Stockton Truck Accident Lawyers

Why Choose Silva Injury Law

You have many truck accident attorneys to choose from, so you might wonder what sets Silva Injury Law apart from other personal injury firms in Stockon:

• We focus on solving your legal problem rather than stirring up unnecessary legal fights that jeopardize your potential compensation;
• We always treat our clients like family;
• Our Stockton truck accident lawyers will never accept a case they cannot present to a jury;
• We offer free consultations to help you decide whether your case has legal merit; and
• You won’t pay any hourly legal fees or upfront costs as we work on a contingency basis—we don’t get paid unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.

Our consultations are no obligation, so you have nothing to lose by discussing your truck accident claim with our legal team.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents occur for a wide variety of reasons. Truck drivers are typically behind the wheel for lengthier stretches than other drivers, increasing the risk of mistakes. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents in California include:

• Distracted driving, such as texting, looking at the GPS, eating, checking a log book, etc.;
• Driver fatigue, especially when drivers go over the legally allowed number of hours;
• Driving while impaired, which could be from alcohol, illegal drugs, or even prescription medication;
• Tractor-trailers that are improperly loaded or overloaded;
• Truck drivers not checking their blind spots for passenger vehicles and changing lanes or drifting over the line;
• Not obeying traffic laws, such as speeding or running a red light; and
• Inexperienced drivers operating big rig trucks.

Other factors can also contribute to truck accidents, such as adverse weather or road conditions. It’s not uncommon for truck accidents to involve multiple factors. For example, a truck driver speeding in the rain can’t stop in time when traffic starts slowing down.

Trucking companies must keep their vehicles adequately maintained and conduct regular safety checks. Potentially defective parts, such as tires or brakes, can also contribute to a big rig accident.

Types of Truck Accidents

Big rig trucks can cause considerable property damage, given their size and weight. A few of the most common types of truck accidents include the following.

Truck Rollovers

The tractor-trailer may become unstable and flip over if a truck driver loses control. Tractor-trailers have a higher center of gravity when compared to passenger cars. Drivers need to exercise greater caution when making sudden movements or taking a tight turn.

Overloaded cargo trailers can contribute to rollover accidents. A driver might be obeying traffic laws and driving safely, but a trailer with improperly loaded cargo could cause problems during a turn.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife collision refers to a situation where the trailer swings around, almost in a folding knife position. Jackknife accidents often involve multiple other vehicles as the skidding trailer is unpredictable. It could strike nearby cars and ones traveling in the other direction.

A fishtail trailer can occur when the driver brakes too quickly or is on wet roads. When a truck driver stops suddenly, the trailer won’t slow down as fast, resulting in the fishtail motion that leads to a jackknife situation.

Rear-End and Underride Collisions

The massive difference in size and weight can be deadly in a rear-end accident. Large trucks can crush passenger vehicles on impact. That is why truck drivers must leave ample distance between vehicles and never drive faster than is safe for current conditions.

When a car rear-ends a truck that has suddenly stopped, it can result in an underride collision. An underride accident refers to a vehicle stuck under a tractor-trailer. Some trucks have guards that can reduce the risk of underride accidents.

Head-on Collisions

Fatigued drivers can drift into oncoming traffic, especially on smaller one-lane roads. Impairment or a tire blowout can cause a truck driver to lose control and hit another vehicle head-on.

Truck Accident Common Injuries

Injuries in a truck accident will vary depending on the circumstances of the accident. Some of the most common injuries include:

• Spinal cord injuries,
• Traumatic brain injuries,
• Neck injuries,
• Back injuries,
• Broken bones,
• Burn injuries,
• Torso injuries,
• Lacerations,
• Internal organ injuries,
• Internal bleeding,
• Lower extremity injuries, and
• Wrongful death.

Truck accident injuries are not limited to physical injuries either. Many accident victims suffer severe emotional trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Who Is Liable for Your Damages?

Determining who should pay for your injuries and other damages is one of the most challenging aspects of a truck accident claim. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, you could have a claim against:

• The truck driver,
• The trucking company,
• A parts manufacturer,
• A mechanic,
• Another driver, and
• A county or city agency.

California law allows all parties to collect compensation for a portion of their damages, even if they are primarily responsible for the collision. This legal theory is called pure comparative negligence. Your percentage of liability will reduce your overall compensation. For example, imagine a jury decides you are 15% at fault for the accident. The most compensation you could recover is 85% of your total damages. Comparative negligence also means that the driver could pursue a claim against your insurance for any injuries they sustained.

Contact Our Stockton Truck Accident Attorneys

You should concentrate on recovering from your injuries following a truck accident, not worrying about dealing with claims adjusters who don’t care about your health and recovery. When you hire our truck accident attorneys, we will handle all the complicated legal issues while you focus on your health.

Because there are unique state and federal laws that apply to big rigs, you want a lawyer with experience successfully resolving catastrophic truck accident injuries in the Central Valley. Contact Silva Injury Law today if you need assistance following a big rig accident in Stockton.

Our experienced legal team also handles other types of personal injury cases, including:

• Auto accidents,
• Dog bites,
• Slip and falls,
• Wrongful death,
• Sexual assault,
• Livestock accidents,
• Motorcycle accidents,
• Product liability,
• Pedestrian accidents,
• Bicycle accidents,
• Drunk driving accidents, and
• Distracted driving accidents.