Primary Location
Torrance Personal Injury Lawyers
2916 W 164th St Second Floor, Torrance, CA 90504
Phone: (424) 622-0812
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Hurt in a truck crash anywhere in California? The Simon Law Group takes on trucking companies statewide. We find every party at fault, move fast to preserve the black-box and driver-log evidence, and pursue the full cost of your injuries. Free case review. No fees or costs unless we win.
A member of our intake team will reach out shortly. To speak with someone now, call (424) 622-0812.
A truck case is not a car case with a bigger vehicle. It runs on federal trucking rules, several companies standing behind the driver, and evidence a carrier can lawfully erase within weeks. The Simon Law Group is a statewide trial firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for injured Californians, and we take serious truck cases anywhere in the state, not just near one office. Our attorneys recently secured a $7 million settlement for a woman who was seriously hurt when a semi-trailer rear-ended her.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Blame usually lands on the driver, or on the company standing behind the driver, and not on the person in the smaller vehicle. Remember what these vehicles weigh. A loaded big rig can hit 80,000 pounds, so a lane-change mistake that would dent a bumper between two cars can kill someone when a truck is the one that drifts.
We see the same causes again and again: a tired driver, a distracted or drunk one, an unsafe merge into a blind spot, a wide right turn, too much speed coming down a grade. Dig a layer deeper and the company shows up. Freight loaded wrong and shifting in transit. Brakes and tires nobody kept up. A schedule that only works if the driver skips rest.
California adds its own pressure. The I-710 corridor out of the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports runs thick with drayage trucks. The Grapevine on the I-5 and the Cajon Pass on the I-15 send heavy rigs down long grades where brakes fail. State Route 99 carries Central Valley freight day and night. Knowing the real cause helps prove what happened, and who should pay for it.
In most California truck accidents, more than one party is liable. Along with the driver, the trucking company can be responsible for the driver’s conduct and for negligent hiring or training. Brokers, cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, and parts manufacturers may also share fault. More responsible parties usually means more insurance coverage is available.
Here is who can end up on the hook:
Insurers for a trucking company move fast to control the story. Finding every liable party early is often the difference between a policy that barely covers one surgery and a recovery that covers the whole harm.
Trucking runs on federal safety rules, and breaking them is powerful evidence. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration limits how long a driver can be behind the wheel: generally up to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour on-duty window, after 10 hours off, under 49 CFR Part 395 [1]. Most interstate truckers must track those hours with an Electronic Logging Device, so the record either backs up the driver or exposes a violation.
Carriers also have to keep a driver qualification file, run drivers who hold a valid commercial license, and follow maintenance and inspection rules. In California, intrastate carriers operate under a state Motor Carrier Permit, and the California Highway Patrol enforces commercial-vehicle safety on top of the federal rules.
These rules matter because a violation is not just a ticket. Hours-of-service logs, inspection records, and the truck’s own data can show a tired driver or a company that ignored safety, which strengthens an injured person’s case.
There is no honest “average” truck settlement, because no two crashes are the same. Value comes from how badly you were hurt, who was at fault, and how much coverage exists. Truck cases often carry real coverage, which is a big reason they can be worth more than an ordinary car crash.
A full claim usually covers several kinds of loss:
Here is the coverage difference. A California driver only has to carry $30,000 in bodily injury coverage per person and $60,000 per accident [4]. An interstate freight truck must carry a federal minimum of $750,000, and a truck hauling hazardous materials must carry up to $5 million, under 49 CFR 387.9 [2]. That floor was set in 1980 and has never been raised for inflation, so even it can fall short in a catastrophic crash. When it does, we look at additional policies, the company’s excess coverage, and your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. In one case our attorneys recovered $970,000 for a client who needed multiple surgeries, including a lumbar bone graft, after a big rig rear-ended her car.
The steps you take early can decide your case later. Here is what we tell people to do at the scene and after.
Truck evidence is the part people miss. The truck’s engine control module, or “black box,” the electronic hours-of-service logs, any dashcam footage, the driver qualification file, and maintenance records can all be overwritten or discarded under a company’s normal retention schedule. A lawyer can send a preservation letter that puts the company on legal notice to keep it, but that has to happen fast.
Time limits are the other clock. In California you generally have two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit, under CCP 335.1 [3]. If a government vehicle, a public agency, or a road defect played a role, you may have just six months to file a claim notice, under Government Code 911.2 [3]. Those deadlines are shorter than people expect, so talk to a lawyer early. You can start with a free case review.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
We treat clients like family, we answer the phone day or night, and you work with real attorneys, not just staff. Our firm was built after a drunk driver hurt a member of our own family, and a good lawyer helped that person rebuild. That is still why we do this.
The firm was founded by brothers Robert and Brad Simon. Robert, our founding trial partner, is admitted in California and Arizona. He is a multiple-time Trial Lawyer of the Year voted by his peers, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and Pepperdine School of Law’s Alumnus of the Year. Brad Simon, our co-founder, has been named to Super Lawyers every year from 2014 to 2023 and is admitted before the United States Supreme Court. When a case has to be tried, that trial reputation moves the settlement number.
Results our attorneys have achieved in truck and commercial-vehicle cases include:
We help injured people across the state, with offices in Torrance, Santa Ana, and Seal Beach. You can reach a local team through our Torrance truck accident lawyer, Santa Ana truck accident lawyer, and Seal Beach truck accident lawyer pages. If the crash happened anywhere in the Los Angeles area, our Los Angeles truck accident lawyer team covers the whole metro. Wherever the crash happened, your case gets the full firm.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Sources:
[1] Summary of Hours of Service Regulations, 49 CFR Part 395 (FMCSA)
[2] 49 CFR 387.9, Financial Responsibility Minimum Levels (eCFR)
[3] California Code of Civil Procedure 335.1 and Government Code 911.2
[4] California minimum auto insurance coverage (SB 1107), California DMV
Nothing up front. The Simon Law Group works on contingency, so you pay no fees or costs unless we win your case. The first consultation is free, and the fee comes out of the recovery, not your pocket.
Often more than one party. Along with the driver, the trucking company can be liable for the driver’s conduct and for negligent hiring or training. Brokers, cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, and parts manufacturers may also share fault, which usually means more coverage to pursue.
Generally two years from the date of the crash, under CCP 335.1. If a government entity is involved, such as a public transit vehicle or a road defect, you may have only six months to file a claim notice, under Government Code 911.2. Talk to a lawyer early so a deadline does not pass.
Two reasons. Commercial trucks carry far larger insurance policies, a federal minimum of $750,000 for general freight and up to $5 million for hazardous materials, and more than one company can be liable. Truck crashes also tend to cause more severe injuries. There is still no set “average,” because value depends on the harm and the coverage.
The truck’s black box, the electronic hours-of-service logs, dashcam footage, the driver qualification file, and maintenance records are often decisive. Yes, they can be overwritten or discarded on a company’s normal schedule, so a lawyer needs to send a preservation letter quickly to keep them.
Hours-of-service and electronic logs can prove a driver was over the limit, and that helps your case. A company that pressured the driver to keep going, or that ignored maintenance, can share the liability.
Call (424) 622-0812 or fill out our form. No fee unless we win.
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