Truck Accident Lawyer in Escondido, CA
Escondido is a bustling city in San Diego County, California that sees its fair share of large commercial trucks traveling through. With trucks hauling freight in and out of Escondido at all hours of the day and night, truck accidents unfortunately happen more often than anyone would like to imagine. When a truck accident involving a large 18-wheeler occurs, it’s vital for injured residents to know their rights and options and work with an experienced truck accident lawyer to fight for fair compensation.
At Moseley Collins Law, we have over 40 years of focused experience representing clients harmed in collisions with commercial trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more. These trucks include 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, delivery trucks, garbage trucks, cement mixers, and more. We understand the complex web of insurance claims and legal issues unique to truck crashes and have a proven track record of securing some of the highest settlements in the country.
If you or a loved one have recently suffered catastrophic injuries or wrongful death due to a collision involving a large truck in Escondido or elsewhere in San Diego County, please get in touch. Our dedicated truck accident lawyers offer no-cost, no-obligation case evaluations and consultations to help you understand your options. Even if we cannot handle your particular claim, we are happy to provide pointed advice and referrals to help get you on the right path forward.
Types of Truck Accidents We HandleAt Moseley Collins Law, we have deep experience with the numerous collisions that can occur between passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. Some of the most common truck accident cases we take on include:
- Truck rollovers, jackknives, and tip-overs
- Truck rear-ends vehicle accidents
- Failure to yield truck accidents
- Truck sideswipe collisions
- Truck lane change accidents
- Truck left turn crashes
- Truck tire blowouts
- Truck brake failures
No matter the type of collision with a truck, the effects can be catastrophic or even fatal due to the sheer size and weight of an 18-wheeler. Our compassionate truck accident lawyers treat each client like family and aggressively pursue trucking companies and their insurers to cover expenses like:
- Ongoing medical bills from severe injuries
- Rehabilitative services such as physical therapy
- Pain and suffering damages
- Lost income and future lost earnings
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Funeral and burial costs in the case of wrongful death lawsuits
Pinpointing fault after a truck collision is a complex process requiring proper evidence gathering, investigative legwork, and working with accident reconstruction experts, all of which we have extensive experience with. However, some common reasons truck crashes occur in Escondido include:
- Truck driver distracted driving - poor training and lax safety regulations on electronic device usage lead many truckers to drive distracted even with 80,000-pounds of cargo behind them.
- Truck driver fatigue - The federal Hours of Service regulations pose challenging restraints for truckers to complete routes on time, causing many to drive while dangerously fatigued and at-risk of dozing off.
- Failure to adjust driving in adverse weather - Rain, fog, snow and high winds all reduce truck visibility and control. Many truck crashes are due to driving too fast for conditions.
- Improper load securement - When unsecured cargo in trailers shifts, it can unleash dangerous projectiles and cause loss of control.
- Poor truck maintenance and equipment issues - Worn out brakes, defective steering, bald tires and mechanical breakdowns are also common reasons for truck liability in crashes.
- Truck drivers under influence of alcohol or drugs - Some truck drivers make the poor decision to drive while intoxicated, putting everyone’s lives in danger.
These reasons and more are why trucking companies and their insurance providers often fight aggressively against injury claims. Our accomplished lawyers have the litigation experience to build strong cases on your behalf centered on the unique state and federal laws governing commercial trucking operations.
Common Truck Accident Injuries Our Firm Helps TreatDue to their enormous size and weight disparity versus passenger cars, trucks often deliver traumatic forces in collisions. When vehicles go under trucks or are crushed by them, catastrophic injuries are not uncommon. Some of the serious personal injuries we have successfully represented Escondido truck accident clients for over the years include:
- Spinal cord injuries - paralysis, quadriplegia, paraplegia
- Traumatic brain and head injuries - TBIs, memory loss, seizures, speech difficulty
- Neck and back injuries - herniated discs, fractures, whiplash
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Amputation of limbs
- 3rd degree burns and disfigurement
- Wrongful death
That’s why as soon as possible after a crash, getting transported away from the scene via ambulance and receiving urgent medical care can be critical. Seeking continued treatment with the best doctors and rehabilitation centers is also essential, so we can secure testimony from your physicians and therapists to validate injury claims. We work with top medical experts across disciplines to comprehensively review and analyze our clients’ conditions and proper courses of care.
Major Police Stations Serving EscondidoBeing prepared with key information after a crash can help protect injury victims’ rights during insurance claims and legal processes. Here are some of the main local law enforcement agencies responding to and investigating truck collisions in the Escondido area:
Escondido Police Department1163 N Centre City Parkway, Escondido, CA 92026 (760) 839-4722
Open 24 hours a day, Escondido PD is the primary agency covering police reports within city limits. They typically report to and document any truck crashes along Interstate 15, Route 78, or local roads in Escondido.
California Highway Patrol - Oceanside Area Office
435 La Tortuga Dr Suite 100, Vista, CA 92081 (760) 643-3400
The CHP often investigates truck accidents when they lead to fatalities on highways including I-15, SR-78 and SR-76 under their jurisdiction instead of Escondido PD. The Oceanside CHP area command dispatch will also coordinate first responder traffic control and cleanup in serious truck collisions.
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department - San Marcos Station182 Santar Place, San Marcos, CA 92069 (760) 510-5200
For truck wrecks that happen in nearby unincorporated areas of San Diego County like Twin Oaks or Deer Springs instead of inside Escondido city proper, SDSO deputies typically write up crash records and determine fault through examinations.
Highways and Major Roads Around Escondido Prone to Truck CrashesWith two bustling freeways intersecting just west of Escondido and trucking routes crisscrossing North County, crashes claim lives every month:
- Interstate 15 - This major California freeway linking San Diego and inland metro areas sees high volumes of big rig traffic barreling at 70+ mph speeds just feet from congested off-ramps used by Escondido commuters.
- State Route 78 - This coastal connector route starting in Oceanside winds through San Marcos into Escondido with curves and elevation changes that often lead to runaway truck tractor trailers and sideswipes with vehicles exiting I-15.
- East Valley Parkway - Locals use this central four-lane divided road heavily to traverse Escondido, leading to dangerous encounters when trucks destined for industrial zones merge across lanes.
- Centre City Parkway - As downtown’s main artery with businesses and residences, jackknifed trucks have crashed into buildings and cars making turns on this fast-moving boulevard.
- San Marcos
- Rancho Bernardo
- Poway
- Vista
- Valley Center
- Ramona
- Bonsall
- Hidden Meadows
- Lawrence Welk Village
And more neighboring towns. If you were the victim of a truck collision anywhere in greater North San Diego, we encourage you to still call our Escondido truck accident team for urgent assistance at (800) 426-5546 given our proximity to these population centers along the I-15 corridor. Our team is well-equipped to travel anywhere clients require across San Diego County.