Truck Accident Lawyer in California
A crash with a commercial truck is not a bigger car accident — it is a different kind of case. In California, we take on the trucking company and its insurers, preserve the evidence before it disappears, and fight for what your injuries are truly worth.
Were you hurt in a truck crash?
Start with a quick, confidential case review — about two minutes, no cost, no obligation.
What to do after a truck accident in California
The steps you take after a truck crash matter even more than in an ordinary collision. If you can, get to safety and call 911 so there is an official report, and get medical care right away — truck-crash injuries are often severe and some surface days later. Photograph the truck, its trailer, any company names and DOT numbers, the scene, and your injuries, and get names and numbers for witnesses. Here is the part most people miss: the trucking company may send an investigator to the scene within hours, so the sooner the evidence is preserved on your side, the better. Be careful about giving a recorded statement to any insurer before you have spoken with an attorney.
Why truck accident claims are different
Commercial trucking is governed by federal safety rules on top of state law, and a serious truck case often involves far more than the driver. The trucking company, a separate owner of the trailer, a broker, the company that loaded the cargo, and a maintenance contractor can all share responsibility. These cases also turn on evidence you cannot get from the roadside — the truck's electronic logging device and engine data, the driver's hours-of-service records, inspection and maintenance files — much of which the company controls and is only required to keep for a limited time.
How we handle your California truck accident claim
You focus on healing; we handle the rest. We move quickly to preserve the truck's data and the company's records, identify every party that may be responsible, and bring in the experts these cases need. We deal with the insurers — often several of them — so you don't have to, and we build the strongest version of your claim before demanding a fair recovery. Every truck accident matter starts with a free, confidential review, and we will tell you honestly where you stand. Se habla español.
Why work with Woods Law Group
Trucking companies and their insurers have rapid-response teams whose job is to limit what they pay — sometimes before you have left the hospital. Having your own attorney levels the field. We take these cases on a contingency basis for clients we represent, which means no fee unless we recover for you. You get straight answers, real communication, and a firm that treats your recovery as the priority.
How much is my truck accident case worth? →
Common truck accident cases we handle in California
- 18-wheeler accidents
- Who is liable?
- Trucking Company Liability
- FMCSA safety regulations
- Truck Driver Fatigue
- Underride Accidents
- Jackknife Accidents
- Black box & ELD data
- Truck Insurance Coverage
- What your case is worth
Insurance and who pays
California deadlines and fault rules
A truck case is a federal case wearing state clothes. Interstate carriers operating in California answer to federal motor carrier safety rules — hours of service, driver qualification, inspection and maintenance records, drug and alcohol testing — and those rules do not change at the state line. California layers its own regulation on top for carriers operating purely within the state, so establishing whether a carrier is interstate or intrastate is an early and consequential question. California also generates a category of truck case the other two states do not: drayage traffic moving containers out of the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complex, where a tractor, a trailer, a chassis and the cargo can each belong to a different company. Sorting out who is responsible in that arrangement is most of the work, and it is why identifying every liable party matters more in trucking than in an ordinary collision.
- Filing deadlines (statute of limitations)
- Comparative fault in California
- Claims against a government agency
- Evidence that builds your claim
California injury law: deadlines, fault and caps
California injury law shapes your case in a few specific ways worth knowing early.
- Filing deadline: You generally have two years from the date of the injury to file — and only about six months to put a government entity on notice before you can sue.
- Fault: California follows pure comparative negligence, so you can still recover even if you were partly — or mostly — at fault, with your recovery reduced by your share of the blame.
- Damage caps: An ordinary California injury case has no cap on damages; medical-malpractice claims are the main exception.
- Uninsured drivers: California sets minimum auto-insurance limits and uninsured/underinsured-motorist rules that affect what coverage is available.
More answers
- Truck accident FAQs
- Truck claim comparisons
- Settlement & deadline calculators
- Free downloadable guides
- Checklists
- Calculators & estimators
- Side-by-side comparisons
- Questions & answers
- Articles & explainers
Articles
- What to Do After a Truck Accident in California
- Is There an "Average" Truck Accident Settlement in California?
Frequently asked questions
Who can be sued after a truck accident in California?
Often more than just the driver. Depending on the facts, the trucking company, the owner of the truck or trailer, a freight broker, the company that loaded the cargo, and a maintenance provider may all share responsibility. Identifying every liable party is one of the most important parts of a truck case — and one of the first things we investigate.
Why are truck accident claims worth more than car accidents?
They are not automatically — but truck crashes tend to cause more serious injuries, and commercial trucks usually carry much higher insurance limits than passenger cars, with sometimes several policies in play. What your claim is worth still depends on your specific injuries, treatment, and losses, which our attorney evaluates for free.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in California?
Deadlines vary by state and by who is involved, and they can be short — especially if a government vehicle or public entity was involved. Evidence in trucking cases can also disappear quickly, so beyond the legal deadline there is a practical reason not to wait. A free review right away is the safest step.
How much does a truck accident lawyer cost?
We handle truck accident claims on a contingency basis for cases we take, which means no fee unless we recover for you, and the initial review is always free. Cost should never stop you from finding out where you stand.
Ready to find out where you stand?
The case review takes about two minutes. It's free and confidential, with no obligation.
More truck accident types
How truck crashes happen
- Truck Rollover Accidents
- Tire Blowout Accidents
- Wide Turn Accidents
- Rear End Truck Accidents
- Lost Load Accidents
- Blind Spot Accidents
Types of trucks
Why truck crashes happen
- Distracted Truck Driving
- Truck driver DUI
- Speeding Stopping Distance
- Improper Loading
- Truck Maintenance Failures
- Negligent Hiring Training