Key Takeaways:
Truck Accidents Are Far More Dangerous Than Regular Car Crashes
Due to their massive size and weight, trucks cause disproportionately severe injuries and fatalities, especially in collisions with smaller vehicles.
Common causes include driver fatigue, distracted driving, mechanical failures, and overloaded or improperly secured cargo.
Legal Claims from Truck Accidents Are Much More Complex
These cases typically involve multiple liable parties, such as the truck driver, trucking company, vehicle manufacturer, and cargo loaders.
Evidence like driver logs, black box data, GPS records, and maintenance logs are critical but often short-lived, making quick legal action essential.
Truck Accident Victims Face Aggressive Insurance Defense
Trucking companies carry large commercial policies, making insurance companies more motivated to fight or minimize claims.
These insurers often deploy rapid-response teams to protect their financial interests, leaving victims at a disadvantage without legal representation.
An Experienced California Truck Accident Lawyer Can Maximize Compensation
Attorneys preserve and analyze key evidence, identify all responsible parties, and negotiate with insurers from a position of strength.
They can secure compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future care needs.
California Truck Accidents – More Dangerous Than You Think
Every day, California’s highways are filled with commercial trucks hauling goods across the state and beyond. From 18-wheelers and delivery vans to freight haulers and tanker trucks, these massive vehicles play a crucial role in our economy, but they also pose a serious danger on the road. When a truck collides with a smaller passenger car, the outcome is often catastrophic.
Truck accidents aren’t just bigger in scale; they’re deadlier, more complex, and more legally challenging than the average car crash. Victims often suffer severe, life-changing injuries or even death, and the path to justice can be overwhelming without expert legal help. Unlike a typical fender-bender between two drivers, truck accident claims involve powerful trucking companies, high-stakes insurance carriers, and a maze of federal and state regulations.
In this blog, we’ll break down why truck accidents are so dangerous, how they happen, and what makes them legally different than other personal injury cases. We’ll also explore the types of injuries that commonly result, provide truck crash data from key California cities, and explain how an experienced California truck accident lawyer – like the attorneys at RMD Law – can fight to get victims the compensation they deserve.
How Do Truck Accidents Happen?
Trucking accidents are among the most serious and complex incidents on our highways, often causing severe injuries, fatalities, and significant financial burdens. These crashes involve large commercial vehicles – such as semi-trucks, tractor trailers, public transportation vehicles, and garbage trucks – that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and stretch over 70 feet. The size and weight of these vehicles mean the consequences for accident victims are often devastating.
Most large truck crashes result from driver error, including distraction, speeding, and fatigue. Despite federal rules limiting driving hours to 11 per day, tight schedules sometimes push drivers to operate while exhausted, increasing crash risk. Distracted driving, such as texting, is also a major cause. Other factors include speeding, impairment, and poor vehicle maintenance. Mechanical failures, like brake problems or unsecured cargo, contribute to some crashes. Environmental factors play a smaller role but can worsen outcomes.
Unlike typical car accidents, truck crashes often involve multiple vehicles, catastrophic damage, and life-altering injuries. Victims face long-term medical care, lost wages, and emotional trauma. Trucking companies and insurers aggressively protect their interests, making experienced truck accident lawyers essential to navigate the legal process and fight for fair compensation.
Why Truck Accidents Are More Dangerous Than Car Accidents
When a big rig crashes with a passenger car, physics are stacked against the people in the smaller vehicle. Size and weight disparities are key: a typical tractor-trailer can weigh 20–30 times as much as a car. In a collision, that massive weight and momentum means the car absorbs most of the impact, and truck accidents often result in serious injury due to these extreme forces.
It’s no surprise that most deaths in large truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants. The tall height of trucks is another danger – a car can actually slide underneath a trailer in what’s called an underride crash, often with fatal results. While modern trailers can be equipped with underride guards to reduce this risk, not all trucks have robust side or rear guards in place.
