El Segundo Truck Accident Attorneys

State and Federal Regulations in the Trucking Industry

The trucking industry is heavily regulated on both state and federal levels. If a truck is driven within the state of California, the state laws will apply as far as trucking industry regulations are concerned. On the other hand, if a truck is traveling interstate delivering goods or services, they are governed by the federal government’s regulations.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) provide oversight for truckers on the federal level. These two agencies also ensure truckers abide by all of the risks and driving regulations.

Insurance Requirements Truck Companies Must Follow

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires trucks that travel intrastate to have public liability insurance with coverage for both bodily injury and property damage. California state law requires local truck drivers to maintain a minimum amount of liability insurance as well depending on the specific type of truck driven and load carried.

Public liability Insurance is important coverage for interstate truckers to have because it protects them and the public from accidents where the trucker is at fault. The Bodily Injury portion of liability insurance pays for hospital bills of pedestrians or other motorists hurt in accidents. Property Damage, on the other hand, pays for repairs to other people’s property damaged in an accident.

The El Segundo truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas will investigate the facts of your case and make sure you get the full compensation that you deserve from the trucking company and their insurance carrier for the injuries you have suffered.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

While any type of vehicle accident can be dangerous, those involving a truck can easily increase the risk of serious injury or even fatality. As a motorist, you may not be able to avoid truckers on the road or totally avoid getting into an accident with a truck. However, you can reduce the likelihood if you are aware of the common causes of a truck accident.

Car accidents involving a semi- or tractor-trailer truck commonly occur as a result of the following reasons:

• Rollovers
• Blindspot accidents
• Swinging turns
• Tire blowout/bald tires
• Overloaded cargo
• Falling debris
• Inadequate training
• Unrealistic schedules and expectations of trucking companies

Regardless of what the cause of your truck accident was, you should immediately consult with an experienced El Segundo truck accident attorney to protect your legal rights. The big rig crash lawyers at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas will fight for you and ensure that all parties responsible for the collision pay for your damages and resulting injuries.

Common Types of Injuries Suffered by Truck Accident Victims

When a large commercial truck or semi-truck collides into a passenger vehicle, it is inevitable that the passengers in the smaller car will suffer serious injuries. Trucks generally weigh 20 to 30 times as much as motor vehicles and are taller with greater ground clearance. These differences can result in smaller vehicles under riding trucks in crashes, causing serious or even deadly injuries.

Below are some common types of truck accident injuries:

• Open and closed head injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury and concussion
• Broken bones
• Lacerations, cuts, and bruises
• Neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• whiplash
• Internal bleeding
• Damage to internal organs
• Soft tissue injuries
• Nerve damage

Symptoms of certain truck accident injuries can take days or even weeks to appear. To mitigate the severity of your injuries, it is best to immediately seek medical care after your truck accident. The legal team at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas can help set you up with a medical provider in your immediate area, even if you do not have health insurance.

Compensation Available to Truck Accident Victims

A truck accident victim can file an accident claim or lawsuit to recover two types of damages: economic and non-economic. You cannot, however, simply demand compensation from the insurance carrier. You need to prove your damages, especially if you are seeking a large recovery or even policy limits. An experienced El Segundo truck accident attorney can help you prove your damages and seek the full compensation that you deserve.

Below are some common types of compensation available to truck accident victims:

• Medical expenses: You may be entitled to all costs of medical care related to your truck accident injuries, including bills from the hospital, rehabilitation, therapy, and future care
• Loss of wages: Your truck accident claim should seek payment for lost salary or wages due to missed work time. If your accident led to a disability, you can also seek future income that you will lose due to your loss of earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages: You may also seek compensation for intangible harm such as physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.
• Wrongful death damages: Both economic damages (funeral and burial expenses) and non-economic damages (loss of companionship and loss of consortium) may be a part of a wrongful death claim.

Why You Need to Hire an Experienced El Segundo Truck Accident Attorney

Hiring an experienced and aggressive attorney is one of the most important steps to take after a truck accident. Insurance companies direct their adjusters to take every step possible to minimize the value of your case and payout as little as possible. They especially target truck accident victims who are not represented by an attorney and are trying to settle their claim on their own.

At the Law Offices of Samer Habbas, we will work hard to help our injured truck accident victims receive the maximum compensation they deserve. Our attorneys have the experience, knowledge and dedication to identify all of the parties responsible for your crash and seek the full compensation that you deserve.

Contact an Expert El Segundo Truck Accident Attorney Today!

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact the personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates. Our El Segundo truck accident attorneys specialize in handling a variety of semi-truck crash claims. We have the experience to help you recover your lost wages, medical expenses, and any other costs associated with your big rig accident. We will aggressively pursue your truck crash claim to ensure that you are rightfully compensated for your injuries.

With multiple offices located in El Segundo, Los Angeles, Irvine, Anaheim, Riverside and San Diego, our truck accident lawyers represent injured victims across Southern California. For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with an experienced El Segundo truck accident attorney, please call 619-304-8867.