Truck Accidents in Modesto
Truck accidents are a common occurrence in Modesto, California, due to the city’s location at the intersection of three major highways: State Routes 132, 108, and 99. These highways are frequently used by commercial trucks to transport goods to and from Stanislaus County, increasing the risk of accidents. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the number of truck accidents in California has been increasing over the years, resulting in severe injuries and fatalities. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident in Modesto, it is essential to seek the help of a qualified truck accident attorney to ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and losses.Compensation Available After An Accident Involving A Truck Driver
If you’ve been injured in a commercial truck accident, you may qualify for financial compensation. Our personal injury law firm can help those injured in large truck accidents recover compensation for: Medical Bills
When someone is injured after their passenger vehicle is involved in a truck crash, their commercial truck accident claims typically involve seeking compensation for medical expenses. These medical bills may be bills which have already been incurred. They also may include future medical bills stemming from medical treatment that’s needed in the future. Our experienced truck accident attorneys can help you recover compensation for all past and future medical expenses related to your large truck accident, including medical bills stemming from severe injuries and catastrophic injuries.
Lost Wages
You may have been unable to work for a period of time because you suffered serious injuries in your truck accident. You might have also needed to take time off from work to get the injuries you suffered in your truck accident treated. We can help you recover compensation for any wages you were unable to earn as a result of your truck accident.Loss Of Earning Capacity
We sometimes see clients who are injured so badly in their truck accidents that they can never work again, or can never again work in the same field. If you’ve suffered a loss or reduction of your earning capacity due to your truck accident, our Modesto truck accident lawyers can help you recover compensation for this.Property Damage
Your vehicle might have been damaged or totaled in your truck accident. We can help you recover financial compensation for the cost to repair or replace your vehicle after your truck accident. If you had any other property in your vehicle at the time of your truck accident which was damaged or destroyed, we can help you recover compensation for that, too.Pain And Suffering
Tremendous forces are generated in truck accidents because semi trucks are so heavy. These tremendous forces can cause catastrophic injuries which can lead to a ton of physical pain and mental suffering. We know how to place an accurate value on the pain and suffering you’ve experienced after your truck crash and we know how to make sure you’re fairly compensated for that pain and suffering.Wrongful Death
If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim to recover financial compensation for the loss of your loved one’s income, companionship, love and household services, and we can help you recover compensation for your loved one’s funeral bills and burial costs, medical bills, pain and suffering.Punitive Damages
Punitive damages aren’t awarded in every truck accident case. However, if a truck driver’s conduct was particularly egregious, such as if the truck driver was driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, we will seek punitive damages on your behalf in order to maximize the size of your recovery.Truck Accident Causes
Truck accidents are stressful and difficult at best, deadly and devastating at worst. Common truck accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Many of these tragic accidents could be prevented by an emphasis on better manufacturing, focus on safety and stricter regulations. For example, truck drivers are often pressured to deliver their goods by strict deadlines. This can cause truck driver fatigue and reckless, careless operation of vehicles which weigh over 20 times the vehicles they’re sharing the road with. A study found that fatigued drivers were involved in 13 percent of serious truck accidents. Truck drivers are not always at fault in truck accidents, though. Truck companies sometimes fail to provide regular maintenance and complete routine inspections in a manner which complies with truck regulation and inspection safety. Trucks often drive on California roadways with inadequate tires, badly functioning lights and faulty brakes. Investigating truck companies is crucial to establish liability and preserve evidence, as these companies may not comply with regulations and could potentially hinder legal proceedings by attempting to deny negligence or destroy evidence. These are just a few out of many factors that can make sharing highways with trucks dangerous. It would be ideal if we could eliminate all Modesto truck accidents, but they are not always avoidable.Common Injuries Associated with Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can result in severe and catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries. The impact of a commercial truck can be devastating, causing significant damage to passenger vehicles and their occupants. In some cases, truck accidents can result in wrongful death claims, leaving families to pick up the pieces and seek justice. Our Modesto truck accident attorneys have experience handling cases involving a wide range of injuries, including:- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Emotional trauma
- Wrongful death claims
Modesto Commercial Truck Insurance Requirements
The amount of insurance coverage held by a trucking company can significantly impact how much financial compensation is available to victims of a truck accident. Trucking companies operating in Modesto and throughout California are required to carry public liability insurance policies that often range from $1 million to $5 million. These policies are designed to account for the extensive damages commercial trucks can cause in a collision. Here are the minimum insurance requirements based on the type of freight and vehicle size:| Type of Cargo | Minimum Insurance Coverage |
|---|---|
| Non-hazardous freight under 10,000 lbs | $300,000 |
| Non-hazardous freight over 10,000 lbs | $750,000 |
| Oil | $1,000,000 |
| Other hazardous materials | $5,000,000 |
Your Rights After a Truck Accident
If you have been involved in a truck accident, it is essential to understand your rights and options. You have the right to seek medical attention, report the accident to the authorities, and gather evidence from the accident scene. You also have the right to hire a qualified truck accident attorney to represent you and protect your interests. Our Modesto truck accident lawyers can help you navigate the complex process of filing a truck accident claim and ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and losses.Proving Negligence in a Truck Accident Case
To prove negligence in a truck accident case, it is essential to establish that the truck driver or trucking company was responsible for the accident. This can be done by gathering evidence from the accident scene, including witness statements, police reports, and physical evidence. Our Modesto truck accident attorneys can also use expert testimony, such as accident reconstruction experts, to help establish liability. Additionally, we can review the truck driver’s safety record, the trucking company’s maintenance records, and other relevant documents to build a strong case. By proving negligence, we can help you receive fair compensation for your injuries and losses.What To Do After a Truck Accident
If you are a truck accident victim, you should immediately contact our experienced, well-respected Modesto truck accident lawyers and do the following: - Get medical attention immediately. It is not always immediately obvious that you have been injured. It is important to receive medical attention immediately even if you don’t think you’re injured. You have a better chance of obtaining the largest financial recovery possible if any injuries are documented by a medical professional as soon as possible after the accident. Insurance companies can claim something else caused your injuries and refuse to pay you if you wait too long to receive medical attention.
