Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorney

If you suffered serious injuries in a truck accident in Los Angeles, contact the truck accident attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP to discuss your case. Our law firm has a history of securing record-setting verdicts for accident victims throughout Southern California.

At Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact of injuries and fatalities caused by negligence or misconduct. That’s why we dedicate our expertise to representing victims and their families in complex lawsuits, seeking justice and the compensation they deserve.

Our Los Angeles accident attorneys are consistently recognized for their excellence by peers, legal organizations, and prestigious publications nationwide. We hold the highest ranking (“Tier 1”) in various categories according to U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, including Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs Product Liability Litigation, and Plaintiffs Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions. Additionally, the National Law Journal identifies us as a leading Plaintiff’s law firm in the country.

Meet Your Los Angeles Injury Lawyers

Brian Panish

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

One of the country’s leading trial attorneys, Brian Panish, has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in United States history on behalf of plaintiffs. His courtroom victories include a $4.9 billion record verdict in the landmark products liability case Anderson v. General Motors, six verdicts in excess of $50 million, 32 verdicts, and over 75 settlements in excess of $10 million in personal injury, wrongful death, and business litigation cases.

Adam K. Shea

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP founding partner Adam Shea is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with extensive experience and success representing individuals and families in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and across Southern California.

Rahul Ravipudi

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Rahul Ravipudi is a partner at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and has spent his legal career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians, industrial or construction accidents, as well as dangerous conditions of public and private property. Licensed to practice in Nevada and California, Mr. Ravipudi serves as leadership counsel in some of the largest personal injury cases in the country.

Successful Settlements for Accident Victims

Our team at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP has a strong record of success in litigation over car and truck accidents.

• $36.5 million verdict for a woman injured when the car in which she was a passenger was hit by a big rig.
• $34.5 million jury verdict for a man who suffered a below-the-knee amputation after being hit by a tractor-trailer while he was on a sidewalk
• $27 million verdict for a child killed by a municipal truck that ran onto a sidewalk.
• $20 million verdict for a woman who was seriously injured by a hit-and-run JB Hunt truck driver.

Together, our truck accident lawyers have won more than 150 verdicts or settlements of $1 million or more, including several that number in the tens of millions or higher.

Other Case Examples Include:

Sheth v. Schneider National $36,482,302.56

Casillas v. Landstar Ranger, Inc. $34,555,220

Dominguez v. City and County of San Francisco $27,394,567

Nelsen v. Hillyard, Inc., et al. $21,067,093

Rivas v. JB Hunt $20,011,798.17

Tilton v. Southern California Gas Co. (Sempra Energy) $15,000,000

Korol v. General Parts $10,000,000

Doe v. Express Delivery Com. $9,600,000

Rennie v. FedEx $7,500,000

Los Angeles Truck Accident Resources & FAQs

• What is the Time Limit To File a Truck Accident Claim in California?
• Compensation Los Angeles Truck Accident Victims Can Recover
• What Is My Truck Accident Claim Worth?
• Our Successful Settlements for Truck Accident Victims
• What Are The Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
• Types of Truck Accidents
• Who is Held Liable for Truck Accidents?
• Truck Accidents Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I Need a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer?

If you or a loved one is involved in an accident with a semi-truck, it’s crucial to talk to a trucking accident attorney immediately. These accidents can result in severe injuries, and they’re not like everyday personal injury cases.

Trucking accidents involve multiple parties, including large corporations with their own legal teams and separate entities that employ truck drivers or handle cargo loading. Determining who is responsible for the accident requires expertise.

What is the Time Limit To File a Truck Accident Claim in California?

If you are filing a claim for property damage only after a truck accident in California, you have three years from the date of your collision to bring a claim against the at-fault party. This time limit is called a statute of limitations; failure to file a claim within this time limit means your right to recover compensation for your injuries will be lost.

There could be other exceptions to the rule that also change your time limit to file, which is why it is important to contact an attorney right away. If you don’t file a lawsuit within your time limit, you may give up your right to seek financial compensation for a truck accident in Los Angeles forever.

Compensation Los Angeles Truck Accident Victims Can Recover

In trucking accident cases, there is no cap on the damages a plaintiff can seek. This means that you and your attorney can fully examine economic damages and non-economic damages to determine the appropriate compensation and vigorously pursue that amount. While the specific compensation amounts vary depending on the facts of each case, California law entitles accident victims to recover the full costs of their injuries when those injuries resulted from another person’s negligence.

• Economic damages include any amounts of money that a victim has lost or spent because of an accident. These are damages that can easily be assigned a dollar amount, such as medical bills and lost wages.
• On the other hand, non-economic damages represent intangible losses, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
  Both types of damages are available to trucking accident victims in California.

All in all, a truck accident attorney can assist you in identifying the types of damages you may be eligible to claim. Working collaboratively, you and your attorney will gather the necessary documentation to substantiate your claims and then vigorously pursue them against the defendants involved in your case.

What Is My Truck Accident Claim Worth?

An attorney can help you accurately evaluate your truck accident case. Although there is no average truck accident settlement, an attorney can provide a personalized evaluation based on factors unique to your case. These factors include the seriousness of your injuries and property damage, the extent of other losses that you suffered in the accident, the number of defendants, and the amount of insurance coverage available.

While we do not guarantee results for any claim or client, we do promise to do everything that we can to optimize your odds of a successful settlement or judgment award. Our attorneys have achieved life-changing results in commercial truck accident cases in the past through the use of smart legal strategies and aggressive negotiation tactics. Below are examples of the results that we have achieved for previous clients.

