San Diego Trucking Accident Lawyer
Trucking accidents are complex cases, often with extensive legal issues. Unlike a motor vehicle accident involving two passenger vehicles, trucking accidents usually involve employed or contracted drivers, a trucking company, and freight. Truck drivers may be independent contractors or employees, vehicles may be owned or leased, and cargo may be loaded by third parties. In California, many trucks come up from Mexico, frequently presenting international issues that can further convolute a case. If you’ve been injured or a family member has died in a truck accident, it is important to work with a qualified attorney who can help you hold the at-fault parties responsible for all damages.
Jim Brown has represented victims of tractor trailer accidents for more than 30 years. He is familiar with the host of concerns that can be matters of contention in a big rig crash, including but not limited to:
- Driver training
- Failure to comply with Federal trucking regulations
- Speeding / unsafe driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol / drugs
- Vehicle maintenance and logbook keeping
- Truck driver fatigue / driver duty hours and regulation laws
- Mechanical defects
- Brake and tire maintenance
- Improper cargo loading
- Unrealistic schedules / deadlines.
Truck Accident Statistics
People traveling in cars are vulnerable to serious injury or death in a collision with a large truck, because commercial tractor trailers can weigh 20-30 times as much as small passenger vehicles. This size difference puts occupants of smaller vehicles at risk. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that of people killed in crashes involving large trucks in 2015, only 16% were occupants of large trucks. Sixty-nine percent were passenger vehicle occupants, and the remaining 15% were motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians. Injuries resulting from these tractor-trailer accidents range from serious to catastrophic, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, multiple broken bones, and burn injuries. The medical expenses, lost wages, and other accident related expenses can be financially debilitating.
Importance of Investigating Your Case
Commercial trucking companies and their insurance agencies have extensive experience in accident cases, and are prepared for them. For example, many trucking companies have policies that require a driver to call them and report the incident before even getting out of their vehicle. They have their own team of accident investigators, ready to dispatch to preserve evidence favorable to their case. Following a serious injury accident involving a semi-truck or commercial vehicle, it is to your benefit to contact an experienced lawyer who understands everything at stake, and the avenues of investigation, documentation, and evidence preservation necessary to resolve a case, fully and fairly. Jim Brown has helped numerous trucking accident victims, and will listen, care and help. He will fight for your rights to obtain the full and fair compensation that you deserve, and protect you from further harm.
Hiring a lawyer not familiar with the trucking industry, and trucking litigation defense counsel case strategies, could mean the difference between minimal and maximum compensation. Jim works with some of the top experts in the nation on trucking accident cases. From the start, Jim and his legal team will prepare your case for trial. If a fair settlement cannot be reached in a reasonable amount of time, he will take your case to a judge or jury.
Contact Jim Brown and His Legal Team Today
For a no obligation consultation of your trucking accident case, contact Jim Brown and his compassionate legal team today for a free case review. There are never any legal fees unless financial compensation is recovered for you. Because California (and every state) places a time limit on filing a personal injury or wrongful death case, it is important to speak to an attorney as soon as possible following an accident.