Being involved in an accident with a big truck is one of the most traumatic experiences you can have on the road. Truck accidents are more devastating than regular motor vehicle accidents because trucks are much larger and heavier than other vehicles and can cause incredible damage. The injuries you sustain in a truck accident can be so severe that you’re left with permanent disabilities. If you or a loved one have been involved in a truck accident in Sacramento, you may be entitled to compensation.

If you were injured in a collision with a commercial truck through no fault of your own, you shouldn’t be responsible for the medical expenses required to make you healthy again. Contact the experienced Sacramento personal injury attorneys of OnderLaw to help you get the compensation you deserve. You can either call us or contact us online to schedule a free consultation to help you get on the road to recovery.

Why Do I Need A Lawyer?

It’s important that you get in contact with a skilled attorney immediately following a truck accident. You may be feeling shocked and overwhelmed by the accident and by the treatment your injuries require. When you hire a lawyer, you’re hiring a champion for your cause. Your lawyer will protect your rights, stand up for you, and prevent anyone else from taking advantage of you while you’re vulnerable.

A lawyer can help you navigate the lengthy process of filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit. When you’re the victim of a crash with a truck, the last things you’ll want to deal with are the paperwork, negotiations, and deadlines relevant to your claim. An attorney can take on the duties of attaining the appropriate documents, negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf, and filing your claim on time or your lawsuit within the statute of limitations. Your only focus should be recovering from your injuries.

Why Choose OnderLaw?

OnderLaw has been a trusted law firm in the Sacramento area and beyond for nearly 20 years. We are proud to say that our firm and several of our partners are recognized by many influential legal organizations, including Martindale-Hubbell Peer and Client Review Ratings (5 out of 5 possible stars), Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America. The last two organizations listed accept only the best practicing lawyers as members. Less than one percent of all U.S attorneys currently hold membership in those groups.

Throughout the years, our firm has secured over $10 million in damages for our clients who were severely injured or killed in truck accidents. Should you choose to select the team at OnderLaw to help you, you’ll be placing your case in the hands of some of the most competent attorneys in Sacramento and beyond. We want to help you recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

At OnderLaw, we believe everyone should have the best possible legal representation. For that reason, we operate on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t have to pay us any money at the start of your case. When we take on your case, we’ll work diligently to pursue the compensation you’re entitled to. We don’t get paid until we get money for you. If we don’t get any compensation for you, we don’t get paid.

Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents may occur for a variety of reasons. Despite the fact that commercial drivers are required to have special licensing and training, they’re still human, and errors can occur. Human error isn’t the only cause, though. Common causes of truck accidents include:

  • Drowsy driving
  • Distracted driving
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Speeding or aggressive driving
  • Poor training or maintenance
  • Improper cargo loading
  • Failure to obey traffic laws
  • Failure to obey traffic signage
  • Poor judgment
  • Equipment or mechanical failure
  • Improperly trained driver

Common Injuries Suffered in Truck Accidents

Some truck accidents can be devastating. Injuries from such an accident can lead to a chronic disability or death. Clients we’ve represented in truck accident claims have had these injuries, among others:

  • Fractured or broken bones
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Head and brain injuries
  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Cuts, scratches, and scrapes
  • Bruises and lacerations
  • Burns
  • Road rash, friction burns, and abrasions
  • Amputation
  • Disfigurement
  • Blunt force trauma

Who is Responsible?

Truck accidents are different from regular motor vehicle accidents for a variety of reasons. Not only is there a larger group of potentially responsible parties, such as the trucking company, the cargo loaders, truck mechanics, truck driver, etc., but there are different laws that govern commercial trucks, their drivers, and their loads.

When you hire OnderLaw, we can investigate the accident to determine which party is responsible for causing the crash. We can obtain evidence, including the driver’s logs showing his hours driven, the maintenance records for the vehicle, the trucking company’s personnel records regarding the driver, traffic cam video, and other items that will help us create a clear picture showing the responsible party.

The truck driver is obligated to follow all the rules set forth by the Department of Transportation for commercial truckers. They must also abide by the Hours of Service regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The cargo of the truck must be loaded in compliance with the FMCSA’s cargo securement rules.

The trucking company is governed by the FMCSA rules, as well. They must abide by those rules, both governing their employees and the liability insurance they carry on their drivers and vehicles.

Our firm can engage in an in-depth investigation to determine if any of these rules were broken, and if so, how those broken rules contributed to the accident. An experienced truck accident attorney knows all these rules and regulations and can work to put together a strong case. If you took care of your claim or lawsuit on your own, you would have to investigate all these areas of law in order to make sure the correct person was held responsible.

Compensation for Truck Accident Claims

Although we cannot tell you what your claim is worth without sitting down with you to learn about your accident and injuries, we can tell you about the components that may go into the value of your claim. You may be eligible for more than one of the following:

  • Medical expenses. You can seek to be compensated for the medical bills you incur during your recovery from your injuries. This includes all past, present, and future medical expenses related to your accident, such as hospital and doctors’ visits, x-rays, surgery, physical rehabilitation, wheelchairs, and more.
  • Lost wages. Your accident and the injuries you sustained as a result may force you to take time away from work. You may be able to recover damages for the past, present, and future wages you lost during your time away from work to focus on recovery.
  • Loss of earning capacity. You may have been injured so severely that you are unable to return to work. You could seek compensation for your loss of earning capacity.
  • Cost of burial and funeral. If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, you can pursue damages for the cost of their burial and funeral.
  • Property damage. Your accident may have resulted in property damage to personal property, such as your car, cell phone, or laptop. You can pursue compensation to cover repairs or to replace items damaged, destroyed, or lost in your accident.
  • Pain and suffering. You may be eligible for compensation for the pain and suffering you experience due to your accident.
  • Emotional distress. The experience of an accident and its aftermath can lead you to develop a number of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. You may be able to recover damages for these accident-related conditions.
  • Loss of enjoyment of life. Your accident may result in you becoming disabled or sustaining injuries that are so severe that you’re unable to participate in activities that previously brought you joy. If this is the case for you, you may be eligible for compensation for your loss of enjoyment of life.
  • Loss of consortium. If you’ve lost a loved one in a truck accident, you can pursue damages for their loss of consortium, otherwise known as the loss of the decedent’s love and companionship.

It’s important to remember that the types and amount of compensation you may obtain depend on the details of your accident, the severity of your injuries, and the duration of your recovery. Your knowledgeable attorney from OnderLaw can help assess the value of your case.

Sacramento and National Accident Statistics

Truck accidents are frequent in the United States each day. Here’s what the numbers look like:

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, 4,119 people were killed in truck accidents in the United States in 2019.

The National Safety Council reported a national 2% increase in fatal truck accidents from 2018 to 2019, with 5,005 trucks involved in fatal collisions.

Data collected by the California Office of Traffic Safety reveals that in Sacramento alone, 3,217 people were killed on the road in 2018.

Contact a Sacramento Truck Accident Attorney

If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident in Sacramento that wasn’t your fault, contact the legal team at OnderLaw today. Call us or contact us on our website to schedule a free consultation.