What Are The Common Causes of  Los Angeles Truck Accidents?

Most truck accidents come down to human error or negligence. The common causes of truck crashes include:

• Drowsy driving: Driver fatigue is an especially common problem in the trucking industry due to issues such as sleep apnea, tight schedules, long hours on the road, and broken hours-of-service regulations.
• Alcohol and drug use: The maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) level for commercial drivers in California is 0.04 percent, half of the amount for a noncommercial driver. Speak to a Los Angeles drunk driving accident attorney for more information.
• Distracted drivers: Distracted driving is as much an issue in commercial trucking as it is for standard vehicle drivers. If a truck driver tries to pass the time by texting, checking emails, watching videos, reading a book, or engaging in other activities, he or she could cause an accident.
• Lack of driver experience: Operating a big rig requires special training and experience. Hiring an inexperienced or incompetent truck driver increases the risk of a crash.
• Speeding: Speeding can refer to driving over the speed limit as well as driving too fast for conditions, such as in dangerous weather. Speeding is common in trucking due to the pressures of the job and tight deadlines.
• Improperly loaded cargo: If a trucking company, cargo company, or cargo loader fails to abide by the rules of cargo securement, it can lead to an imbalanced truck and a rollover accident, or a lost cargo load in transit.
• Defective parts or poor truck maintenance: A trucking company or maintenance crew could be responsible for a crash caused by poor fleet maintenance, such as bad brakes, tire blowouts, or part malfunctions.

If you or a loved one suffered injuries and other damages in a trucking accident caused by negligence, schedule a free consultation with our truck accident lawyer in Los Angeles.

What Are Regular Types of Truck Accidents?

Rollover Accidents

Semi-trucks, often laden with heavy cargo, are prone to rollover accidents when sudden shifts in the cargo’s weight distribution occur. Factors such as abrupt braking, sharp turns, or impacts during accidents can trigger these rollovers.

Jackknife Accidents

Jackknifing, unique to semi-trucks, happens when the truck’s cab and trailer pivot to an angle where they collide. Although the trailer is connected to the truck via a ball bearing system, the lack of additional connections increases the risk of jackknifing.

Lane-Change Accidents

Lane-changing accidents occur when a truck enters a lane without ensuring it’s clear, often due to significant blind spots inherent in its size. These blind spots, also known as “No Zones,” make it challenging for truck drivers to detect vehicles on their side.

Underride and Override Accidents

Underride and override accidents happen when a passenger car becomes trapped beneath a truck’s trailer or when the truck overrides a smaller vehicle. These incidents typically occur during collisions from the rear or front, respectively, owing to the substantial size disparity between trucks and passenger cars, especially smaller ones.

Lost Load Accidents

A lost load accident occurs when a truck’s cargo is improperly loaded, leading to spillage or detachment. Cargo falling from trucks can directly impact vehicles or create hazardous road conditions.

If the cause of your truck accident isn’t clear, our attorneys can conduct a thorough investigation to determine causation. Our goal is to provide you with comprehensive legal support and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Who is Responsible for Truck Accidents?

Determining fault in any personal injury lawsuit can be challenging, but it becomes even more crucial in cases involving semi-trucks. That’s why it’s essential to seek guidance from an experienced truck accident attorney when considering legal action.

Unlike typical car crash lawsuits, truck accident cases are much more complex. In addition to the victim and their insurance company, they can involve:

• The truck driver as an individual
• The truck driver’s insurance company
• The trucking company
• A cargo loading company
• A staffing agency that hired the truck driver
• The company that owns the trailer and the cargo
• The company that owns the truck
• A truck maintenance company

Trucking operations are intricate and expansive, involving numerous entities. When pursuing legal action after a trucking accident, you’re essentially taking on a business entity rather than an individual. This presents both advantages and challenges for victims. On one hand, businesses typically have resources and insurance coverage to address liability claims. On the other hand, litigating against a corporation means facing a formidable team of lawyers.

Therefore, it’s imperative to engage a legal team with extensive experience in handling cases against companies and corporations. At Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, we’ve been advocating for California truck accident victims for over 35 years.

Truck Accidents Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common truck accident injuries?

The most common truck accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, internal organ injuries, burns, lacerations, and whiplash.

What makes truck accidents so dangerous?

Large commercial trucks like tractor-trailers, big rigs, or eighteen-wheelers weigh up to 20 times as much as a passenger car, virtually guaranteeing that they’ll crush smaller vehicles in an accident.

What to do after a truck accident?

If you’re in a truck accident, stay safe, call 911, gather evidence if possible, and contact an experienced attorney.

Need Help After an Accident? Contact Our Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers

Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP offers free, no-obligation initial consultations for accident victims. Contact us to discuss your case and how we can help you hold a negligent party accountable. Our lawyers will address your concerns and make sure that you have everything you need during this difficult time.

We have the expertise, skills, and resources to take on and win these complicated, lengthy cases. Visit our California truck accident website for more information on truck accidents across the state.

Some of The Areas We Serve Around Los Angeles, CA

Downtown Los Angeles | Hollywood | West Hollywood | Beverly Hills | Santa Monica | Venice | Malibu | Pasadena | Long Beach | Glendale | Burbank | Culver City | Bel Air | Pacific Palisades | West Los Angeles | Highland Park | Manhattan Beach | Westwood | Silver Lake | Echo Park | Koreatown | San Pedro | West Los Angeles | Boyle Heights | Eagle Rock | Sherman Oaks | North Hollywood | Encino | Studio City