Orange County Truck Accident Lawyers
Orange County Truck Accident Attorneys
Any vehicle accident has the potential to cause life-changing injuries and expensive economic losses, but this risk is much greater with commercial truck accidents. If you or a family member sustained injuries in such an incident, an Orange County truck accident lawyer is the ideal resource to consult to determine your most viable options for recovering compensation. Easton & Easton has the professional experience and resources you need on your side in this situation.
Why Choose An Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer From Us?
Commercial over-the-road freight companies, delivery vans and other businesses using California roads and federal highways are required to obey regulations overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), as well as California state regulatory agencies. When a motor vehicle accident involves an 18-wheeler or other commercial truck or van, it is important to determine whether the trucking company or driver was in violation of any federal or state regulations.
An Orange County truck accident attorney is an essential ally after you or a loved one sustained injuries and other losses from a collision with a large commercial truck. These vehicles are inherently more dangerous than most of the other vehicles on Orange County, California roads simply due to their sheer size. A fully loaded 18-wheeler can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and stand over 13 feet tall off the road. This means a much higher center of gravity and greater difficulty in maneuvering. When these large vehicles crash, the incident is likely to involve multiple other drivers, especially if the collision occurs at high speed on a busy road.
Why Do You Need A 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Lawyer?
A truck accident is far more likely than a typical car accident to cause serious injuries, costly vehicle repair and replacement costs, and fatalities. Due to their size, many tractor-trailer accidents in California wind up injuring multiple other drivers. Hiring an Orange County truck accident lawyer can help you navigate the many different complexities that can arise from a multi-vehicle truck accident.
Your attorney can help you gather evidence to determine liability in your accident claim. An Orange County truck accident attorney is also a great asset when it comes to issues of vicarious liability. For example, if you sustained injuries due to the actions of a truck driver employed by a trucking company, the company may be liable for your damages in some situations. An experienced truck accident lawyer will be able to accurately determine an injured driver’s best opportunities for financial recovery in these complex situations.
Hiring a personal injury attorney in Orange County also means you no longer need to fear any procedural or administrative errors with the courthouse jeopardizing your claim. If you attempt to handle a personal injury claim for a truck accident on your own, you will need to file various forms with your local courthouse accurately, in full, and on time. Missing court filing deadlines could lead to a judge throwing out your case before it even reaches the trial phase.
If the defendant in your claim is a large trucking company or major distributor, you should expect them to have an experienced in-house legal team ready to defend their interests in court. An experienced Orange County truck accident attorney will know how to navigate your claim, deal with the defense, and ensure all of your paperwork is filed correctly and on time with the court.
3 Steps To Immediately Take After a Truck Accident in Orange County, CA
Get the contact and insurance information of the other driver.
Do not talk to the insurance company or give a written or recorded statement to the insurance company without talking to the Easton & Easton, LLP.
Call Easton & Easton, LLP as soon as possible so we can advise you what to do next.
Experiencing a serious truck accident can be a life-changing event. Your attorney can become an invaluable resource for you during your recovery, handling legal efforts on your behalf, and fighting for your recovery so you can rest and focus on healing from your injuries. It’s vital to seek legal counsel as soon as possible following a truck accident and to have some idea of what to do immediately following an accident.
Once you secure legal representation for your truck accident claim, you and your attorney will begin building your case. The first step in recovery from a truck accident that someone else caused is to identify the party responsible for causing your damages. Next will be thoroughly exploring and proving the full extent of those damages. Insurance is typically the first step toward recovery after any motor vehicle accident. However, the reality is that most insurance companies will work hard to avoid paying out on claims or paying them out in full whenever possible.
Securing legal representation immediately after your accident means you don’t need to face insurance companies alone. We have handled hundreds of cases for Orange County clients and have dealt with many different insurance carriers. Once an insurance agent notices that an accident claimant has legal representation, the likelihood of the insurance agent pushing back against a legitimate claim drops significantly.
Seek Medical Care Immediately
Truck accidents typically cause serious injuries that require immediate hospitalization, but some drivers are lucky and emerge from truck accidents with seemingly mild injuries. No matter how severely you believe you were injured, it’s vital to seek medical care as soon as possible after your accident. Your doctor can check for internal injuries that may not have any noticeable symptoms yet, and the medical report your doctor provides will be essential to building a personal injury claim against the party responsible for your accident.
Recovery With Auto Insurance
Every California driver is required by state law to have auto insurance that meets basic coverage requirements for bodily injury liability and property damage liability. If another driver causes an accident with you, filing a claim against their auto insurance policy is a valuable first step in your recovery process. However, you may not be able to fully recover through insurance alone, and you may encounter various problems in dealing with an insurance company representative.