- Report the accident to the police immediately. Police reports can be very helpful in terms of helping you obtain the maximum financial recovery for your injuries. Police can file charges if the truck driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or if the truck driver committed any other crimes, and these charges can also help you obtain a larger recovery for your injuries. You must report any collision involving an injury or death in writing to the police or CHP immediately if law enforcement wasn’t present at the scene, and you must report any collision involving an injury or over $1,000 in property damage to the DMV within 10 days.
- Obtain the contact information of witnesses. Witnesses may be able to support your personal injury case in the future. Get the names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses to the accident.
- Take pictures. Take photos of every vehicle from multiple angles. Take photos of broken lights, debris, tire tracks, etc. Take these photos even though the police will probably take photos as well. Your photos may still end up being useful in a personal injury case even if the police also take photos.
- Talk as little as possible. Keep your conversation light with those at the accident scene. It is OK to make sure others are OK. You can easily say something accidentally which could jeopardize your future ability to obtain financial compensation for your injuries, though, so don’t talk when it’s not necessary.
- Don’t talk with other parties’ insurance companies. Their employees are trained to get you to say incriminating things they can use to pay you less.
- Don’t accept the other parties’ insurance companies’ first offer. It will almost always be inadequate and an attempt to take advantage of you. It may be tempting to accept quick money, but you can get much more money if you hire a lawyer.
- Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer. Request a free consultation to discuss your case and advise you of your legal options. It is a good idea to do this as soon after an accident as possible, so that evidence can be preserved and witnesses can be located, if needed.
We Know What To Do Regarding Your Truck Accident Claim
We know exactly what to do to get you the largest possible recovery for your injuries due to our decades of experience handling truck accident claims in Modesto and throughout California. Some of the things we consider in a truck accident lawsuit include:- Log books need to be preserved and examined. Log books in truck accident cases often demonstrate that federal laws which regulate commercial driving operations were violated by the trucking company and/or driver.
- Black box and GPS data are crucial. Black box data demonstrates what driving inputs the truck driver applied right before the accident.
- It is crucial that a thorough site inspection be done immediately after the accident. Our investigators and attorneys will personally and carefully examine the accident site. This examination may include looking for evidence like tire marks and debris, as well as taking measurements. We often hire roadway design experts and/or accident reconstruction experts when determining the cause of truck accidents.
Do I Need A Modesto Truck Accident Lawyer?
Studies show that injury victims who hire lawyers recover far more money than those who don’t, even after attorney fees are considered. While it’s not technically required for you to have a truck accident lawyer, the insurance company won’t pay you what you deserve unless you have a lawyer. You can only force an insurance company to pay you what you deserve by threatening to sue them over a low ball offer and following through with that threat if they don’t offer you a fair settlement offer. You can’t win a lawsuit against an insurance company’s lawyers without a lawyer of your own, so if you want the insurance company to offer you what you deserve, you need a lawyer. In addition, it’s dangerous to talk with the at-fault party’s insurance company since adjusters will try to trick you into saying the wrong things while you’re being recorded. If you accidentally say the wrong thing to an insurance company, it will drastically reduce the value of your claim. You need experienced truck accident lawyers like Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers to talk to insurance companies for you so you don’t have to worry about accidentally incriminating yourself.Is There A Time Limit For Filing A Truck Accident Claim In Modesto?
There is a time limit for you to seek financial compensation for your truck accident injuries in California. In most cases, this time limit will be two years from the date that you were injured in the truck accident. The name for this time limit is a statute of limitations. However, do not assume that the time limit will be two years for your specific circumstances. There are many circumstances which can alter this time limit. One particularly important circumstance is when government entities are involved in the claim. As an example, your truck accident might have been partially caused by a dangerous roadway condition like a pothole or a badly-placed traffic sign. If a government entity like Caltrans or a local government is partially liable for your injuries, then you actually only have six months to file a claim, not two years. It is important for you to call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Modesto. Truck accident cases can be very complex since multiple defendants can be involved, such as truck drivers, trucking companies, companies responsible for building, repairing and maintaining trucks, government entities, etc. It can take a long time to investigate a truck accident case, gather evidence, build a convincing case and file all the necessary paperwork. You shouldn’t expect the best possible results if you wait until the last minute because of this. Calling us today gives us the most time to build a strong truck accident case on your behalf and make sure any paperwork is filed on time. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has been handling truck accident cases since 1990 and has recovered over $750,000,000 on behalf of truck accident victims and other clients in that time. We know the ins and outs of obtaining clients the biggest possible financial recoveries for their injuries due to our lawyers’ vast legal experience. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis which means you will never owe us any money for us to handle your truck accident injury claim. We only charge our clients a percentage of their recovery, and only if we obtain a recovery for them. Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one was injured or killed in a truck accident. You can also chat with one of our live chat specialists or completing the contact form on this page. 