Truck Accident Lawyer in Santa Clara County, CA

Santa Clara County, located in the southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, sees its fair share of devastating truck accidents every year. Major highways like US-101, I-280, and I-880 run through the county, with trucks frequently transporting goods to and from the bustling Port of Oakland. The high volume of large trucks on local roads, combined with challenging terrain and weather conditions, contribute to hazardous driving circumstances.

When a truck crash occurs, victims can suffer severe and life-altering injuries. But proving liability and negligence against a trucking company is complex, requiring extensive investigation and legal expertise. An experienced Santa Clara County truck accident lawyer can level the playing field.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), driver error and behavior are associated with 88% of truck crashes nationwide. Common causes in Santa Clara County include:

• Speeding - Truck drivers face intense pressure from logistics companies like FedEx, UPS, and DHS to meet tight delivery windows, leading some to speed and drive recklessly.
• Distracted Driving - Eating, texting, talking on the phone and dealing with technology in the cab while driving frequently causes accidents.
• Fatigued Driving - Truckers pushing toward strict hours of service limits results in drowsiness and impaired reaction times.
• Drug/Alcohol Use - Some drivers drive under the influence, impairing their ability to drive safely.
• Improper Maintenance - Lack of truck inspection and post-crash examination makes it hard to confirm mechanical failures as a cause.
• Unsafe Loading - Improperly balanced, stacked or weighted cargo causes load shifts and truck rollovers.
• Poor Training - Inexperienced or improperly trained drivers may take tight turns too quickly or improperly navigate hazardous conditions.

In addition to driver-related problems, car drivers often take risky actions like unsafe lane changes and sudden stops around large trucks that can trigger accidents. Road hazards specific to Santa Clara County also raise accident risks, like sharp S-curve road sections, steep downgrades and frequent foggy conditions.

Some of the major highways and routes that see significant large truck traffic in Santa Clara County include:

• US-101 - Runs north and south through the county, connecting San Francisco to San Jose. A major goods movement corridor.
• I-280 - Heavily trafficked north-south interstate connecting San Jose to San Francisco via the county.
• I-880 - Leads north from San Jose through Oakland. Logs over 190,000 vehicles daily.
• I-680 - Runs north-south through parts of the county. Connects to US-101.
• CA-17 - Winding highway connecting San Jose to Santa Cruz. Features sharp blind curves, crosses mountain ranges. Road conditions contribute to wrecks.
• CA-85 - Links southern Santa Clara County to northern regions. Steep grades and high speed limits factor in accidents.
• CA-237 - Connects Santa Clara County to Alameda County. Upgrades planned to handle goods movement demand.

When a speeding 40-ton big rig collides with a smaller passenger vehicle, the damage is immense. The disparity in size and weight often causes the injuries suffered by car accident victims to be catastrophic or fatal. Common truck accident injuries include:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) - The violent back and forth motion of a victim’s head inside their vehicle during a crash leads to severe blows to the brain. Even mild TBI leads to extensive medical care and life disruption.
• Spinal Cord Injuries - Forced compression, stretching or tearing of the spinal cord from collision impact causes partial or total paralysis.
• Internal Organ Damage - Massive blunt force trauma crushes internal abdominal organs like the liver, kidneys and spleen.
• Broken Bones - Fractured ribs, collar bones, arms and legs require surgery and extensive casts, therapy and rehabilitation.
• Severed Limbs - When vehicle occupants are partially or fully ejected from cars and trucks in accidents, exposed extremities face increased risk of amputation.
• Burn Injuries - Fires occur in approximately 10% of fatal truck crashes. Victim vehicle occupants unable to quickly exit vehicles face severe third-degree burns over large portions of their bodies.

Sadly, many Santa Clara County truck wrecks claim multiple lives at once. Survivors often face a lifetime of permanent disability, scarring, loss of income, mental trauma, and reduced quality of life.

If you or a family member are injured in a truck accident in Santa Clara County, seek emergency assistance by contacting 911 or reporting to one of the region’s many local police stations, including:

• San Jose Police Department Headquarters - The largest local force with over 1,000 officers serving San Jose.
• Palo Alto Police Department - Professional accredited agency serving Palo Alto using community policing approaches.
• Mountain View Police Department - Leading Silicon Valley law enforcement agency operating for over 100 years.
• Santa Clara Police Department - Force of over 240 officers utilizing latest tech to keep Santa Clara safe.
• Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety - Combined police and fire agency protecting and serving Sunnyvale.
• Milpitas Police Department - Proactive data-driven department focused on community trust and collaboration.

