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A collision with a commercial truck is rarely like an ordinary car accident. The size and weight of big rigs, tractor-trailers, and delivery trucks means the injuries are often severe, and the legal claim behind them is far more complex. Truck accident cases involve personal injury law at the state level, but they’re also shaped by federal trucking regulations that govern how commercial drivers and carriers must operate.
Were you injured because an outside truck hit you while working as a Longshoreman? Or caused you to crash at the Port of Long Beach or Port of Los Angeles? If you had a Truck Accident at Port of Long Beach Los Angeles – Get damages you deserve now from Law Office of Andrea R. Herman, PC.
Because commercial trucking companies carry large insurance policies and send their own investigators to the scene within hours of a crash, victims are often at a disadvantage from the very beginning. Understanding how liability works in these cases — and acting quickly to preserve evidence — is critical to recovering the compensation you’re entitled to.
Having an experienced truck accident lawyer is vital to ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. The Law Office of Andrea R. Herman, PC has extensive experience representing injured victims of truck accidents throughout Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Southern California.
Truck accidents at the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles rarely happen without a reason. Most are the result of a driver, trucking company, or maintenance provider failing to follow the safety rules that exist specifically to prevent these crashes. Determining fault after a truck accident generally comes down to two overlapping sets of rules: federal trucking regulations and California state traffic law.
Both sets of rules matter because a violation of either one can be used as evidence of negligence in your claim.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets nationwide safety standards for commercial truck drivers and trucking companies. These rules cover how long a driver can be on the road, how vehicles must be maintained, and what records carriers must keep. Key hours-of-service limits include:
When a trucking company or driver violates these federal rules and causes an accident, that violation can serve as strong evidence of negligence in a personal injury claim.
Under California’s comparative negligence rules, you may still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident — though your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault. Trucking accident liability in California can extend beyond the driver to include:
Because multiple parties and multiple insurance policies are often involved, identifying every liable party early in the process is essential to maximizing your recovery.
Victims of truck accidents may be entitled to compensation for a range of losses, which may include:
Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity is involved — such as a city- or state-owned truck — a formal claim must be filed within six months, so it’s important not to wait to speak with an attorney. Similar to how injured longshore and harbor workers may be covered under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, injured truck accident victims may have overlapping avenues for recovery depending on how and where the crash occurred.
Truck accident cases are not handled the same way as ordinary car accident claims. The differences include:
There are many important differences between a standard car accident claim and a commercial truck accident claim that will be addressed in any case with the Law Office of Andrea R. Herman, PC.
Being injured in a truck accident can be devastating — physically, emotionally, and financially. You may be entitled to compensation to cover your medical bills, lost income, and other losses. The Law Office of Andrea R. Herman, PC can help ensure you pursue the full compensation available under California law, so you can focus on your recovery. Get in touch with us, and our team will discuss the best course of action based on your case. Our truck accident attorneys will be with you every step of the way and protect your rights.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity owned or operated the truck involved, you must file a formal administrative claim within six months instead. Because trucking cases often require extensive investigation, it’s best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after the crash.
Liability can extend beyond the driver to include the trucking company, the truck owner, a maintenance or repair contractor, a cargo loading company, or even the manufacturer of a defective truck part. Because multiple parties and insurance policies are often involved, identifying every liable party early is essential to maximizing your recovery.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets hours-of-service limits, maintenance standards, and driver qualification requirements for commercial trucking. Key hours-of-service rules include an 11-hour driving limit after 10 consecutive hours off duty, a 14-hour on-duty window, a required 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and weekly limits of 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days.
Yes. California follows a comparative negligence rule, which means you may still recover compensation even if you share some fault for the crash. Your total recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault, so it’s important to have an attorney who can accurately establish how much fault belongs to the trucking company or driver.
Truck accident cases often rely on specialized evidence not present in ordinary car accident claims, including electronic logging device (ELD) data, black box event data recorders, driver qualification files, hours-of-service logs, maintenance and inspection records, and drug and alcohol testing results. This evidence can be time-sensitive, so it’s important to act quickly to preserve it.
Commercial trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a passenger vehicle, which dramatically increases the force involved in a collision and the stopping distance required to avoid one. This size and weight differential often results in more catastrophic injuries, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and fatalities.
Our firm has extensive experience handling the unique legal and regulatory complexity of commercial truck accident claims across Long Beach, Los Angeles, and the surrounding ports and freight corridors. We understand how to investigate FMCSA violations, identify every liable party, and build a case backed by strong medical and technical evidence. Reach out to our team to get the personalized guidance and aggressive advocacy you deserve.
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