uck accidents are devastating, especially for hardworking families trying to make ends meet. When a collision with a commercial truck occurs, the effects can be catastrophic, leading to severe injuries, financial strain, and emotional trauma.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you may feel overwhelmed by medical bills, lost wages, and confusing insurance claims. At BANA LAW, our Fresno personal injury lawyers are here to help.
With over 100 years of combined experience and over half a billion dollars recovered for injury victims, our Fresno truck accident lawyers are dedicated to securing maximum results for our clients. Your injury is our fight, and we’ll stand by your side every step of the way.
The Unique Challenges of Truck Accident Cases
Truck accidents differ from typical car accidents because of the size of the vehicles, the severity of injuries, and the complexity of the legal process.
Commercial trucks can weigh 20-30 times more than passenger vehicles, and crashes often involve catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and amputation injuries.
Additionally, truck accident claims can involve multiple parties, such as:
- The truck driver: Often at fault due to fatigue, speeding, or distracted driving
- The trucking company: Responsible for ensuring drivers are properly trained and trucks are well-maintained
- Manufacturers: Liable for defective truck parts that may have contributed to the accident
Commercial trucking companies often have deep pockets and their own teams of attorneys. This complexity makes it crucial to work with a truck accident lawyer in Fresno who understands how to hold the right parties accountable and protect your rights.
What if the Trucking Company or Insurance Company Offers Me a Settlement?
If an insurance company offers you a settlement after a truck accident, it’s important to approach it with caution.
While it may be tempting to accept the offer quickly, keep in mind that insurance companies are focused on minimizing their payouts—not on fairly compensating you.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why You Shouldn’t Accept the First Offer
- It’s Likely Too Low: Insurance companies often begin with a low settlement offer in hopes you’ll accept it without fully understanding the value of your personal injury claim.
- It May Not Cover Future Costs: Truck accidents can result in long-term medical needs, such as surgeries, rehabilitation, or ongoing treatments. A quick settlement may not account for future expenses.
- You May Be Giving Up Your Rights: By accepting a settlement, you’ll typically waive your right to pursue additional compensation later—even if your injuries worsen or new expenses arise.
Steps to Take When Offered a Settlement
- Consult a Truck Accident Lawyer: Before agreeing to anything, speak with an experienced truck accident attorney in Fresno. An attorney can evaluate the offer and determine if it’s fair based on the damages you’ve suffered.
- Understand the Full Value of Your Claim: A settlement should cover more than just immediate medical bills and vehicle damage. It should also account for:
- Future medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Emotional distress
- Let Your Lawyer Handle Negotiations: We engage in aggressive negotiations with insurance companies to ensure our clients receive maximum compensation. If the insurance company refuses to settle fairly, we are fully prepared to take your case to court.
What are the Different Types of Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents come in various forms. Here are several types of truck accident cases we see most often and how they happen:
- Jackknife accidents. Jackknives occur when a truck’s trailer swings out at an acute angle, often leading to multi-vehicle collisions.
- Rollover accidents. These occur when large trucks overturn due to high speeds, sudden turns, or unbalanced cargo.
- Rear-end collisions. Due to their weight, trucks require longer stopping distances. As a result, they have a higher risk of rear-ending smaller vehicles on the road.
- Underride accidents. Smaller vehicles can become trapped under a truck’s trailer, often leading to fatal injuries.
- Blind spot crashes. Trucks have significant blind spots, and failing to check them properly can lead to serious accidents.
- Head–on collisions. Head-on crashes happen mostly if the truck driver loses control of the vehicle, drifting into the lane of oncoming traffic.
- T–bone accidents. Side-impact or broadside crashes occur at intersections when large trucks disregard traffic signals, colliding with the sides of other vehicles and forming a “T” shape.
A Fresno truck accident attorney plays a key role in investigating the type of crash that caused your injuries. By determining the accident type, we can better establish liability.
For instance, in a jackknife accident, the lawyer could investigate the truck’s braking system. If it is established that the brakes failed, causing a jackknife crash, the trucking company may be liable for inadequate truck maintenance.
Who is Responsible for My Truck Accident?
Liability in a truck accident is often more challenging than in typical car accidents. This is because in a crash, several parties may bear responsibility depending on the circumstances. The potentially liable parties include:
- Truck driver. Liability may fall on the driver if they were speeding, fatigued, distracted, or under the influence.
- Trucking company. Trucking companies are mostly liable if they overworked drivers or neglected vehicle maintenance.
- Cargo loaders. Improper loading means unbalanced cargo, which can destabilize the truck and increase the risk of a crash.
- Truck manufacturer. The injured party may have a valid claim against the vehicle or parts manufacturer if the defective part(s) were the cause of the crash.
- Government entities. If poor road conditions or missing signage contributed to the accident, government agencies could be held liable.
A personal injury attorney can help identify the people or entities responsible by gathering critical evidence. When determining liability in trucking accident cases, we usually examine driver logs, truck maintenance records, and black box data, among other evidence.
Truck Accidents are Often Caused by Negligence
Understanding the causes of truck accidents can help injury victims determine liability. Some of the most frequent causes include:
- Driver Fatigue: Federal regulations limit how many hours a truck driver can work, but tight deadlines can lead to violations. Fatigued drivers have slower reaction times and impaired judgment. Federal trucking regulations mandate hours of service laws. If these rules are violated, the trucking company may be held accountable.
- Distracted Driving: Texting, eating, or adjusting navigation systems can all take a truck driver’s focus off the road.
- Improper Maintenance: Faulty brakes, tire blowouts, or other mechanical failures can occur if trucks are not regularly inspected.
- Overloaded or Improperly Loaded Cargo: Unstable or overweight loads can cause trucks to tip over or lose control.
- Reckless Driving: Speeding, tailgating, or failing to obey traffic signals can create dangerous situations for other drivers.
If any of these factors contributed to your accident, our truck crash attorneys in Fresno will use every resource available to prove liability and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Compensation Available for a Truck Accident Case
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Fresno, you have the right to pursue compensation for your losses. This includes:
Economic Damages
These cover tangible financial losses, such as:
- Medical expenses: Current and future bills
- Lost wages: Missed income and reduced earning capacity
- Property damage: Repairs or replacements
- Travel and legal costs: Related to your claim
Non-Economic Damages
These address intangible losses, including:
- Pain and suffering: Physical and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Impact on daily activities
- Mental anguish: Psychological effects
- Loss of companionship: For victims’ families
- Disfigurement: Scarring or permanent injuries
- Wrongful death damages: If the accident resulted in a fatality
With commercial trucks required to carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance, your claim could result in substantial compensation.
However, insurers often resist paying. Our truck wreck lawyers in Fresno will fight aggressively to ensure you recover the full value of your claim.
Contact a Fresno Truck Accident Law Firm for a Free Consultation
Truck accidents can leave you feeling powerless, but you don’t have to face this battle alone. At BANA LAW, we combine compassionate care with aggressive advocacy to get our clients the justice they deserve.
If you’ve been injured, call us for a free consultation. We’ll handle every aspect of your case—from evidence collection to working with experts—so you can focus on healing. We work on a contingency fee basis with no fees unless we win, so there’s no risk to reaching out.
Your injury is our fight. Contact BANA LAW, your trusted truck accident lawyer in Fresno, today.
