California Truck Accident Lawyer
TL;DR — Truck Accident Lawyers in California
Compass Law Group, LLP represents people seriously injured in commercial truck and 18-wheeler crashes across California. Our firm has recovered $14,500,000 on a single truck accident verdict and over $250 million for injury victims overall. Every California truck accident claim must be filed within two years of the crash date under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. We work on a strict no-win, no-fee basis, advance every case cost, and offer free consultations 24/7 in English, Spanish, Farsi, and Korean at (213) 320-1001. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.
California Truck Accident Lawyers Who Know What’s on the Line
A collision with a fully loaded 18-wheeler is not a bigger car crash. A commercial truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds — roughly twenty times heavier than the average passenger vehicle — and at highway speed that mass translates into injuries that reshape the rest of a person’s life. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration counted 5,936 people killed and an estimated 160,608 injured in crashes involving large trucks in the most recent reporting year, and occupants of the smaller vehicle account for the overwhelming majority of those deaths.
Compass Law Group, LLP handles California truck accident cases from seven offices — Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, and Bell Gardens. We have tried cases involving tractor-trailers, delivery box trucks, tanker rigs, garbage trucks, cement mixers, and Amazon-branded last-mile vehicles. Our managing partner Joseph Shirazi, CA Bar #265403, has been recognized among the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and our firm has recovered $250,000,000+ for injury victims across California.
The Federal Rulebook That Car Crash Cases Don’t Touch
The single biggest difference between a passenger-car crash and a commercial truck crash is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399). These rules govern hours of service, driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance, cargo securement, and electronic logging. When a motor carrier or driver violates one of these rules and that violation contributes to a crash, California juries treat it as powerful evidence of negligence per se.
The pieces of evidence that win truck cases rarely survive long after the crash. Electronic Control Module data, ELD hours-of-service records, dashcam footage, dispatch logs, maintenance files, drug-test results, and driver qualification files can all be overwritten, deleted, or “lost” within 30 to 180 days unless a spoliation letter locks them down. The first call we make in any new truck case is to preserve that evidence before it disappears.
Who Is Actually on the Hook After a Truck Crash
One of the hardest lessons families learn after a truck crash is that “the trucker hit me” is never the whole story. Commercial trucking operates through layered contracts between drivers, motor carriers, brokers, shippers, maintenance vendors, and cargo loaders. Any one of them — sometimes several of them at once — can share fault:
- The driver, for fatigue, impairment, speeding, distraction, or violating hours-of-service rules
- The motor carrier, for negligent hiring, failure to train, failure to supervise, or pressuring drivers to beat the clock
- The truck owner or lessor, under California’s common-carrier and vicarious-liability doctrines
- The maintenance contractor, for brake failures, blown tires, or defective inspections
- The cargo shipper or loader, for overweight, unbalanced, or unsecured loads
- A parts manufacturer, for a defective brake, coupling, tire, or underride guard
Identifying every responsible party isn’t academic — it’s the difference between a settlement capped by one insurance policy and a recovery that reaches all the layers of coverage that exist on a commercial vehicle. Commercial trucks operating across state lines carry minimum liability of $750,000 to $5,000,000, and many fleets carry excess policies on top of that. A car crash case might fight over $30,000. A truck case often fights over millions.
Common Injuries We See in California Truck Cases
Because of the disparity in size and force, truck crashes produce a predictable cluster of catastrophic injuries: traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and paralysis, multiple orthopedic fractures, internal organ damage, amputation, severe burns from cargo fires, and wrongful death. These injuries produce medical bills that run into seven figures over a lifetime. Our firm builds every truck case assuming the client will need a life-care plan, a vocational expert, and an economist to translate future medical needs into present-value damages.
If you lost a loved one, we also handle wrongful death claims under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60, which gives surviving spouses, children, and dependents the right to recover for loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and funeral costs. If the driver was impaired, our drunk driving accident attorneys can pursue punitive damages on top of compensatory damages. When a truck strikes a passenger car the legal and medical picture is very different from an ordinary car accident case, and when the victim was on two wheels the injuries parallel what we see in motorcycle accident claims. Pedestrians hit by trucks and delivery vehicles have their own set of rules under California’s vehicle code — our pedestrian accident and bicycle accident teams work these cases regularly.
How We Value a California Truck Accident Case
No honest attorney will quote you a number at the first call. Truck accident case value depends on liability clarity, the severity and permanence of injuries, total economic losses, the defendant’s conduct (reckless behavior opens the door to punitive damages), available insurance coverage, and the venue of suit. What we can tell you is what factors push a case toward the top of its range:
- Clear liability: ELD data or dashcam showing an hours-of-service violation, a failed drug test, or phone-use distraction
- Permanent injury: documented TBI, spinal cord injury, amputation, or disfigurement
- High wage-loss: working-age victims with provable pre-crash earnings
- Egregious carrier conduct: prior safety violations, ignored maintenance complaints, known driver problems
- Multiple layers of coverage: excess policies, umbrella policies, MCS-90 endorsements
Our firm’s $14,500,000 truck accident verdict and $13,000,000 trial recovery came from cases where we invested in accident reconstruction, biomechanical engineering, trucking safety experts, and life-care planning. We only take truck cases we are willing to try. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.
