Oakland Truck Accident Lawyer 

Accidents involving larger commercial vehicles, particularly large trucks, often lead to major injuries for occupants of passenger vehicles. Unfortunately, victims can struggle to recover compensation, even if a truck driver or trucking company was at fault for an incident.

At Milanfar Law Firm, PC, we are here to help if you need an Oakland truck accident lawyer by your side. Our team has extensive resources available to investigate your claim and help you recover the compensation you need. Call today for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Why Choose Milanfar Law Firm, PC?

Serious accidents require serious legal assistance, and the team at Milanfar Law Firm, PC understands what it takes to help clients.

  • We have been the leader in technology use and tablets in trial presentations because we understand how important it is to display information in a way that jurors, the judge, and witnesses will understand.
  • We have more than 20 years of experience handling complex personal injury claims in Oakland and throughout California, and our team has recovered significant settlements and jury verdicts for clients.
  • We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, which means clients will not pay legal fees until after we successfully recover compensation for their losses. If we do not win, clients pay nothing at all.

How an Attorney Will Help Your Claim

Truck accident claims often result in extensive investigations, and there will most certainly be insurance carriers and legal teams on the other side that push back against having to pay fair compensation. A skilled truck accident lawyer in Oakland will get involved as soon as possible and handle all aspects of your claim.

An attorney will immediately ensure that you are evaluated by trusted medical and economic professionals so they can help adequately calculate how much compensation to request from other parties. While this is ongoing, an attorney will conduct a full investigation into the claim, gathering any evidence needed to prove liability and speaking to eyewitnesses.

Your Oakland truck accident lawyer will negotiate with trucking companies, their insurance carriers, and their legal teams in order to help recover the compensation you need. In the event these other parties refuse to offer a fair settlement, your attorney will fully prepare the case for a trial by jury.

Why Are Truck Accidents So Dangerous?

In order to first understand why accidents involving larger commercial trucks are so dangerous, we should examine information provided by the Federal Highway Administration, which says that larger trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds when they are fully loaded with cargo, and these vehicles can reach lengths of 75 feet.

The size and weight discrepancy of these vehicles and smaller passenger vehicles means that occupants of the smaller vehicles are more likely to sustain catastrophic injuries when an incident occurs. Additionally, when these incidents happen in crowded areas, other dangers arise. A large commercial truck crash can lead to massive roadblocks, potentially causing major pile-up incidents that involve many vehicles. Additionally, the cargo inside the commercial truck’s trailer can present major hazards to those involved in the incident and surrounding communities, depending on what the truck was carrying.

Truck Accident Injuries in Oakland

Unfortunately, accidents involving larger commercial trucks in the Oakland area often result in major injuries. These vehicles can weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds when fully loaded with cargo. Unfortunately, the sheer size and weight of these vehicles often lead to drivers and passengers in traditional vehicles sustaining catastrophic injuries when an incident occurs.

It is not uncommon for our attorneys to help clients who have sustained:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Major head or facial injuries
  • Spinal cord trauma
  • Other neck or back injury
  • Amputations or crush injuries
  • Severe lacerations or puncture wounds
  • Internal bleeding
  • Internal organ damage
  • Fractured bones

These injuries, and others, could lead to significant scarring and disfigurement. Additionally, truck accident victims may experience unseen injuries, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Who is Liable for My Injuries?

There may be various parties who could be held liable for truck accident injuries in the Oakland area. Many people will look first to the driver to find fault, and that may be the case. Commercial truck drivers have tremendous responsibilities, but they are not error-free all the time. These individuals can make mistakes on the roadway just like any other driver, and some of the most common causes of commercial vehicle accidents include the following types of driver errors or negligence:

  • Failing to yield the right of way
  • Speeding
  • Operating while distracted
  • Following others too closely
  • Operating while impaired by alcohol or drugs
  • Failing to perform regular inspections of the vehicle
  • Not following the federal hours of service requirements

However, the truck driver may not be the only party with liability after a truck accident. The trucking company could be held liable before the actions of their employee, but they could also hold liability in their own right if they fail to regularly inspect or maintain the vehicles, failed to adequately check the background and training of a truck driver, or do not follow up on known hazardous issues with the driver or a vehicle.

Other parties who could hold liability include third-party cargo loading companies, a manufacturer or retailer who leases the vehicle, or mechanic and maintenance teams.

What Evidence Should I Gather After a Truck Accident in Oakland?

There may be various types of evidence you can personally gather after a truck accident occurs in Oakland, beginning the same day the incident occurs. However, these cases are complicated, and much of the needed evidence will be harder to come by, which is why we encourage you to contact an Oakland truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Some of the types of evidence that you can gather quickly include:

  • Photographs at the scene of the incident of property damage, injuries, possible causes of the crash, and more.
  • Statements from any eyewitnesses or others involved in the incident, or at the very least contact information for these individuals.
  • The police report, which will be available within a week or so after the incident occurs.
  • Any documentation of medical care you receive after the crash.
  • Property damage estimates for your vehicle and other property destroyed by the incident.

Compensation Available After an Oakland Truck Accident

Truck accident victims in the Oakland area may be able to recover a range of compensation types if their case is successful. At Milanfar Law Firm, PC, we work diligently to recover economic and non-economic damages on behalf of every truck crash victim we help.

Economic damages are also referred to as special damages, and these are calculable expenses that individuals incur after a truck accident. Our team will look at bills, receipts, and estimates that come in soon after the incident and in the weeks and months following the incident to help adequately calculate:

  • Emergency medical bills
  • Any follow-up medical expenses
  • The cost of rehabilitation and medical devices
  • Prescription medication costs
  • Lost wages and loss of future earnings
  • Property damage expenses

Non-economic damages may also be referred to as general damages, and these revolve around less calculable expenses Oakland truck accident victims may incur as a result of the incident. Our team will use various methods to help calculate things like the victim’s physical pain and suffering damages, emotional and psychological distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

There is no set amount of compensation paid to truck accident victims in Oakland, but various factors can influence the settlement or jury verdict amount. Some of these factors include injury severity, length of recovery time, total property damage losses, measurable pain and suffering, as well as shared fault allegations. Your attorney will work with trusted medical and economic experts to help adequately calculate all expected losses.

California Statutes of Limitations for Truck Accident Claims

It is imperative to file an Oakland truck accident claim as soon as possible. The California personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date an injury occurs, which means this is the total amount of time an individual will have to file the case. If a truck accident victim fails to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent truck driver, truck company, or other party within this two-year time frame, they will not be able to recover the compensation they are entitled to.

Any insurance carrier involved in the case will also have its own reporting deadlines that individuals need to be aware of. It is important to report the incident to the insurance carriers within a day or two after the incident happens.

Call an Oakland Truck Accident Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one have been injured due to the negligent actions of a truck driver or trucking company in the Oakland area, reach out to the team at Milanfar Law Firm, PC for help as soon as possible. We have the resources needed to handle every aspect of your claim. Let us negotiate with insurance carriers on your behalf. We will not hesitate to take your case to trial if necessary. When you need an Oakland truck accident lawyer, you can reach us for a free consultation of your claim by filling out our contact form or calling us at (925) 433-6003.