Insurance companies tend to look for any reasons they can find to reduce a claim payout or deny a claim. Some insurance company representatives will even engage in bad-faith tactics to try to minimize their liability for a claim. When an insurance company representative sees that you have legal counsel, however, they will be far less inclined to attempt any such unethical tactics, and you will be more likely to receive a fair settlement offer.
How to Build a Truck Accident Claim
In addition to the medical report from your doctor, you should also secure a copy of the police report from your accident. These two reports, combined with evidence from the scene of the accident and eyewitness testimony, will form the backbone of your personal injury claim. Once your legal team has determined the party or parties responsible for your damages, you can start to establish the four elements of negligence to succeed with your personal injury claim:
- Duty of care. Your attorney needs to prove to the court that the defendant in your claim owed you a duty of care. For example, a truck driver has a duty of care to operate their vehicle safely and never under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Breach of duty. Your attorney must then prove how the defendant in your claim failed to uphold their duty of care. An example of this would be a truck driver driving under the influence of alcohol or a trucking company’s failure to train a driver or maintain FMCSA compliance fully.
- If you did not suffer damages, you have no claim. Your attorney will help you prove the full extent of the losses you incurred due to the defendant’s negligent behavior. California law allows civil claimants in personal injury lawsuits to claim compensation for various types of compensatory damages, and some plaintiffs may receive punitive damages depending on the nature of the defendant’s behavior that caused the accident.
- The court only allows plaintiffs to recover compensation for the direct results of a defendant’s negligence. The plaintiff’s attorney has a responsibility to prove that the claimed damages in the case would not have occurred but for the defendant’s negligence, and that those damages did not accrue from some other cause.
The defendant in a truck accident claim could be a truck driver, a truck driver’s employer, a company, or a third-party driver that caused an accident with a large truck and your vehicle. A successful personal injury claim could allow you to secure compensation for all of your medical bills, any income you lost during your recovery, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Truck accidents can cause severe injuries, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and bone fractures, among other wounds. These kinds of injuries not only take a long time to heal but also may result in permanent disability and inability to work. Hiring an experienced Orange County truck accident attorney as soon as possible dramatically increases the chances of holding the party responsible for your damages accountable.
People Injured In Truck Accidents Have A Human Story — Call Us To Tell Yours
If you were injured or lost a family member in a truck accident in Southern California, talk to an attorney at The Easton Law Firm before you talk to an insurance company. From our offices in the South Coast Metro Area of Orange County, our attorneys represent people injured in truck accidents in Orange County and communities in nearby Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County. Call us toll free at 800-461-8259 or contact our offices by email to arrange a free case evaluation with one of our Orange County truck accident injury lawyers today. We handle all personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency-fee basis.
$2.75 Million Wrongful Death Settlement
We recently settled a wrongful death case for $2.75 million where the decedent was 55 years old with no wife or children, just two surviving parents in their 80s. The defendants’ insurance carrier initially expected to pay no more than $250,000 to settle the case of these 80-year-old parents who had no economic losses as a result of their son’s death. But because we demonstrated the unique bond these parents shared with their son by persuasively telling their family story, we were able to significantly increase the value of their case. After seeing how we would present this elderly couple’s case before a jury, the insurance company knew that taking the matter to trial could result in a substantially higher verdict based on our advocacy. Consequently, we were able to settle the case for an amount far in excess of our client’s wildest dreams without them having to go through the pain and ordeal of a lengthy trial. The defendant was operating a commercial street sweeper at the time he caused the accident that killed our client’s son.
Why It Pays To Have An Experienced Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer On Your Side
In many cases, large trucking companies carry additional injury liability insurance and many even self-insure against catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims. They know they may be held liable for heavy financial damages, so they hire teams of experienced defense lawyers to fight on their side. You deserve a team of trial attorneys on your side, to help you get the monetary damages you are entitled to receive.
Our trucking accident lawyers have more than 60 combined years of personal injury trial experience. Our case results include significant monetary recovery on behalf of individuals and families suffering losses in truck accidents
Doug Easton, the founder of The Easton Law Firm, has been featured by the Los Angeles Times as one of Southern California’s Best Lawyers and has been repeatedly honored as a Southern California Super Lawyer. For more than 25 years, Doug Easton has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV Preeminent* peer review rating for ethical standards and legal ability. His sons followed in his footsteps many years ago, and together our family of lawyers has earned great respect and name-recognition among our peers in the legal community in Southern California.
Our case results include truck accidents injury and wrongful death claims resulting from:
- Overloaded semi-trailers or unsafe loads. An imbalanced truck can easily tip or roll over around a sharp turn. The party responsible for packing the truck is likely to face liability for this type of accident.
