances like weather conditions, roadside construction, infrastructural inconsistencies on the road, or nearby accidents can be potential hazards to large trucks and other surrounding vehicles.
• Driving under the influence: If a driver of a large truck should choose to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can be dangerous to all surrounding traffic. Drugged or drunk driving can cause a driver to experience poor judgment, lack of depth perception, and blurred vision, all of which can result in traffic accidents.
• Improperly loaded cargo: Sometimes, the party responsible for loading and securing cargo to a commercial vehicle will make a mistake or use worn or improper securement devices. This may cause loose or falling cargo, a load that exceeds the truck’s weight limit, or other potential hazards to vehicles surrounding large trucks.
• Improperly licensed drivers: If a trucking company should hire a driver with no license or an expired license, they are putting other vehicles at risk of being involved in an accident.

Common Injuries Suffered in Truck Accidents

As you’d expect, injuries suffered in accidents involving large trucks can be devastating. Because these vehicles are so large and are cumbersome when making turns, switching lanes, and coming to a complete stop, they can cause severe injuries to those in their path.

Common injuries suffered in these types of accidents include:

• Paralysis
• Road rash
• Decapitation
• Amputation/dismemberment
• Soft tissue damage
• Spinal cord damage
• Traumatic brain injury
• Broken bones
• Contusions
• Lacerations
• Neck trauma
• Internal organ damage

 

Who Is Responsible?

There are several parties that may be responsible for a large truck accident. You’ll need to determine who is at fault for the accident so you and your attorney will know where to begin the pursuit of compensation for your losses.

The responsible party may include, but not be limited to:

• Trucking company whose truck was involved in an accident
• Company responsible for loading cargo onto the truck that ultimately caused an accident
• Truck driver whose actions caused a truck accident
• Manufacturer of a part that caused an accident
• Company responsible for performing maintenance checks on the truck that caused an accident

Compensation for a Truck Accident Claim

Without a review of the circumstances of your particular case, there’s no way to provide an accurate assessment of what your claim may be worth. On your own, the best way to estimate what kind of compensation you might expect in your truck accident case is to determine what kind of damages you will be seeking compensation for. There are two primary categories of damages:

• Economic damages are the more specifically financial costs associated with a truck accident. Examples of these costs may include any repairs you had done to personal property that was damaged or destroyed, medical expenses for any doctor’s appointments, diagnostic procedures, or treatments received for injuries suffered in an accident, or income/wages you lost as a result of time you took off from work to recover from your injuries. The best way to document economic damages is to keep track of all repair receipts, medical records and receipts, pay stubs, and time cards.
• Noneconomic damages are the emotional and mental losses associated with any pain and suffering you experience as a result of a truck accident. These losses may include loss of enjoyment of life, loss of mobility, loss of companionship, or emotional/psychological trauma. The best way to document noneconomic damages is to take note of any counseling/therapy services you receive, as well as keeping a journal about how your injuries have affected your daily life and activities.

 

On your own, you’ll likely be unable to attach a value to your noneconomic damages. Once you’ve engaged an OnderLaw attorney, we can help you identify your damages and assign a monetary value to them based upon our knowledge and experience.

Truck Accident Statistics

A report from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System states that in 2017, there were 6,963 truck drivers injured in large truck accidents across the state.

Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reflects that in 2019, there were 158,352,117 registered large trucks across the nation. A similar report finds that in the same year, there were 10,868 fatalities nationwide from accidents involving large trucks.

A report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that across the nation in 2019, 2,158 large truck accidents occurred on major roads, 1,328 occurred on interstates and freeways, and 621 occurred on minor roads.

Injured? Call OnderLaw Today

If you were injured in a Riverside accident involving a large truck that wasn’t your fault, you know how stressful it can be to deal with the devastating effects of such an accident. From untangling the local, commercial, and federal regulations surrounding these accidents to ensuring you’re receiving proper medical attention for your injuries, receiving compensation for your losses is no easy task on your own.

Call an OnderLaw attorney today. We’re prepared to offer you high-quality legal counsel while keeping your best interests at heart. We’ll discuss your circumstances and help guide you towards the best course of action for pursuing compensation in your truck accident case.