Stockton Truck Accident Lawyers

Injured in a Truck Accident? We Can Help You Get Compensation

Stockton is a port town that handles a significant amount of cargo day in and day out. And what transports these goods other than trucks and big rigs? You’ll see huge trucks all over the city, from 18-wheelers to semi-trucks, taking goods from the port to everywhere in the valley.

But because these trucks are so massive, they’re prone to causing accidents on the road. All it takes is one second for a truck to collide with a car or even an innocent pedestrian. And when you find yourself hurt in a truck accident, it can be extremely overwhelming. Not only do you have to nurse your injuries and pay tons of accumulating medical bills, but you must also talk with trucking companies washing their hands of blame and insurance providers who lowball you.

Hate navigating the world of legal procedures after a collision with a truck? Our Stockton truck accident lawyers are here to help. We’ll hold your hand through every step of your path to justice until you can reclaim your life with the financial compensation you deserve. Schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us today!

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Types of Truck Accidents We Handle

Because of the sheer size and weight of trucks, the smallest absent-minded turn can become a catastrophic accident that hurts other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike. Our lawyers are more than ready to handle any sort of truck accident you’ve been involved in. Here are just some types of truck collisions we can help you navigate:

  • Jackknife accidents, where a truck’s trailer swings out like a pocket knife, leading to an obstruction on the road and harming other motorists
  • Rollover accidents due to speeding or sharp turns
  • Rear-end collisions, where trucks slam into smaller vehicles from behind
  • Override and underride accidents, where cars get trapped above or below a truck’s trailer
  • Injuries caused by improperly secured cargo that tumbles out of a truck and hits other drivers
  • Accidents caused by defective parts of the truck due to the lack of maintenance by the trucking company

truck and a car driving on a highway - Stockton Truck Accident Lawyers

No matter what kind of accident you find yourself in, you deserve a team of legal experts who know truck accidents like the back of their hand. Our Stockton truck accident lawyers know how to navigate even the most confusing complexities of truck collisions and won’t stop fighting until you win your case.

Losses and Damages Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Stockton Can Help You Sue For

Physical injuries might be the worst effect of a truck accident, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to damages you can claim in court. Our Stockton truck accident attorneys can help you calculate the compensation you deserve after a road crash, depending on the injuries you sustain and their impact on your life, whether it’s economic or emotional. Here are some compensatory damages we can help you obtain to secure financial recovery for you:

  • Medical expenses from the injuries treated after the accident
  • Lost income from days you were not able to go to work due to your injuries
  • Property damage if your vehicle or any other belongings inside it were destroyed and need replacing
  • Pain and suffering, for the emotional anguish you face daily after the crash
  • Loss of enjoyment of life if your injuries significantly impact your quality of life
  • Permanent disability charges if the accident caused irreversible harm to your body
  • Wrongful death claims, such as funeral costs, for a loved one who passed away after a truck accident

The stakes are always high when anyone files a truck accident claim. That’s why our Stockton truck accident lawyers take every demand to heart and make sure you obtain the financial compensation you are entitled to after getting hurt in a truck collision. Talk to us more about what you can get compensated for by booking a FREE CASE REVIEW with our team!

Local Trucking Traffic Laws and Regulations in Stockton, CA

Trucks will always be a risk on the road because of their size. That’s why Stockton and California in general have plenty of truck traffic laws in place to regulate these massive vehicles and protect every motorist on the road. Let’s do a deep dive into each of these laws and how they help protect truck drivers and everyone they share the road with.

Stockton Truck Routes

The City of Stockton designates routes specifically for commercial trucks to use when transporting goods. This ensures that these trucks don’t operate on roads that can’t always accommodate their size. The city’s Truck Route Map also helps trucking companies and drivers plan out their driving schedules well in advance, allowing them to transport their goods more efficiently.

Designated Hours of Service for Truck Drivers

Because truck drivers are typically employees of trucking companies or other private corporations, their hours of service are regulated by California Labor Code § 512. The Code mandates that drivers must have at least 30 minutes of break time within their first five hours driving and another 30 minutes if they work over 10 hours in one day.

