The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan represent victims of accidents caused by careless truck drivers in San Francisco. A frightening accident involving a semi-truck or delivery van can leave a truck driver and the driver’s employer responsible for the cost of recovery. With the serious injuries that often result, our team can put together a strong claim and demand the maximum in compensation available. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Truck Accident?
If your truck accident left you with a serious injury and a truck driver was to blame, it’s a good idea to talk over your case with a San Francisco Truck Accident Lawyer. A serious injury may involve a broken bone or brain trauma.
A skilled attorney can defend you when insurance adjusters for the truck driver try to blame you for what happened or downplay your injuries so they can pay you less. A trucking company may also have a team of lawyers at the ready to poke holes in your case. Your lawyer is your shield against these tactics.
The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan would fully investigate what happened and collect powerful evidence to hold a truck driver and a trucking company fully liable. This is critical support to help victims with current medical bills and to pay for the care they’ll need in the future.
Truck Accident Dangers in San Francisco
One look at a giant semi-truck swaying back and forth between lanes on I-280 is enough for most motorists to understand the risks of driving around a big rig. The weight a truck or a delivery van carries only makes any collision that much worse. The shape of a tractor-trailer can force cars underneath in a collision trapping victims in their vehicles.
Unfortunately, the true danger often begins with the truck driver at the wheel. A trucking company employee who isn’t paying attention on busy roads like Market Street can quickly lose control and veer out of a lane or rear-end a car at a stop light.
California Transportation Injury Mapping System recorded 51 truck accidents involving injury across in San Francisco in 2023. Those collisions led to at least two tragic deaths. Those figures were down only slightly from 2022 numbers when there were 56 serious truck accidents and at least 7 deaths recorded.
Common Truck Accident Causes in the Bay Area
The most common cause of car accidents will always be driver error. It’s especially true of truck drivers because they are working behind the wheel and have even more to distract them from safe driving. Their vehicles are also much larger and harder to control, especially at freeway speeds.
These are just a few of the mistakes truck drivers can make:
- Distracted Delivery Drivers – A glance down at a tablet or cell phone by a truck driver on the clock is a frightening risk. Each route change or hard-to-find address draws the driver’s eyes away from the road, leaving their vehicles inching closer to parked cars, SUVS in traffic, and cyclists on a ride.
- Truck Drivers in a Rush — The pressure to make deliveries on time can lead to poor decisions at the wheel. Speeding and aggressive driving in such massive, heavy vehicles often cause collisions. It’s a hazard that comes with the territory when drivers work for massive delivery shipping companies like Amazon or J.B. Hunt Transport Services.
- Drowsy Truck Drivers – Drivers are also susceptible to up and down health conditions and energy levels, just like all motorists. A driver may have had a bad night’s sleep or had a quick turnaround. Pressure from an employer may have caused the driver to illegally skip breaks. These decisions can lead to a driver asleep at the wheel or an unfocused driver.
Any serious injury leads to at least months of recovery time. That can include continuing with expensive physical therapy sessions. The victims of a reckless truck driver’s mistake shouldn’t face a difficult recovery alone. A San Francisco truck accident lawyer would secure support for victims to last as long as necessary and for a lifetime if required.
How Much is My San Francisco Truck Accident Case Worth?
This is understandably the single most asked question we get when meeting people who have been injured in a truck accident. Victims may be facing a financial disaster as medical bills pile up in the mailbox. They often need financial rescue as soon as possible.
The factors of each case are different and it’s hard to put a value on your case before sitting down with you to discuss what happened. It is possible to get an idea of what you’d earn by going over the details that most affect your truck accident injury settlement amount.
Generally speaking, here are the types of things you would receive compensation for as the victim of a truck accident in the Bay Area:
- Past “Paid” Medical Bills
- Cost of Future Medical Treatment
- Lifelong medical costs for victims who suffer physical disabilities.
- Past Lost Wages
- Future Lost Wages
- Loss of Earning Capacity
- The physical pain you experience.
- The emotional trauma you suffer.
- Cost to Repair/Replace Car.
Frequently Asked Questions After a San Francisco Truck Accident
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident?
Your attorney would investigate to identify every party that was liable for what happened to you. That could include the truck driver’s commercial truck insurance if drivers worked for themselves. If the driver worked for a trucking company or a delivery giant like FedEx, the company’s insurance coverage would have to support you. A truck manufacturer could also be held liable if a defect in the truck or a truck part caused the crash.
Can my family earn support if a loved one is killed in a San Francisco truck accident?
Yes. California empowers families to file wrongful death claims. These civil claims seek help with funeral expenses and in paying leftover hospital bills. Relatives also receive support for the income the deceased can no longer provide in the years ahead.
What if I can’t afford to pay a San Francisco Truck Accident Lawyer?
You still deserve the best legal representation. In fact, you won’t need any money now to hire our truck accident lawyers. MJQ Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case. Then, our fee comes out of the compensation you are awarded.
Contact a San Francisco Truck Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one were hurt in an accident, you should talk over your case with a skilled San Francisco Truck Accident Lawyer.
We compassionately protect our clients and we seek settlements that protect victims and their families now and in the years ahead. We want victims to get the best care available and recover completely so they can get back to their normal lives. To get started, please contact us as soon as you can to set up a free, no-obligation consultation.
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