California Deadlines You Cannot Miss
California gives injured people two years from the date of a truck crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under CCP § 335.1. Wrongful death claims follow the same two-year rule from the date of death under CCP § 377.60. If a government-owned truck is involved — a city garbage truck, a state-owned vehicle, or a transit bus — you have only six months to file a written government claim under the California Government Claims Act (Government Code § 911.2) before you can even file suit. Miss either deadline and your claim is gone regardless of how strong it was.
California Roads Where Truck Crashes Keep Happening
Truck crashes are not randomly distributed across California. We see the same corridors again and again, and our local teams know each one in detail. The I-5 freight spine runs from the Grapevine through the Central Valley and up into Sacramento, where the I-80 Yolo causeway adds a second high-volume freight route. The I-710 Long Beach port corridor funnels cargo containers out of the Ports of LA and Long Beach and straight through Bell Gardens on the way to the inland warehouse belt. Downtown Los Angeles and Beverly Hills sit at the junction of the I-10, US-101, and I-405 — the densest big-rig corridor in Southern California. In the Bay Area, the I-880 Nimitz freeway ties the Port of Oakland to Hayward and Fremont, while the I-80 Bay Bridge and US-101 feed commercial traffic into downtown San Francisco and the I-580 Altamont grade handles the high-wind long-haul route between Livermore and Stockton. Night-time hours, construction zones, and downgrade sections on any of these routes produce the highest concentration of catastrophic truck crashes in the state.
What to Do in the First 72 Hours After a Truck Crash
The decisions made in the first three days after a truck crash shape the rest of the case. Get full medical care, keep every bill and record, photograph vehicle damage and the scene, obtain the CHP or police report number, write down names and insurance information for every witness and every driver involved, and do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster — yours or theirs — before speaking with an attorney. Do not accept a quick “courtesy” settlement offer while you are still in treatment. Call a truck accident lawyer who can send a spoliation letter within days of the crash so that the motor carrier cannot destroy ECM data, ELD records, dashcam footage, or driver qualification files while your case is still in its infancy.
Meet the Attorneys Leading Your Case
Your case at Compass Law Group is led by one of our two managing partners. Together they bring decades of California personal injury trial experience, hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements, and a courtroom record that forces defense carriers to take the case seriously from day one.
Joseph Shirazi — Managing Partner, CA Bar #265403. A Loyola Law School graduate named to the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers and holder of an Avvo 10.0 “Superb” rating. His results include a $14,500,000 truck accident verdict and a $13,000,000 trial verdict. He is a member of Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and the American Association for Justice. Read Joseph Shirazi’s full bio →
Simon Esfandi — Managing Partner, CA Bar #275307. A Southwestern Law School graduate recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. He led the firm’s $9,870,000 motorcycle accident settlement and a $2,250,000 rideshare recovery, and focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury trials. Read Simon Esfandi’s full bio →
Both partners are admitted to practice in every California state trial court and in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Compass Law Group was founded in 2015, maintains a 5.0/5.0 rating on Google across 193+ verified client reviews, and has recovered more than $250,000,000 for injury victims across the state. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.
Why Compass Law Group
- $250,000,000+ recovered for California injury victims
- $14.5M single truck accident verdict — past results do not guarantee future outcomes
- 5.0 stars on Google, 193+ verified client reviews
- Seven California offices: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, Bell Gardens
- No win, no fee — we advance every cost and only get paid when you do
- Consultations available in English, Spanish, Farsi, and Korean
- Available 24/7 at (213) 320-1001
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average truck accident settlement in California?
There is no single “average” — California truck accident case values range from tens of thousands for minor soft-tissue injuries to eight figures for catastrophic injury and wrongful death. What drives a case to the top of its range is clear liability, permanent injury, strong economic losses, and carrier conduct that a jury will find reckless. Compass Law Group has recovered $14,500,000 on a single truck accident verdict. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.
Who is liable — the driver or the trucking company?
Both are usually on the hook, and often additional parties too. Under California’s vicarious liability rules, a motor carrier is legally responsible for the negligence of drivers acting within the scope of employment. On top of that, carriers can be directly liable for negligent hiring, training, or supervision. Brokers, shippers, maintenance vendors, and parts manufacturers can also share fault depending on what caused the crash.
How is a truck accident case different from a car accident case?