Trucks also have large blind spots (“no-zones” along the sides and rear) and require longer stopping distances. A loaded semi traveling at highway speed needs significantly more distance to brake to a stop than a car, especially on wet roads or if the truck’s brakes are poorly maintained. This can make certain crash types, like rear-end collisions, far more violent when a truck is involved.
The sheer forces at play mean that what might have been a fender-bender between two cars can be a catastrophic, multi-vehicle pileup when a truck is in the mix. In fact, statistics show that per mile traveled, accidents involving large trucks are much more likely to result in fatalities than crashes involving only smaller vehicles.
Common Injuries and Fatalities in Truck Accidents
Given the above, it’s understandable that truck accidents often result in severe or fatal truck accident injuries. Occupants of cars struck by a tractor-trailer can suffer life-altering harm even at moderate speeds. Some of the most common truck accident injuries include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): The force of impact can cause concussions, brain bruising, or severe head trauma. These injuries may lead to permanent cognitive or personality changes.
Spinal Cord Injuries: A violent collision can fracture vertebrae or damage the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis or other loss of function. Many victims require long-term rehabilitation or adaptive equipment.
Orthopedic Injuries: Broken bones are very common, especially fractures to ribs, arms, legs, and the pelvis. Crush injuries or multiple fractures can occur if the vehicle is compacted by the truck.
Internal Injuries: The blunt force can cause internal bleeding or organ damage (such as collapsed lungs, liver lacerations, etc.) that may be life-threatening and require emergency surgery.
Burns and Disfigurement: If a vehicle catches fire or if hazardous cargo spills, victims can suffer severe burns or chemical injuries. Even without fire, the trauma can cause disfiguring injuries or amputations.
After any truck accident, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention to diagnose and treat truck accident injuries, as well as to document them for any potential legal claim. Many truck accident victims face long hospitalizations, surgeries, and painful recoveries. Ongoing medical attention is often necessary to properly document and treat the full extent of their injuries. The financial costs (medical bills, rehabilitation, lost income) and emotional toll (pain, trauma) are enormous. And far too often, these crashes are fatal.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,788 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks in 2021 – a sharp increase from the year prior. Of those fatalities, 72% were occupants of other vehicles (drivers or passengers in cars), 11% were pedestrians or bicyclists, and 17% were the truck occupants.
In other words, the majority of victims are the people in the smaller vehicles. Here in California, truck accidents account for a significant share of traffic deaths. One analysis found California averaged 391 fatalities per year in crashes involving large trucks (2017–2021). These sobering figures underscore how deadly truck collisions can be, and why it’s so important to prevent them and to hold negligent parties accountable when they occur.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Legally More Complex
Not only are truck accidents physically devastating, but pursuing trucking accident claims is often far more complex than a routine car accident case. There are several reasons for this:
Multiple Potentially Liable Parties: Unlike typical two-car crashes, truck accidents often involve several liable parties. The truck driver’s negligence (fatigue, distraction, safety violations), the trucking company’s policies or training failures, the truck owner’s maintenance lapses, defective parts manufacturers, or cargo loaders may all share responsibility. Identifying all liable parties is essential to secure full compensation, often requiring a truck accident lawsuit.
Strict Regulations and Records: Trucking is heavily regulated by federal and state laws, including FMCSA rules on driving hours, maintenance, and safety. Truck drivers and companies must keep detailed records like driver logs, inspection reports, and GPS data. Securing and analyzing these records promptly is crucial, as they can reveal violations such as log falsification or maintenance neglect that prove negligence.
Complex Evidence Gathering: Truck accident cases demand thorough investigation beyond police reports, including electronic data from truck “black boxes,” company maintenance logs, driver files, and drug testing records. Preservation of evidence is critical since records are often kept only briefly. Expert analysis, such as accident reconstruction, is usually necessary to establish fault.
High Insurance Stakes and Aggressive Defense: Due to the severe damages in truck crashes, trucking companies carry high liability insurance (often $1 million+). Their insurers aggressively defend claims, deploying rapid-response teams and investigators to minimize payouts. Victims face a powerful opposition, making experienced legal representation vital.