On top of that, they must follow the hours of service regulations implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These rules stipulate that truck drivers can only drive a maximum of 11 hours a day after 10 consecutive hours off work. They also aren’t allowed to drive more than 60 or 70 hours every 7 or 8 consecutive days. They can only reset that 7 or 8-day period after 34 hours off work.

Parking Rules for Trucks

Aside from how trucks move, there are also local laws about how they park. According to Stockton City of Ordinances § 10.08.040, trucks exceeding a weight of three tons cannot park on any street in the city unless there is a sign permitting them to.

Additionally, Stockton Ordinance No. 109-A Section 3 prohibits trucks and any other vehicle weighing over 12,000 pounds from parking in residential zones unless it is actively loading or unloading.

These laws ensure that trucks don’t block traffic or cause obstructions that can result in crashes with other motorists.

Common Violations that Lead to Truck Accidents

While it’s possible for truck accidents to be caused by poor road conditions or a negligent third party, most of the time, it’s violations on the part of the truck driver or the company they work for that directly cause a crash on the road. Here are just some of the many violations these drivers and trucking companies commit that end up harming innocent people:

  • Speeding and ignoring traffic signs and lights.
  • Distracted driving, such as a driver texting on their phone instead of focusing on the road.
  • Driver fatigue if a company forces them to drive past their legal limits.
  • Drivers who don’t use their brakes in time to stop their heavy trucks, leading to rear-end collisions.
  • Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
  • Not following truck routes or designated parking rules, leading to obstructions on smaller roads.
  • Companies hiring inexperienced truck drivers that aren’t used to maneuvering massive vehicles.
  • Little to no maintenance or servicing on a private company’s trucks, leading to defective parts, like brakes or engines.
  • Unsecured or overloaded cargo that can fall out of the truck and harm other drivers on the road.

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How Our Stockton Truck Accident Attorneys Establish Liability and Negligence

The key to successfully obtaining financial compensation after a truck accident is clearly establishing negligence on the part of another party, thereby making them liable for your injuries. Doing this can be tricky, but our Stockton truck accident lawyers are well-equipped to conduct a thorough investigation into your case to help prove who was at fault for the pain you endured.

Our lawyers can help gather as much evidence as you need for a strong legal strategy for your case. We can obtain witness and police reports, surveillance footage, driver logs from the trucking company, the truck’s maintenance records, and more to show whose negligent actions led to the crash.

When it’s clear who was at fault, we bring them to justice by demanding the right payout for your troubles or even by taking them to court. We’ll piece the story together to demonstrate how the at-fault party breached their duty of care for you as a fellow motorist and directly caused damages, like injuries and emotional suffering, thereby obligating them to compensate you financially for your troubles.

What to Do After a Truck Accident

The steps you take immediately after a collision with a truck can make or break your legal case later on. Here’s what you want to do as soon as you find yourself unexpectedly involved in a truck accident to protect yourself physically and legally:

  1. Call 911 and ask for medical assistance or help from the police. Paramedics can treat you and anyone else who was hurt right away, while the police can draw up a report on the incident, which can be strong evidence for your claim later on.
  2. Gather the evidence you can. This includes taking photos and videos of the scene of the accident, meaning your car, the truck, your injuries, the road conditions that day, and more.
  3. Exchange information with the truck driver, but don’t admit fault or apologize. Try not to talk about the crash at all.
  4. Contact a trusted Stockton truck accident lawyer like the ones at Thompson Law. Our team can help you plan your next steps to get compensated for the accident, whether that means talking to the truck company’s insurance provider or filing a lawsuit against them. Either way, we’ll be right by your side.

At Thompson Law

We scrutinize every piece of evidence to make sure whoever caused your injuries pays the price, whether it’s a truck driver, the company they work for, or a third party. We’re not afraid to aggressively fight for your rights so that you get the financial compensation you’re entitled to. Allow us to hold these negligent parties accountable on your behalf to help you heal faster and with peace of mind.

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The Importance of Preserving Evidence After a Truck Accident

Evidence at the scene of the truck accident helps paint an accurate picture of what occurred in the road crash. It allows the court to be objective. It doesn’t just establish who was at fault but also strengthens the amount we demand for you as compensation.

That’s why acting as fast as possible after an accident is crucial for filing a truck accident claim. The more evidence you can collect as the collision happens, the stronger the strategy your lawyers can craft for you, and the higher the value of your potential claim.

