Truck Accidents

California Truck Accident & Big-Rig Attorneys

Injured in a truck crash? Here is what to know.

• Yaghmai Law Firm represents truck accident victims in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, and the San Fernando Valley — including semi-truck, 18-wheeler, big-rig, delivery van, and commercial vehicle crash victims and their families.
• We handle truck crashes caused by fatigued driving, drug or alcohol impairment, distracted driving, federal Hours-of-Service violations, improper loading, brake failure, blind-spot collisions, and trucking company negligence.
• California gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under CCP Section 335.1. If a government-owned truck or vehicle was involved, a tort claim must be filed within six months under CA Government Code Section 911.2.
• No fees unless we recover compensation. Free case review.
• Call or text (888) 800-6731 or submit your case online.

A truck accident lawyer Los Angeles victims hire must move fast to preserve black-box data, driver logs, and ELD records before they are overwritten. Truck accidents are among the most catastrophic crashes on California roads. A fully loaded semi can weigh up to 80,000 pounds — roughly 20 times the weight of a passenger car — so when a big-rig, tanker, or commercial delivery truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the people inside that vehicle almost always absorb the worst of it. Survivors regularly face traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, crush injuries, internal bleeding, burns, and permanent disabilities, and families lose loved ones to fatal trucking crashes every year on Los Angeles freeways like the 405, the 101, the 5, and the 110.

At Yaghmai Law Firm, we represent injured drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians hurt by commercial trucks across Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, the San Fernando Valley, and throughout California. We investigate the driver, the trucking company, the truck’s maintenance records, its electronic logging device (ELD) data, the cargo loader, and any third party whose conduct contributed to the crash — and we pursue every available source of insurance so that you and your family are made whole. There are no fees unless we recover compensation, and your case review is free.

No Win, No Fee. Free Case Review.

Truck crash injuries can end careers, drain savings, and bury families under medical bills. You should not have to pay a lawyer up front to fight for the compensation you need to put your life back together. Yaghmai Law Firm handles every truck accident case on a contingency fee — we only get paid if and when we recover money for you. There is no fee for the initial case review and no out-of-pocket cost to investigate your claim, retain experts, or file suit. If we do not win, you owe us nothing.

Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle

“Truck accident” covers a wide range of commercial vehicle crashes. Our personal injury team handles cases involving:

• Semi-truck and 18-wheeler crashes — tractor-trailers operated by long-haul carriers
• Big-rig and tanker collisions — including fuel, chemical, and hazardous-material haulers
• Box trucks and delivery vans — Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and last-mile delivery contractors
• Dump trucks and construction vehicles — including concrete mixers and roll-off haulers
• Garbage and waste-hauling trucks
• Flatbed and lowboy trailers — including unsecured-load and dropped-cargo cases
• Tow trucks and recovery vehicles
• Government-owned trucks — Caltrans, municipal fleets, and other public agencies (different deadlines apply)
• Jackknife, override, underride, and rollover crashes
• Wrongful death cases arising from any of the above

If you were hit by a commercial truck of any kind, we want to hear from you.

Common Causes of Truck Crashes

Commercial trucking is a federally regulated industry, and most serious truck crashes trace back to one or more preventable failures by the driver, the trucking company, or a third party. The causes we see most often include:

• Driver fatigue and violations of the federal FMCSA Hours-of-Service rules
• Distracted driving — texting, GPS, dispatch apps, eating, and onboard tablets
• Impaired driving — alcohol, prescription medications, and stimulants used to stay awake on long hauls
• Speeding and aggressive driving, especially in congested LA traffic or on freeway downgrades
• Brake failure and mechanical neglect — underinflated tires, worn brakes, missed inspections
• Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo
• Blind-spot (“No-Zone”) collisions on freeways and merges
• Inadequate driver training or hiring drivers with poor safety records
• Trucking company pressure to meet unrealistic delivery windows
• Defective truck parts — tires, brakes, coupling devices, underride guards
• Hazardous road and weather conditions the driver did not adjust for

Truck cases are different from ordinary car accidents because federal law (49 CFR Parts 350-399) imposes specific safety duties on the driver and the carrier — and violations of those duties are often the linchpin of liability. Our injured-victim clients also include people hurt in motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle crashes caused by commercial trucks.

Symptoms and Injuries Common in Truck Crashes

Because of the size and weight disparity between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, truck collisions produce some of the most severe injuries we see. Watch for:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — concussion, contusion, diffuse axonal injury, persistent headaches, confusion, memory loss, sensitivity to light or sound
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis — paraplegia, quadriplegia, herniated discs, vertebral fractures
• Crush injuries and amputations
• Internal bleeding and organ damage — splenic, liver, lung, kidney
• Severe burns from cargo, fuel, or vehicle fires
• Multiple fractures — ribs, pelvis, femur, arms, wrists
• Facial and dental trauma
• PTSD, anxiety, and depression in the weeks and months after the crash

Some symptoms — particularly brain and internal injuries — can take hours or days to surface. Get a full medical evaluation after any collision with a commercial truck even if you “feel okay” at the scene, and document every visit.

What Your Truck Accident Case May Be Worth

Every truck crash claim is different, and any lawyer promising a specific number on day one is guessing. The real value of a case depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, the cost of past and future medical care, lost income and lost earning capacity, the policy limits of every available insurance layer, and the strength of the liability evidence. Truck cases typically involve far more coverage than ordinary passenger-car claims — interstate motor carriers must carry minimum federal liability coverage of $750,000 for general freight, up to $5,000,000 for certain hazardous materials, under FMCSA insurance regulations, and many large carriers carry significantly more.

