investigations notebook and other desk itemsWhile the commercial transportation industry is highly regulated, professional drivers still make mistakes. If you were hurt in a semi-truck accident, you might be able to file a claim for damages—compensation that can help you recover from your injuries and hold a reckless driver or negligent company liable for wrongdoing. However, you can only collect compensation if you prove that the trucker’s or trucking company’s negligence caused the crash.

Establishing Liability After a California Semi-truck Accident

If you were rear-ended by a fatigued semi-truck driver or run off the road by a speeding tractor-trailer, you might think you have an open-and-shut case—especially if an insurance adjuster offers a generous settlement to compensate for your injuries.

However, trucking companies and their insurers will rarely offer the best settlement voluntarily: their goal, after all, is to protect and maximize their profits, even if it means denying you the recovery you deserve. You must provide evidence of their liability, and gathering what you need on your own is very difficult.

Why Investigations Are Important in Truck Accident Cases

To get the most out of your claim, you will need to conduct a thorough investigation to demonstrate fault, whether on the part of the truck driver, their employer, a parts manufacturer, or some combination thereof. A California truck accident attorney can help you conduct an investigation and establish wrongdoing through legal discovery methods.

When a lawyer investigates a crash, the driver, trucking company, and insurer will be compelled to share certain information and documents relevant to your case. This information can help determine who to hold accountable for your injuries. Sometimes, a trucking company’s internal policies, such as poor safety practices, tight schedules, or negligent hiring practices, contribute to a crash. If this is the case, you may be able to hold the trucking company accountable for your losses as well as the driver.

Important Evidence in Truck Crash Claims and Lawsuits

When you open a claim or file a personal injury lawsuit against a truck driver or their employer, you need to show the insurance company or courts that their negligence was responsible for your injuries. This is easier said than done: most trucking companies, large or small, have plenty of experience fighting claims. And even if they do not, their insurance carrier certainly does.

To get the compensation you deserve, you will need to find out which exact factors caused or contributed to your accident. Since company policy—or lack thereof—can exacerbate unsafe driving behaviors, determining what went into a truck crash is usually more complex than it may seem.

Your Costa Mesa truck accident attorney will help you figure out what caused your accident by:

  • Analyzing photographs of the accident, as well as surveying the physical damage to all involved vehicles
  • Auditing surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and other sources
  • Interviewing eyewitnesses and consulting experts as necessary
  • Pulling the truck operator’s driving record, as well as their employee’s violations history, safety and maintenance logs, and hours-of-service reports

Your lawyer will analyze all the available evidence based on the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Once we have finished collecting, compiling, and reviewing the evidence, we can help you calculate the value of your losses and file a claim for compensation, whether through the trucking company’s insurance carrier or a court of law.

Contact Us Today

If you were hurt in a California truck accident, you might be eligible to file a claim for compensation. However, you will have to show the insurance company—and maybe the court—how a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence led to your injuries. This can be difficult to do, especially when adjusters and corporate officials are saying you deserve less money than you need. You do not need to bear the burden of recovery alone. Contact us to schedule your initial consultation today.