East Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer

Consult Cohen Injury Law Group for a free consultation with an East Los Angeles truck accident lawyer.

If you were hit by a commercial truck in East Los Angeles, you may be dealing with injuries that go well beyond what a standard car accident causes. An 80,000-pound tractor-trailer generates forces that passenger vehicles are not built to absorb. Broken bones, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and internal organ damage are common outcomes.

Truck accident cases involve multiple defendants, federal safety regulations, and corporate legal teams that standard collision claims do not. As your East Los Angeles, CA truck accident lawyer, Cohen Injury Law Group has the experience and resources to take on trucking companies and their insurers. Our founding attorney has been litigating injury cases since 1991. Contact us to discuss your claim.

Truck Accident Lawyer East Los Angeles, CA

A truck accident lawyer represents people seriously injured in collisions involving commercial vehicles, including tractor-trailers, delivery trucks, tankers, and flatbeds. These cases are more complex than standard car accident claims because they involve commercial insurance policies with higher limits, multiple potentially liable parties, and federal and state regulations that govern how trucks are operated and maintained.

East Los Angeles sits at the convergence of the I-10 and the 710, two of the heaviest commercial freight corridors in Southern California. Trucks move through this area constantly, and the volume of commercial traffic increases the risk of serious collisions on local roads and freeway on-ramps. A truck accident attorney in East Los Angeles understands how these crashes happen, which parties may be responsible, and what evidence is needed to prove liability.

Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle in East Los Angeles

Truck crashes occur in patterns tied to the physical limitations of large commercial vehicles and the pressures drivers face to meet delivery schedules. We handle truck accident cases throughout East Los Angeles involving all of the following.

• Jackknife accidents. When a truck’s trailer swings outward and folds against the cab, the vehicle can sweep across multiple lanes. These crashes are caused by sudden braking, wet roads, or improperly loaded cargo, and they frequently involve other vehicles caught in the trailer’s path.
• Underride crashes. A smaller vehicle slides beneath the rear or side of a truck trailer. These collisions are among the deadliest on the road because the trailer strikes the passenger compartment at windshield height. Inadequate underride guards and missing reflective markings often contribute.
• Wide-turn accidents. Trucks making right turns swing wide into adjacent lanes, trapping cars, motorcyclists, and cyclists between the trailer and the curb. These crashes happen at intersections throughout East Los Angeles where lane widths are narrow.
• Blind spot collisions. Commercial trucks have blind spots on all four sides. Drivers who fail to check mirrors or use spotting technology before changing lanes or merging cause collisions that the other driver has no ability to avoid.
• Rear-end collisions. A loaded truck traveling at highway speed needs significantly more distance to stop than a passenger car. When a truck driver is distracted, fatigued, or following too closely, the result is a rear-end collision with catastrophic force.
• Cargo spills. Improperly loaded or unsecured freight can shift during transit, causing the truck to roll or spill cargo onto the roadway. Other drivers who strike the debris or swerve to avoid it may have claims against the trucking company and the party responsible for loading.
• Rollover accidents. Top-heavy trucks are prone to rollovers on curved freeway ramps and in high-wind conditions. These crashes block multiple lanes of traffic and create secondary collisions.
• Tire blowouts. A truck tire that fails at highway speed sends debris across the road and can cause the driver to lose control. Deferred maintenance and worn tires are frequently the root cause.
• Hazmat incidents. Trucks carrying flammable, toxic, or corrosive materials create additional risks when involved in a collision. Chemical exposure and burn injuries add a layer of harm that standard truck crash claims do not.

Why Choose Cohen Injury Law Group as My Truck Accident Lawyer in East Los Angeles, CA?

Built to Handle Complex Injury Claims

Wayne R. Cohen, founding partner of Cohen Injury Law Group, has litigated personal injury and truck accident cases since 1991. He graduated from the University of Michigan and Miami Law School cum laude, teaches at GW Law School, and has been featured in the LA Times, CNBC, Fortune, and the ABA Journal. Managing Partner Nicholas E. Cohen graduated from USC and Loyola Law School and oversees case operations across the firm.

Wayne Cohen has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients. As your personal injury lawyer in East Los Angeles, CA, Cohen Injury Law Group handles truck accident claims on contingency. You owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

What Is Important to Understand About a Truck Accident Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Truck Accident Cases

The severity of injuries in truck crashes typically produces claims with higher total damages than standard vehicle collisions. California law allows the victim to recover the full value of every loss caused by the crash.