In sum, a trucking accident case involves more parties, more laws, more evidence, and higher stakes than a standard traffic accident. This complexity is exactly why injured victims should seek out a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of trucking litigation.
Truck Accidents in High Traffic Areas of California
Truck accidents are a statewide concern in California, but certain areas see especially high numbers of crashes due to traffic density and freight activity. California’s busy highways and logistic hubs drive a high volume of truck traffic – the state consistently ranks near the top in the nation for truck crash fatalities (about 391 deaths per year on average). Let’s look at some trends in key regions RMD Law serves:
Los Angeles
As California’s largest city and a major transportation hub, Los Angeles experiences a high volume of truck accidents. Heavy traffic on freeways like the I-5, I-10, I-710, and 405, combined with numerous semis transporting goods, leads to frequent crashes ranging from pile-ups to street collisions. L.A. County consistently reports some of the highest numbers of traffic accidents statewide, many involving commercial trucks. The dense urban environment increases risks for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike.
San Diego
Situated near the Mexico border at the end of I-5, San Diego experiences significant truck traffic from major distribution centers and the Port of San Diego. Its freeways (I-5, I-8, I-15) are busy with big rigs, leading to frequent accidents, including notable incidents like two Amazon semis jackknifing during a February 2025 rainstorm. While these crashes caused major traffic disruptions, they resulted in no serious injuries. San Diego’s truck traffic volume is slightly lower than Los Angeles but remains a region with considerable truck accident risk due to growing commerce and cross-border freight.
Sacramento
The capital region sits at the junction of key trucking routes like I-80 and I-5/CA-99, making Sacramento a major transit hub for trucks moving goods through Northern California. The area sees numerous truck-involved crashes annually, especially on highways such as I-5 and Highway 99, where the mix of commuter traffic and heavy trucks creates dangerous conditions. High speeds on I-80 and frequent Tule fog add to the hazards. While Sacramento may have fewer crashes than Los Angeles, the accidents tend to be severe due to high speeds and long-distance trucking, highlighting that truck accidents are a statewide concern, not just a coastal issue.
Long Beach
Long Beach and nearby Los Angeles Harbor form the largest U.S. port complex, with thousands of trucks hauling containers daily along the 710 freeway and surrounding roads. This heavy truck traffic leads to frequent minor accidents on local streets and major interchanges, and serious multi-vehicle collisions on highways like the 710. A notable incident involved a stolen flatbed truck crashing into multiple cars, highlighting the potential dangers of heavy trucks in urban areas. Local advocates continue pushing for safer truck routes and stricter enforcement to protect residents.
San Bernardino
The Inland Empire, including San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, is a major logistics hub with heavy semi-truck traffic along key freight routes like I-10 and I-15. High-speed freeways such as the I-10, known as “Truck Alley,” see frequent big rig accidents due to the mix of trucks and passenger vehicles amid congestion. For instance, an Amazon semi-truck overturned on the I-210 in March 2024, causing major traffic delays. The region’s combination of logistics activity and suburban growth makes truck accidents a persistent threat on highways and nearby neighborhoods, with San Bernardino ranking among California’s most hazardous areas for truck crashes.
Irvine/Orange County
Orange County’s busy freeways (I-5, I-405, and 91) see heavy traffic from commuters and commercial trucks traveling between Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and San Diego. While often suburban, Orange County experiences serious truck accidents, including tragic incidents like a 2022 delivery truck crash in Irvine that caused a toddler’s death and led to a wrongful death lawsuit involving Amazon’s contractor. This underscores that fatal truck accidents can occur off freeways in residential areas. Despite investments in infrastructure and enforcement, such as weigh stations and designated truck lanes, the risk remains whenever cars and large trucks share the road.
San Francisco
In Northern California’s Bay Area, trucks navigate congested urban roads and busy highways. San Francisco’s dense city streets, with weight and size restrictions, mix delivery trucks and freight vehicles with cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians, creating risks. A notable FedEx truck collision with a cyclist on Market Street highlighted these dangers. The Bay Area’s freeways, such as I-80, Highway 101, and I-580, carry heavy truck traffic connecting the Port of Oakland to the state. Crashes on bridges or choke points can be severe and cause major traffic disruptions. While San Francisco has fewer trucks than L.A., the surrounding freeways experience significant large truck accidents.