When Is the Deadline for Filing a Truck Accident Claim in Stockton?

In Stockton, the deadline for a truck accident claim, also known as the statute of limitations, is two years after the road crash took place. If you don’t file a lawsuit or make a claim within two years, you will likely lose your right to collect any compensation for damages.

However, this deadline gets shorter if you’re planning to sue a government entity, like the City of Stockton, if there’s evidence that there were poor road conditions or no traffic signs where the accident occurred. In that case, you only have six months to file any claims or seek legal action.

Recent Real-Life Truck Accidents That Shook Stockton Residents

Truck accidents happen in any city, and Stockton is no exception. When they happen, they shake the community to its core.

There have been plenty of truck crashes that have been reported in the local news in recent years. For example, in November 2024, a woman in her thirties died after her car collided with a semi-truck in the busy intersection of South El Dorado Street and South McKinley Avenue.

In the same month, another semi-truck overturned along Highway 4 due to wet roads and fog that day. The truck was carrying extremely flammable substances, posing a safety hazard to every motorist passing by.

A more frightening event happened in February 2024, when a big truck transporting 8,000 gallons of fuel caught on fire along Highway 4. This happened after a car crashed into the truck. Multiple roads were closed down that day, creating a huge hassle for everyone in the area.

Truck-Heavy Roads in Stockton That Demand Extra Caution

It’s important to be vigilant everywhere you go in Stockton to avoid getting caught in a truck accident. However, some roads are busier and more accident-prone than others, particularly because of their heavy truck traffic. Here are some roads to be extra cautious of when driving:

  • Navy Drive, traversed by plenty of freight trucks.
  • Charter Way, a major road that connects Interstate 5 and Highway 99.
  • Arch Road, which has a lot of merging lanes and traffic from trucks going to and from warehouses.
  • Highway 99, which passes through multiple cities, like Bakersfield, Tulare, Fresno, Delano, and more, making it a staple for cross-city truck routes.
  • Mariposa Road, where agricultural trucks transfer goods from farms to the main city.
  • Fremont Street, a narrow street where trucks pass to head downtown.

We’ll Help You Maximize Your Compensation After a Truck Accident in Stockton

To trucking companies, you might just be another claim they have to fight against. But to our team of compassionate and dedicated Stockton truck accident lawyers, you’re someone who deserves to take control of your life again after an injury that wasn’t your fault.

We’re ready to advocate for your rights, no matter who we have to go up against in court. With our knowledge of traffic laws in Stockton and our years of experience getting fair compensation for our clients, we’ll fight relentlessly to hold the negligent parties accountable to make sure justice is served.

Your story matters. Let’s talk about it and create a winning legal strategy for your claim when you book a FREE CONSULTATION!

Why Choose Thompson Law

FAQs About Truck Accident Cases in Stockton

How much are most truck accident settlements worth in Stockton?

It’s hard to pinpoint an average settlement amount for truck accidents in Stockton because every case is different. But a good rule of thumb is that the more severe the injuries a victim sustains from a truck crash, the higher the damages they take home. Minor injuries can get you about $100,000 or less, while serious injuries with debilitating physical and emotional effects on your life can get you upwards of $500,000. To know the exact value of your claim, consult with our truck accident lawyers at Thompson Law.

Can you sue a truck company for damaging your car?

Yes, if your car was totaled or if you have belongings inside of your vehicle that got destroyed from a truck collision, you can sue the truck company the driver works for. If the truck driver is proven to be negligent and directly caused the property damage you suffered, you can obtain financial compensation for it.

How long do most truck accident settlements take?

It depends on how bad the accident and the resulting injuries are. Small crashes that lead to minor injuries and some property damage might only take weeks to resolve. But if you sustain major injuries or if your case is complex and has disputable liability, it can take months or even years to see the outcome. If you want financial compensation without delays, our truck accident lawyers can act fast and hasten the process so you don’t spend years waiting for justice.

Thompson Law Guarantee

Thompson Law charges NO FEE unless we obtain a settlement for your case. We’ve put over $1.9 billion in cash settlements in our clients’ pockets. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your accident, get your questions answered, and understand your legal options.

State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an injury accident, so call today.