Damages we pursue include past and future medical bills, lost wages and lost earning capacity, vocational rehabilitation, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and — where the trucking company’s conduct was particularly reckless — punitive damages. In fatal cases, surviving family members can recover under California’s wrongful death statute. We will give you an honest, evidence-based assessment of what your case is worth once we have the records.

California Truck Accident Law

Truck crash claims in California are governed by a combination of state negligence law, the California Vehicle Code, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399). Key rules:

• Statute of limitations: Two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under CCP Section 335.1.
• Government-owned trucks (Caltrans, municipal fleets, public utility districts): a government tort claim must be filed within six months of the incident under CA Government Code Section 911.2. Missing that 6-month window can extinguish the claim entirely.
• Comparative fault: California follows pure comparative negligence. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault but is not barred entirely even if you were partly responsible.
• Federal Hours-of-Service: Commercial drivers are limited in how long they can drive without rest. Violations regularly appear in ELD (electronic logging device) data and can be powerful evidence of negligence.
• Evidence preservation: Trucking companies are required to preserve ELD logs, dashcam footage, dispatch records, and maintenance files, but routinely destroy them on standard retention schedules. We send spoliation letters immediately to lock down evidence.
• Vicarious liability: Under California law, a trucking company is generally responsible for the negligence of its driver acting within the scope of employment, and may also be directly liable for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or retention.

Why Choose Yaghmai Law Firm for Your Truck Accident Case

Truck cases are not ordinary car wrecks. The defense is a national trucking company with a rapid-response team that arrives at the scene before the tow truck. Driver logs, cargo manifests, dashcam footage, and maintenance records can disappear inside the carrier’s document-retention policy if no one demands they be preserved. You need a lawyer who knows what to ask for, who to depose, and how to make a trucking insurer take the case seriously.

Yaghmai Law Firm is a Sherman Oaks-based personal injury firm representing California families across Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, and statewide. We handle truck cases on a contingency, we fund our own investigations, and we have built our practice around exactly the kind of complex, evidence-heavy injury cases trucking is known for. Our clients work with us by phone, video, text, and online — no office visit required — and we communicate in English, French, and Persian (Farsi), with Spanish available via interpreter.

“Truck crash cases are won in the first thirty days. The driver’s log, the dashcam, the dispatch records, the maintenance file — all of it can be gone by the time most people think to call a lawyer. We send preservation letters the day we are retained, and we run the investigation the same way the trucking company runs theirs: aggressively, with experts on the ground, and with one goal — making sure our client is not the one paying for the carrier’s negligence.”

— Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in California?

Two years from the date of the crash under CCP Section 335.1. If a government-owned truck was involved (Caltrans, a city, a county, a transit district), you must first file a government tort claim within six months under CA Government Code Section 911.2. Talk to a lawyer immediately — those windows are strict, and missing them can extinguish your claim.

Who can be sued after a truck crash?

Almost always more than one defendant. Typical targets include the driver, the trucking company (the “motor carrier”), the cargo loader or freight broker, the truck or trailer owner if separate, the maintenance contractor, the manufacturer of a defective part (brakes, tires, coupling, underride guard), and — if hazardous road conditions contributed — a government entity. We pursue every viable source of recovery.

The trucking company’s insurance adjuster has already called me. Should I give a statement?

No. Trucking insurers train adjusters to call within hours of the crash precisely because most claimants do not yet know the full extent of their injuries. Anything you say can be used to minimize your claim. Politely decline, refer them to your lawyer, and call us before signing anything or giving any recorded statement.

What if I was partly at fault?

California uses pure comparative negligence. You can still recover even if you were 50 percent — or 90 percent — at fault; your damages are reduced by your share of responsibility, not eliminated. Many “partial fault” cases turn into full recoveries once the driver log, ELD data, or maintenance records come in.

How much does a truck accident lawyer cost?

Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee — we only get paid if and when we recover compensation for you. The initial case review is free, and we advance the costs of investigation, experts, and litigation. If we do not win, you owe us nothing.

What evidence matters most in a truck case?

Electronic logging device (ELD) data showing the driver’s hours and speed, the truck’s dashcam and forward-facing video, dispatch and qualification files, the driver’s drug-test results, post-crash inspection reports, the trucking company’s maintenance records, and the police Traffic Collision Report. We send preservation letters immediately so this evidence is not erased on the carrier’s normal retention cycle.

What if my loved one was killed in a truck crash?

California’s wrongful death statute (CCP Sections 377.60-377.62) lets surviving spouses, registered domestic partners, children, and certain other dependents recover for the loss. Damages include the financial support the deceased would have provided, funeral and burial expenses, and the loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, and guidance. We handle truck-related wrongful death cases on a contingency.

Do I have to come into your office?

No. Yaghmai Law Firm is a remote-friendly practice. We sign you up by e-signature, take statements by phone or video, and exchange documents online. If you prefer to meet in person we will arrange it, but no part of your case requires an office visit.

Related Practice Areas

Truck crashes often involve issues that overlap with our other personal injury practice areas. If your situation fits one of these, we can help with that too:

• Car Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Pedestrian Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Brain Injuries
• Wrongful Death
• All Personal Injury Practice Areas

Ready to talk to a lawyer? Submit your case for a free review, call or text us at (888) 800-6731, and we will get back to you the same day.

Reviewed by Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney. Admitted to practice law in California (State Bar No. 298487). He represents personal injury and immigration clients statewide.

Last updated: May 30, 2026.