If the actions of a truck driver contributed to your accident, ask any responding officers to fully document the scene and file a formal report. This creates an impartial record of events that your lawyer can reference while building your legal case.

In the chaotic aftermath of a truck collision, injury victims and grieving families can feel overwhelmed navigating their legal options alone. An experienced Santa Clara County truck accident lawyer levels the playing field by managing the legal complexities on victims’ behalf. Key benefits offered by lawyers include:

• Dealing With Insurance Companies - Trucking companies and their insurers quickly dispatch specialized claims adjusters to crash scenes to minimize payouts. A lawyer interviews witnesses while evidence is fresh to build leverage for maximum compensation.
• Gathering Crash Evidence - Preserving critical crash data including ELD records, GPS data, surveillance footage, weather reports, cell records and more requires formal evidence demands be filed immediately. Lawyers know what documentation to request.
• Proving Liability and Negligence - Lawyers engage crash reconstructionists, biomechanics engineers and other experts to recreate wrecks in detail so deficiencies in training, unsafe vehicles, failed equipment and hazardous roadway factors are uncovered.
• Determining Financial Damages - Calculating expenses like medical bills, lost wages/benefits, property damage, home healthcare and even pain and suffering relies on forensic economists, accountants, physicians and life care planners.
• Family Support - Managing hospitalization, funerals, estate matters and caretaker responsibilities following catastrophic injury or death leaves families overwhelmed. Lawyers coordinate details so families can focus on healing.
• Legal Experience - Local truck accident lawyers intimately understand state and federal regulations governing commercial vehicles and know how to effectively negotiate, arbitrate or try cases. An aggressive litigator levels the field against even billion-dollar trucking conglomerates.

By handling the extensive legal, investigative and administrative complexities of your case, a truck accident lawyer in Santa Clara County acts as your relentless advocate so you receive fair compensation. Most offer free case evaluations and only collect fees if your case successfully settles.

Moseley Collins Law has over 40 years of experience helping truck accident injury victims recover damages against negligent trucking companies and drivers nationwide. We are dedicated to serving clients throughout Santa Clara County, including:

• Campbell
• Cupertino
• Gilroy
• Los Altos
• Los Altos Hills
• Los Gatos
• Milpitas
• Monte Sereno
• Morgan Hill
• Mountain View
• Palo Alto
• San Jose
• Santa Clara
• Saratoga
• Sunnyvale

No matter which city you live in Santa Clara County, our lawyers aggressively pursue maximum compensation so you can focus on healing.

With over 40 years of experience recovering millions for past truck accident clients, Moseley Collins Law lawyers have an established record of success. We maintain extensive resources to handle truck wreck cases efficiently yet aggressively, including:

• National Footprint - With lawyers licensed across the U.S., we leverage coordinated investigative resources no matter where your accident occurred.
• Team of Specialists - Our trucking safety, collision reconstruction and medical experts help reveal the true causes of wrecks and quantify losses.
• Frequent Litigators - We won’t hesitate to take your case to court against uncooperative insurance carriers when warranted.

Moseley Collins Law offers free case reviews so we can assess the details of your truck crash. Call 800-426-5546 today to speak with our team about recovering the compensation you deserve.

Contact a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after seeking medical care so critical crash evidence can be preserved and witness testimony recorded. Don’t provide any statements to insurance adjusters in the interim.

ELD records, GPS data, surveillance video footage, police reports, weather data, cell phone records, vehicle maintenance logs and more help prove liability. A lawyer sends spoliation letters to companies so data isn’t destroyed.

At-fault parties like the truck driver, trucking company, parts suppliers and more share liability. A lawyer negotiates with insurers to have bills and lost wages covered on an ongoing basis.

Top lawyers work on contingency, only collecting if your case successfully settles. The fee is a percentage of the final award. First consultations are always free.

Cases vary extensively in complexity so resolution timing differs. Experienced litigators push for fastest possible fair resolutions but aren’t afraid to take cases to court when needed.