As these examples show, truck accidents can happen anywhere in California, from sprawling freeways to city streets. Major population centers and freight corridors tend to see the highest numbers, simply because that’s where the trucks and people are. Keeping tabs on local crash statistics and pushing for safety improvements is crucial. And if a crash does happen, victims in any of these areas should know that legal help from RMD Law is available right in their community.
How a California Truck Accident Lawyer Can Maximize Compensation
After a serious truck crash, trucking accident victims are often overwhelmed – dealing with severe injuries, mounting medical bills, and aggressive insurance adjusters. This is where a skilled California truck accident lawyer becomes invaluable. Hiring experienced truck accident lawyers is crucial, as they have the expertise to handle complex cases and navigate the legal challenges unique to trucking accidents. Here are some ways an experienced trucking accident attorney and personal injury lawyers can help maximize your compensation:
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact us today for a free case evaluation to discuss your options with no financial risk.
Thorough Investigation & Preservation of Evidence
A seasoned lawyer will promptly investigate the crash while evidence is fresh. As part of the investigation, they’ll obtain the police report, which is a key document in accident investigations and essential for supporting your injury claim. They’ll also interview witnesses and secure any available video footage.
Crucially, they will send spoliation letters to the trucking company to preserve critical records (driver logs, maintenance records, electronic data, etc.) and, if necessary, file court orders to prevent evidence from being destroyed. By reconstructing exactly what happened and uncovering any safety violations, an attorney builds a strong case that the trucking company or driver was negligent. This investigative legwork can make a huge difference in proving fault.
Identifying All Defendants and Insurance Coverage
As discussed, multiple parties could be liable. An experienced lawyer won’t just go after the truck driver’s policy; they will identify if the driver was an employee (making the trucking company vicariously liable), if any contractors or maintenance providers share blame, or if vehicle manufacturers played a role.
They will also be familiar with the layers of insurance that might apply (primary trucking policy, excess liability policies, the truck’s owner’s policy, etc.). Casting a wide net ensures that all available insurance funds can be tapped. This is vital in a catastrophic injury case where damages might easily exceed one policy’s limits.
Knowledge of Regulations and Industry Standards
Truck accident attorneys are well-versed in truck accident law and understand the FMCSA rules and trucking industry standards by heart. This expertise includes a deep knowledge of safety regulations and minimum performance requirements specifically established for professional truck drivers. This allows them to spot regulatory violations that a layperson (or an attorney not versed in trucking law) might miss.
For example, if driver logs show a violation of hours-of-service rules, or the truck’s maintenance history shows skipped inspections, a lawyer can use that as powerful evidence of negligence. They may consult with experts in trucking safety to opine that the company fell below the standard of care required for professional truck drivers. All of this can pressure the defense, as they cannot easily refute documented violations of law.
Handling the Insurance Companies
Once you have a lawyer, the trucking company’s insurer can no longer contact you directly – your attorney deals with them, shielding you from common insurance tactics. Truck insurers often try to get injured people to give recorded statements or sign releases early on, which can harm your case. A lawyer will prevent these mistakes. They will also calculate your damages fully, including past and future medical costs, rehab, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.
Armed with evidence and a well-documented demand, your attorney can negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement. If the insurer still won’t be reasonable, a lawyer experienced in trial will be ready to take the case to court. This willingness to litigate often forces insurers to offer a much higher settlement than an unrepresented person would ever receive.
Maximizing Compensation and Ensuring Fairness
Ultimately, a truck accident lawyer’s goal is to make sure you are fully compensated for all your losses – not just the obvious medical bills, but the long-term needs as well. Severe injuries from a truck crash may require lifelong care or accommodations. An attorney will often work with medical and economic experts to project future expenses and the impact on your life.
