Compton Truck Accident Lawyer

Compton Truck Accident Attorney

Most drivers in Compton are used to seeing large commercial trucks on local roads, and commercial trucks are essential to California’s economy. While most drivers encounter commercial trucks on the road without having any problems, serious accidents can and do happen, often with catastrophic effects. When a truck crash occurs, the large size of these vehicles inherently increases the risk of severe injury or death to those involved. These accidents also tend to generate substantial property damage and various other economic losses.

Helping Compton Truck Accident Victims Recover With Confidence

If you or a family member has recently been injured in a truck crash someone else caused, your recovery is likely to require an auto insurance claim followed by a personal injury claim against the party responsible. Unfortunately, truck accidents are not only more damaging than most other vehicle accidents but determining liability for these incidents is also more challenging. It’s possible for more than one party to bear fault for your losses.

McLachlan Law, APC, has the experience and professional resources you need on your side to reach the best outcome possible for your impending truck accident case. Our firm has helped many past clients with a wide range of personal injury claims in Compton, and we’re ready to apply this experience to your truck accident claim.

How to Prove Fault for Truck Accidents

Before you can obtain any type of recovery for the damages you sustained in a truck crash, you must be ready to prove exactly how the accident happened and identify the party responsible for causing it. Truck accidents can happen for many of the same reasons as all other motor vehicle accidents, but these vehicles are also susceptible to a few unique risk factors due to their size, weight, and use.

A few of the most commonly reported causes of truck accidents include:

• Inattentive or distracted driving. This is the leading cause of all crashes in the US each year.
• Driving under the influence (DUI). Any driver who causes a DUI accident faces heightened penalties upon conviction; they are also liable for the victim’s civil damages.
• Speeding. This is especially dangerous for large trucks that require greater distance and more time to slow down or stop to avoid a collision. Speeding also increases the risk of catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Moving violations. Disrupting the flow of traffic can easily result in a serious accident, especially in a busy metropolitan area.
• Intentional reckless driving. Any intentional moving violation that results in an accident is likely to lead to criminal charges for the driver at fault, along with their liability for the victim’s damages.
• Truck driver errors. When a truck driver is negligent in any way behind the wheel, they could face sole liability for resulting damages, or their employer could share liability based on the specific details of the case.
• Poorly secured or imbalanced cargo. Large commercial trucks are vulnerable to tipping or rolling over if their cargo isn’t secured and loaded correctly.
• Truck maintenance issues. Commercial trucks have higher maintenance requirements due to the time they spend on the road. Failure to perform appropriate maintenance in any way that results in an accident can mean liability for the party responsible for truck maintenance.

No matter how your truck accident happened, a Compton truck accident attorney can be invaluable for proving the exact cause and assisting you in gathering evidence from the scene of the accident, digital evidence, and testimony from eyewitnesses who saw the crash happen in real time.

One issue that commonly arises in truck accident cases is “vicarious liability,” a legal term used to denote any incident in which one party bears fault for the actions of another party. This most commonly applies to an employer responsible for the actions of their employee. If your accident occurred because of the actions of the truck driver, and their employer was in any way negligent in their handling of the driver, vicarious liability may apply to your case. For example, if the trucking company failed to complete a thorough background check, ensure proper training and experience, or was otherwise negligent in any way that contributed to your accident, the trucking company would share liability for your damages.

Claiming Compensation for Your Truck Accident in Compton, California 

Your recovery from a truck crash is likely to begin with an auto insurance claim, and most trucking companies have more coverage than the average driver. However, this does not mean an insurance claim alone will be sufficient for covering the full amount of your damages, nor can you expect an easy time dealing with the insurance carrier. Most insurance company representatives are trained to find any reason they can to deny coverage or justify the lowest possible settlement offer.

Having an experienced Compton truck accident attorney help you with your insurance claim reduces the chances of encountering any unethical treatment from the insurer; you are also likely to secure a settlement more swiftly with your attorney’s assistance. Once you have obtained as much of a recovery as you can for your damages, your attorney can then move to helping you file your personal injury claim, seeking compensation for the losses that insurance won’t cover.

You have the right to seek full repayment of any and all economic losses you suffered because of the other driver’s actions, and you can also claim pain and suffering compensation that reflects the severity of your experience. When you choose McLachlan Law, APC, to represent you in a truck crash case, we will do everything we can to maximize the compensation you obtain from the defendant. Time is a critical factor after any vehicle accident in Compton, and you have a very limited time in which to file your auto insurance claim. You must also meet the statute of limitations for your California personal injury case if you must pursue further legal recourse beyond your insurance claim. Whatever your recovery requires, you can count on McLachlan Law, APC, as your Compton truck accident attorneys, and we will help you reach the best possible outcome for your case.

Truck Accident Lawyers FAQs

Q: How Do I Prove Fault for a truck crash in Compton?

A: Your Compton truck accident attorney can help you gather evidence, such as traffic camera recordings of the accident, digital records of the other driver’s cell phone records, vehicle computer data, and more, to help you prove liability for your recent truck accident. If anyone else saw the accident happen, their eyewitness testimony could be some of the most powerful evidence to support your case. When complex factors arise that make liability unclear, an experienced attorney may consult an expert witness who can extrapolate the details of the incident, explaining exactly how it occurred.

Q: How Much Is My Truck Accident Claim Worth in Compton?

A: State law allows you to seek complete repayment of all the financial damages you suffered from your accident, which are likely to include all medical expenses, lost income, and property damage. The plaintiff in a civil suit may also claim compensation for the physical pain and psychological suffering they experienced, and there is no limit on this aspect of their recovery. Consult an experienced Compton truck accident attorney as soon as possible for an accurate assessment of your total claimable damages.

Q: Can I Still Recover Damages if I’m Partially at Fault?

A: California upholds the pure comparative negligence statute when a plaintiff shares liability with a defendant for causing civil damages. A judge will review the case and assign each party a fault percentage, dictating how much of the damages each party is responsible for repaying. When a plaintiff is assigned a fault percentage, this percentage is deducted from their total compensation. For example, if you are 10% at fault for a truck crash, you will lose 10% of the total compensation secured from the defendant.

Q: Do I Need to Hire an Accident Lawyer After a truck crash?

A: There may not be a law that specifically requires you to hire legal counsel for an impending truck accident case, but you are likely to reach a positive conclusion to the case with an attorney’s assistance. Your lawyer will help you gather the evidence needed to prove liability for your damages and the full scope of those damages, maximizing your recovery. They can also help you settle your case quickly and may even uncover options for enhancing your recovery that you did not know were available to you.

Q: What Does a Compton Truck Accident Attorney Charge?

A: McLachlan Law, APC, strives to ensure our legal counsel is available to those who need it most, so our personal injury cases are charged a contingency fee. You will not pay any fees upfront for our counsel, nor will you be required to pay ongoing legal fees during your case. Instead, you pay our firm a percentage of your final case award, but only if we win. If we cannot obtain a recovery on your behalf, you pay nothing, so there is no risk to you by having our firm represent your truck accident case.

McLachlan Law, APC, has years of professional experience helping victims of all types of motor vehicle accidents recover, and we know the unique legal challenges that truck accident cases often present. Whatever your situation demands, you will have responsive and compassionate legal advocacy readily available, and our goal is to resolve your case efficiently and with the best results possible. If you are ready to learn what an experienced Compton truck accident attorney can do for you in your case, contact us today and schedule a consultation with our team.