Truck Accident Attorney In Baldwin Park, CA
Due to the sheer size and weight of semi-trucks, accidents are devastating to victims in other vehicles. In Baldwin Park, residents often travel alongside long-distance haulers on Interstate 10. This highway stretches across the United States, making it common for truckers to make mistakes during their long drive. After a crash, working with a Baldwin Park truck accident lawyer can help ensure your rights are protected.
Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer
At Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor, our attorneys are passionate about protecting our local community. California residents have the right to pursue justice for their pain. Our Baldwin Park personal injury lawyers help clients take back control of their lives when their world has been destabilized after a crash.
It’s normal to feel angry at the other driver after an accident happens. While compensation can’t take away what happened to you and your loved ones, it can help make your present and future more bearable to face. You deserve to recover the losses you’ve suffered from the truck accident in Baldwin Park. Let Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor be the ones to help.
The Devastation of Semi-Trucks
During a truck accident, the ones injured or killed are typically passengers in other vehicles. The weight of a fully loaded semi-truck can reach up to 80,000 pounds. Compared to the average weight of 4,200 pounds for a car, the difference is astonishing. When a vehicle of that size hits your car, the effects are instant.
Truck accidents often result in death for victims in other vehicles. And for those that survive, recovery can take months to years. Just because someone survives a crash doesn’t mean they can ever fully recover from it. One in four adults in California is living with a disability, as of 2023.
Truck accidents often leave survivors with disabilities, ongoing chronic pain, and potentially lifelong emotional trauma. With driving being the primary mode of transit in the United States, not being able to get behind the wheel after an accident can be debilitating.
It can feel unfair when a person acts with simple carelessness that leads to lifelong pain. Luckily, California courts allow survivors to seek compensation for these damages.
California’s Comparative Negligence System
The reality is that truck accidents frequently happen because of the truck driver. Long-distance trucking companies frequently have strict deadlines and high quotas to meet, making it common for truckers to avoid the mandatory sleep they need. Truckers will even sometimes falsify their sleep logs.
When their job is at stake, a person will do whatever it takes to keep it. Until trucking companies provide better care for their drivers, these tactics will continue to lead to crashes.
In 2022, there were 101,114 trucks involved in a crash in California. Of these crashes, there were 2,377 people who passed away. Being sleep-deprived is just as dangerous as driving drunk. For example, being awake for 24 hours is the same as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10%. The legal limit is 0.08%.
When making a judgment about compensation for the filing party, California courts use a comparative negligence system to assign everyone involved a percentage of fault. Luckily, no matter how high your percentage of fault is, you can still pursue compensation.
To calculate this settlement amount, your lawyer will file a request with the court based on the damages you’ve suffered because of the truck accident. It is important to share all the details of your case with your lawyer to have a clear picture of what your recoverable damages may look like.
Types of Damages Recoverable in a Truck Accident Case
When seeking economic recovery for damages, you may think there is an arbitrary amount awarded. However, there are two main types of damages that can be recovered:
- Economic damages. These damages are for objective losses, such as medical bills, property damage to your vehicle, and lost work wages due to recovering from the accident.
- Non-economic damages. These damages are more subjective and can be filed for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
A third type, called punitive damages, may be awarded in specific cases of extreme malice or recklessness. For example, if a driver falsified their sleep records on purpose, punitive damages may be awarded to the victim to further punish the guilty driver and deter any future behavior.
It’s important to hire a truck accident lawyer during this time. With years of experience backing us, the attorneys at Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor know how to calculate your damages to ensure maximized compensation.
An Important Filing Deadline to Remember
California gives victims a two-year deadline to file their legal claim. While this may seem like a long time, the longer you wait, the more your financial losses will add up. Courts use evidence to make their decisions, and waiting too long will make it harder to collect proof of fault.
Evidence can vary depending on the case. Having as much evidence as possible can work in your favor. It typically includes:
- Photos and videos of the crash site, including any property damage or skid marks
- Photos and videos of any visible injuries incurred from the incident
- Photos and videos of damage to your vehicle and other personal belongings, such as cell phones or bags
- Surveillance, dashcam, and traffic camera footage of the crash
- Black box information from the semi-truck
- Eyewitness testimony
- Copies of the incident report
- Copies of your medical records, both from the initial crash and any ongoing treatment
Witness memories fade over time, and crash sites get cleaned quickly. Filing early can help ensure a favorable outcome for your case.
Contact Our Baldwin Park Truck Accident Lawyer
At Thon Beck Vanni Callahan & O’Connor, we understand the emotional and physical pain that comes after a Baldwin Park truck accident. Contact our offices today to schedule your free consultation. After a review of the details of your case, our team will build a unique strategy that is tailored to your needs. We know how devastating this time can be. Let us put our knowledge and experience to work for you so you can continue moving forward.
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