For example, if you suffered a spinal cord injury, they will account for future surgeries, wheelchair costs, home modifications, and the loss of your ability to work in your profession. This comprehensive approach ensures any settlement or verdict considers the true value of what you’ve lost. An attorney can help determine your truck accident claim worth by evaluating the specific details of your case, including the severity of your injuries, fault, and the damages involved.
In California, personal injury law allows victims to recover both economic damages (medical expenses, lost income, etc.) and non-economic damages (pain, suffering, disability, loss of enjoyment of life). In a tragic case where a family member is killed, a wrongful death claim can seek funeral expenses and compensation for the loss of your loved one’s support and companionship. An experienced attorney will navigate these legal pathways to maximize the outcome. They also handle all the procedural requirements (filing deadlines, court paperwork) so you can focus on healing.
Don’t Face This Fight Alone
Going up against a trucking company and its insurers on your own is an uphill battle. An experienced California truck accident lawyer levels the playing field and advocates for your rights. They have the resources to take on big insurance companies and will fight to get you the compensation you need to rebuild your life after a devastating truck accident.
How Truck Accidents Fit Into California Personal Injury Law
In California, a truck accident injury case is fundamentally a type of personal injury claim, grounded in negligence law. This means that if you’re injured by truck driver negligence or a trucking company’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages through a personal injury lawsuit or claim. California’s personal injury laws provide a framework for these cases, including commercial vehicle accident cases:
Negligence Standard: You must prove the truck driver or another defendant was negligent—such as by violating laws or driving carelessly—and that this caused your injuries. Violations of FMCSA rules or traffic laws, like falling asleep at the wheel, strongly indicate negligence.
Comparative Fault: California’s pure comparative negligence rule allows you to recover damages even if partly at fault, though your compensation is reduced by your fault percentage. For example, if you are 20% at fault, you can still recover 80% of damages. Lawyers work to minimize any unfair blame on victims.
Damages: You can recover economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, property damage) and non-economic damages (pain, suffering, emotional distress). There is no cap on damages in California. Punitive damages may apply in cases of extreme recklessness.
Wrongful Death: Families can file wrongful death claims for losses from a fatal truck accident, including funeral costs and loss of support. Survival actions can recover the deceased’s pre-death expenses.
Employer Liability: Under the doctrine of respondent superior, trucking companies are liable for their drivers’ negligence during employment and may also be directly negligent in hiring, training, or maintenance failures. They typically carry insurance to cover such claims.
Truck Accidents Are Complex
Overall, truck accident injury cases operate within the personal injury and negligence framework of California law, but they require specialized knowledge of trucking regulations and industry practices to navigate effectively. That’s why having truck accident lawyers is so crucial.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a semi truck accident or any other truck accident in California, it’s important to act quickly. California’s statute of limitations for injury cases is generally two years from the date of the accident (and shorter if a government entity is involved), so don’t delay in pursuing your claim. Given the complexity of truck accident injury cases, engaging a qualified truck accident lawyer early can make all the difference in securing the evidence and building a strong case.
Let a Truck Accident Lawyer Help Your Claim
Truck accidents are not only more severe than typical car crashes – they are also far more complex, both medically and legally. The devastating impact of trucking accidents on victims and their families cannot be overstated, from catastrophic injuries to overwhelming financial and emotional losses. Navigating the aftermath of a trucking accident requires specialized knowledge of trucking regulations, industry standards, and the tactics used by trucking companies and insurance carriers.
That’s why it’s so important to have knowledgeable truck accident attorneys on your side. The skilled trucking accident attorneys at RMD Law will thoroughly investigate your case, preserve critical evidence, identify all liable parties, and fight aggressively for the full compensation you deserve. Whether you’re dealing with a trucking company, a commercial vehicle manufacturer, or multiple potentially liable parties, having a dedicated legal advocate can make all the difference in the outcome of your truck accident claim.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, don’t wait to seek help. The legal process can be daunting, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Contact the experienced truck accident lawyers at RMD Law for a free consultation. Call us at (949) 828-0015 and take the first step toward protecting your rights and securing your future. With our law firm on your side, you can focus on healing while our attorneys handles the fight for justice and fair compensation.