Economic damages include emergency medical transport, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, ongoing medical care, prescription medication, assistive equipment, and projected future treatment costs. Lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and property damage are also recoverable. In catastrophic cases involving brain injuries or spinal cord damage, lifetime care projections can push economic damages into the millions.

Non-economic damages compensate for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent disability, and disfigurement. When a truck accident is fatal, the victim’s surviving family may bring a wrongful death claim for lost financial support, funeral expenses, and loss of companionship.

Liability in a truck accident case often extends beyond the driver. The trucking company, the freight broker, the cargo loading crew, and the maintenance provider may all bear responsibility. California’s comparative fault standard under Civil Code Section 1714 allows recovery even if the victim is assigned a share of fault, with the payout reduced proportionally.

What Are Important Aspects of a Truck Accident Case?

Truck cases involve factual and legal issues that do not come up in standard car crash claims. Recognizing them early is the difference between a strong case and a missed opportunity.

• Multiple liable parties. The driver, the carrier, the vehicle owner, the broker, and the maintenance company may each carry separate insurance policies. Identifying every responsible party increases the total compensation available.
• Electronic data. Commercial trucks are equipped with electronic logging devices, engine control modules, and GPS tracking systems that record speed, braking, hours of service, and location data. This evidence is powerful, but trucking companies can overwrite or lose it if a preservation demand is not sent quickly.
• Federal safety standards. Commercial trucks operating on interstate routes must comply with federal regulations governing driver hours, vehicle maintenance, and cargo securement. Violations of these rules can serve as strong evidence of negligence.
• Insurer tactics. Trucking insurers handle high-value claims regularly and use aggressive strategies to reduce payouts. They hire accident reconstruction teams, challenge the severity of injuries, and push early settlement offers that do not reflect the true cost of the harm.

What Is the Truck Accident Case Timeline?

Truck accident cases take longer to resolve than most injury claims because the investigation is more complex, the damages are higher, and the defense has more resources to contest liability.

• Immediate investigation. Preserving evidence is the highest priority. Electronic data, driver logs, maintenance records, and physical evidence from the scene must be secured before the trucking company alters or destroys them.
• Medical treatment. Reaching maximum medical improvement before settling allows your attorney to calculate the full scope of your losses, including any long-term or permanent disabilities.
• Demand. A formal demand package is prepared and sent to each liable party’s insurer once damages are documented.
• Negotiation. Settlement discussions follow. Be cautious with any early settlement offer from a trucking insurer. These offers are designed to close the claim before the full cost of treatment and lost income is known.
• Litigation and trial. If a fair settlement is not offered, a lawsuit is filed. Truck accident trials in Los Angeles County may take 18 months to two years or more from filing.

What Should You Bring to Your Truck Accident Consultation?

Collecting the following materials before the first meeting helps your attorney evaluate the case more effectively:

• The police report or case number from the responding agency
• Photos of the crash scene, your injuries, and all vehicles involved
• Medical records and bills from treatment related to the accident
• Names of the trucking company and the driver, if known
• Your own insurance policy, including uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

You do not need everything before reaching out. We can help secure records and send preservation letters to the trucking company. The consultation is an opportunity to review the facts, identify the potentially liable parties, and discuss next steps.

What Are Important California Legal Resources for Truck Accident Cases?

California law and federal regulations both apply to truck accident claims. The following resources provide a starting point for understanding how these cases work.

• California’s negligence standard under Civil Code Section 1714 establishes the duty of care that truck drivers and carriers owe to every other person on the road.
• The statute of limitations for truck accident claims is two years from the date of the crash under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1.
• California’s measure of damages allows recovery for all detriment caused by the wrongful act of another, including a trucking company or its agents.
• The California Courts website offers self-help resources for civil cases, including injury claims filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
• The FMCSA safety page provides information on federal trucking regulations, including driver hours of service and vehicle maintenance requirements.

For guidance specific to your East LA truck accident case, consulting with a qualified attorney is the most direct path to understanding your rights.

Reach Out to Cohen Injury Law Group to Schedule a Consultation

Trucking companies and their insurers start building their defense immediately after a crash. You should have representation that moves just as fast. Cohen Injury Law Group takes truck accident cases in East Los Angeles, CA on contingency and charges nothing unless we win. Contact us to schedule a consultation.