Truck cases are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, carry much larger insurance policies (often $1–$5 million or more), involve more defendants, rely on short-fuse electronic evidence like ELD and ECM data, and almost always require accident reconstruction and trucking-industry experts. The investigation starts on day one with a spoliation letter locking down evidence before it’s destroyed.
What federal regulations apply to commercial trucks?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399) control driver hours of service, driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance and inspection, cargo securement, and crash reporting. Violations routinely become the backbone of a California truck accident lawsuit.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in California?
Two years from the date of the crash for a personal injury claim under CCP § 335.1. Two years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim under CCP § 377.60. If a government vehicle is involved, you have only six months to file a government claim under Government Code § 911.2 before you can sue.
What evidence is important in a truck accident case?
ECM and Electronic Logging Device data, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol test results, hours-of-service logs, maintenance and inspection records, dashcam and onboard camera footage, dispatch and routing records, weigh-station records, post-crash drug tests, and all prior DOT safety violations. Most of this evidence has a short shelf life and must be preserved with a formal spoliation letter.
Can I sue the trucking company after an accident?
Yes. California allows direct claims against motor carriers for vicarious liability, negligent hiring and retention, negligent training and supervision, and negligent entrustment. Carriers are often named defendants alongside the driver, the truck owner, and any third parties whose conduct contributed to the crash.
Talk to a California Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a crash with a commercial truck anywhere in California, call Compass Law Group, LLP at (213) 320-1001 or start a free case review online. Our consultations are free, our representation is on a no-win, no-fee basis, and we are available 24 hours a day in English, Spanish, Farsi, and Korean. You only have one chance to lock down the evidence that wins a truck case — don’t give it away.
Do I have a case?
Contact us today for a free consultation.
California's
Gold Standard
Injury Law Firm
With Joseph Shirazi and Simon Esfandi at the helm, our firm is a trusted name in accident law in California.
Meet Our Managing Partners
National Top 100 Trial Lawyers and Avvo 10.0 Superb. Loyola Law School graduate. Recognized for his $14,500,000 truck accident verdict and a $13,000,000 trial verdict.
Read Full Bio →
Super Lawyers Rising Star. Southwestern Law School graduate. Led the firm’s $9,870,000 motorcycle accident settlement and a $2,250,000 rideshare recovery.
Read Full Bio →- ★ National Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- ★ Super Lawyers Rising Star
- ★ Avvo 10.0 Superb Rating
- ★ Top 40 Under 40
- ★ Consumer Attorneys of California · CAALA · AAJ
Countless Real Client Reviews Verified by Google
Jerry
After 10 accidents and 9 attorneys, the client met Simon, who stood out for his honesty and clear communication. Years later, after another accident, the client called Simon and was impressed by his professionalism and follow-through. Simon explained everything, connected him with top doctors, and kept every promise. It was the first time the client felt truly supported—highly recommending Simon and Joseph for their integrity and dedication.
Jacob
Jacob was rear-ended by a big rig and left nearly paralyzed for a year. He found Cooper Law Group, and Joseph and Simon personally helped him through the legal process. Over two years, they ensured he got the medical care and surgeries he needed, helped repair his car, and secured the compensation he deserved. He highly recommends them for truly fighting for their clients.
Blandine
During the early days of COVID, Blandine was hit by a car while biking to work. Alone and unsure of what to do, they found Compass Law Group. Joseph was the first to respond with care and clarity. Throughout the case, the team—Joseph, Simon, and Julie—provided support, regular check-ins, and made the client feel safe and cared for. They now consider the firm like family and highly recommend them for their compassion and competence.
Understanding Your Rights:
Frequently Asked
Questions
#1 Do I have a case?
Understanding whether a claim exists is one of the challenges of personal injury law. This is why we offer free initial consultations to help you make this determination and allow you an avenue to vindicate your rights.
We’re committed to fighting for the rights of accident victims throughout Southern California, and, unlike other California personal injury attorneys, we will take on any case if we can help, no matter how big or small.
#2 What is personal injury?
Personal injury involves harm to an individual’s body or property caused by someone else’s negligence. It can range from minor to significant injuries, often requiring legal action to recover damages. We specialize in representing and securing fair settlements for such victims.
#3 Why hire Compass Law Group?
Our client-focused approach ensures personalized attention, detailed case building, and compelling evidence presentation. We’re skilled in negotiating settlements and prepared for trial with aggressive strategies. Our firm maintains transparent communication, involves clients in the process, and utilizes a wide network of expert witnesses and resources to strengthen cases. Choosing us means trusting a team dedicated to your success and justice.
#4What if I didn't go to the hospital?
No matter the injury size, you have rights that need defending. Many injuries seem minor at first but can worsen over time. Ignoring treatment or legal advice risks your health and compensation. Seek immediate medical and legal help after any accident to ensure proper diagnosis and strengthen your compensation claim.