- Truck driver DUI. If a truck driver causes an accident due to intoxicated driving, they face many other consequences aside from their liability for the damages they caused. They will also lose their commercial driver’s license (CDL), forcing them to find a new job, and they will face criminal charges. Penalties for DUI conviction increase with each conviction and/or if the defendant causes great bodily harm or death.
- Truck driver speeding or reckless driving. Truck drivers are expected to follow the rules of the road the same as all other drivers and to use reasonable care at all times. Excessive speeding or reckless driving can lead to criminal penalties as well as civil liability if a driver causes an accident in this manner.
- Distracted truck driver, texting or talking on cellphone. Distracted driving is one of the most commonly cited forms of negligence responsible for vehicle accidents throughout the country each year.
- Truck driver fatigue, violations of FMCSA rest and break regulations. Trucking companies must enforce hours of service regulations to ensure their drivers get adequate rest between shifts. If a truck driver and/or their employer fails to adhere to these regulations, it could lead to a fatigued driving accident.
- Improper truck maintenance. Large commercial trucks have far greater maintenance requirements than standard passenger vehicles. The party responsible for truck maintenance can be liable for an accident if their failure to maintain the vehicle leads to an accident.
- Untrained truck drivers. Trucking companies are required to ensure their drivers possess adequate training and experience to handle their job duties. If a trucking company sends an untrained driver on a route and the driver causes an accident, the employer likely faces vicarious liability for the resulting damages.
- Unsafe emergency stops. Truck drivers are required to follow proper procedures when they perform emergency stops. Failure to do so jeopardizes the occupants of all the other vehicles around them.
- Defective truck running lights. The running lights on a truck help other drivers notice when they are slowing down, stopping, or turning. They also help ensure the greatest level of visibility at night.
It’s possible for a truck accident to happen in many ways, and you will need to find an Orange County truck accident lawyer who has the skills, resources, and experience needed to prove the exact cause of your accident if you want to maximize your recovery. The attorneys at Easton & Easton have a reputation as a leading choice for personal injury counsel in Orange County for all types of cases, and we’re ready to leverage our experience for you in your impending case.
FAQs
Q: Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident in Orange County?
A: A complicating factor that could arise with your truck accident claim and make it harder for you to prove liability is the concept of vicarious liability. It’s possible for the truck driver who caused your accident to bear sole liability, or their employer could bear vicarious liability. This rule applies when an employer’s negligence enables their employee to cause harm to another party somehow.
Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Truck Accident?
A: If you can prove another party is directly responsible for causing your recent accident, you have the right to seek complete repayment of your economic damages as well as compensation for projected future economic damages and your pain and suffering. You could be entitled to a larger recovery than you expect, and the right Orange County truck accident lawyer is your most valuable asset for maximizing your case award.
Q: Can I Still Claim Compensation if I’m Partially at Fault?
A: Yes, it is possible for you to be found partially liable for your truck accident, and you will still be able to recover compensation for your damages. Your fault percentage will be taken from your case award as a penalty, and you can keep the remainder. For example, if you are found 10% at fault in a $300,000 case, it would mean you will lose $30,000 of your case award. Your attorney can potentially help minimize any fault percentage assigned to you.
Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Orange County?
A: Recovery from your truck accident will likely require an auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver, and you have only a few days in which to file this claim after your accident. When insurance can’t fully cover your losses, you need to file a personal injury claim, and there is a two-year statute of limitations in which you must file your claim with the court; otherwise, you lose your chance to claim compensation from the defendant who caused the accident.
Q: Why Should I Hire an Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer?
A: Hiring trustworthy legal counsel makes every phase of your case easier to manage, and you will be more likely to reach the result you hope to see with their assistance. Your attorney can help identify all the various forms of compensation you can claim, assist you in filing your insurance claim, and then help build a comprehensive personal injury suit aimed at maximum recovery.
Free Office Consultation · Contingency Fees · Se Habla Español
Our office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening and weekend appointments are available by special arrangement. We can also arrange to travel to your home, hospital room or other convenient location to meet with you and your family. If you hire us, we will handle your claim on a contingency-fee basis. We don’t win unless you win.
Call us at 800-461-8259 to speak with an experienced truck accident injury lawyer in Orange County or use our convenient email contact form to inform us of your circumstances.
*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.
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The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.
Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.
Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern California, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.
Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.
Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.
Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
What Our Clients Say
Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…
The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…
I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…
Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…
What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…
I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!
-Allee
Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.
I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!
They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.
Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.
They are the BEST!
I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.
I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way
The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!
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