Wide-Turn Truck Accidents in California
To make a tight turn, a big truck sometimes swings the opposite way first — drifting left to turn right. Drivers caught in that gap can be crushed against a curb or another vehicle. These crashes look confusing, but the duty to turn safely rests with the trucker.
How a wide (squeeze-play) turn happens
A long truck cannot make a sharp turn from the proper lane, so the driver may swing wide — often drifting left before turning right. A car alongside or behind can be caught in the space that opens up, then squeezed as the trailer sweeps through the turn. It is sometimes called a squeeze-play crash.
Whose responsibility is it?
A professional driver is responsible for making a turn safely — signaling clearly, checking mirrors and blind spots, and not attempting a maneuver that traps other vehicles. When a wide turn crushes a car that was traveling lawfully, the driver's failure to turn safely is usually central.
Sorting out a disputed turn
Trucking insurers often argue the other driver squeezed into a gap they should have avoided. Video, the truck's signal and position data, witness accounts, and the road layout are what resolve those disputes — and they are strongest when gathered early.
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Frequently asked questions
The truck turned right from the left lane and hit me — whose fault is that?
Often the truck's. Drivers are responsible for turning safely, including signaling and checking that the maneuver will not trap nearby vehicles. The specifics of position, signaling, and video help establish it.
Can I be blamed for a wide-turn crash?
Insurers may argue you moved into an unsafe gap, so shared fault can be disputed. In a pure comparative-fault state, being partly at fault reduces but does not necessarily bar recovery — and strong evidence keeps your share low.
California law — what people ask
How long do I have to file an injury claim in California?
Generally two years from the date you were hurt. If a government entity is involved — a city vehicle, a public road, a public hospital — you usually have to present a formal claim to that agency within roughly six months before you can sue at all, which catches people out far more often than the two-year date.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault in California?
Yes. California uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than barred — even if your share turns out to be the larger one. There is no cutoff percentage that ends a claim here.
Does California cap what I can recover?
Not in an ordinary injury case. Medical-malpractice claims are the main exception, where non-economic damages are limited by a cap that steps up over time. For most claims — car crashes, falls, defective products — there is no statutory ceiling.
What if more than one person was responsible?
California splits the analysis: defendants can be jointly responsible for your economic losses such as medical bills and lost income, while non-economic damages like pain and suffering are apportioned to each defendant by its own share of fault.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is usually the answer, and it commonly applies to hit-and-run collisions as well. Check every policy in the household, not only the one covering the car you were in.
Will the jury hear that my health insurance paid my bills?
Generally not. California follows the collateral source rule, so a wrongdoer does not get credit for insurance you paid for. How your medical damages are measured is a separate and often contested question.
Injury law in California
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.
Related truck accident topics
California injury law
This is general information about California injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different.
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