Orange County Truck Accident Attorney

Hire an orange county truck accident attorney who will fight to get you compensation for a semi-truck wreck. We won’t let the trucker’s insurance company take advantage of you, and we will fight for your rights.

Few things are as terrifying as a collision with a large commercial truck, an event that can have catastrophic, life-altering consequences. The sheer size and weight of these vehicles mean victims are often left with severe injuries, mounting medical debt, and the stress of facing powerful trucking corporations. Sadly, these incidents are all too common; in 2020, California reported 427 fatalities from vehicular accidents, highlighting the devastating risk on our roads. While many of these vehicle collisions could be avoided with proper care and responsibility, negligence remains a persistent problem. That’s why it’s critical to hold a negligent trucker and their employer accountable. If you have been injured, you need a skilled Orange County truck accident attorney. At Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys, our team has the specialized knowledge to investigate these complex cases. We understand the intricate trucking regulations and are committed to holding all negligent parties accountable for violations like driver fatigue or improper maintenance. We fight tirelessly to secure the maximum compensation you deserve, allowing you to focus on your recovery while we handle the fight.  

Injured in a Truck Wreck? We Hold Negligent Trucking Companies Accountable. No Fee Unless We Win.

A collision with a large commercial truck can be a life-altering event. If you’ve been injured in Orange County, you need more than a car accident lawyer—you need an experienced truck accident attorney who understands the complex regulations and layers of liability involved, from the driver to the powerful corporations they work for. Our first step is an immediate, thorough investigation to preserve critical evidence like the truck’s “black box” data, driver logbooks, and maintenance records. This is crucial for proving negligence, whether from driver fatigue, an overloaded trailer, or poor maintenance. We build a powerful case against all at-fault parties. We are committed to holding negligent trucking companies accountable and securing maximum compensation for your extensive medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Our promise is simple: you pay no fee unless we win your case. Contact our dedicated personal injury attorneys today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Why Choose Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorney for Your Orange County Truck Accident Claim?

When you’ve been injured in a collision with a commercial truck, your choice of legal representative is critical. You are not just facing a driver; you are up against a powerful trucking corporation and its aggressive legal team. At Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys, we have the experience and resolve to win these complex claims. Our commitment begins the moment you call. We immediately deploy investigators to preserve crucial evidence like the truck’s “black box” data, driver logs, and maintenance records before they disappear. We combine this rapid response with our in-depth knowledge of federal and state trucking regulations (FMCSA) to pinpoint violations and prove corporate negligence. This meticulous strategy is why we have recovered millions for truck accident victims, securing the funds they need for medical care, lost income, and a stable future. Our satisfied clients’ testimonials reflect our commitment and results. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Truck Accident Cases Are More Complex Than Car Accidents

Many people assume that a collision with a commercial truck is just a more severe version of a standard car accident. In reality, they are fundamentally different legal matters, governed by a separate set of laws and involving complexities that require highly specialized legal knowledge. A successful outcome depends on an attorney’s ability to navigate these unique challenges, from federal regulations to corporate legal tactics. Understanding these differences is the first step in protecting your rights after a devastating Orange County truck accident.

Navigating Complex Federal Trucking Laws (FMCSA)

Unlike passenger vehicles, the trucking industry is heavily regulated by the federal government, primarily through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These regulations are extensive and cover virtually every aspect of a trucking operation. They dictate how many consecutive hours a driver can be on the road (hours-of-service rules), mandate regular vehicle inspections and maintenance, set strict limits on cargo weight and security, and require specific qualifications and background checks for drivers. A violation of any of these federal laws can be powerful evidence of negligence. An experienced truck accident attorney knows exactly how to obtain and analyze driver logs, maintenance records, and post-crash inspection reports to identify these violations and use them to build an ironclad case.

Identifying Multiple Liable Parties

In a typical car accident, liability is usually limited to the other driver. In a truck accident case, however, there is often a long chain of responsibility, and multiple parties may be held legally and financially accountable for your injuries. These can include:

• The Truck Driver: For direct negligence like speeding, distracted driving, or fatigue.
• The Trucking Company: For negligent hiring, inadequate training, or pressuring drivers to violate safety regulations. 
• The Cargo Owner/Loader: If the crash was caused by improperly loaded or secured cargo that shifted during transit. 
• The Maintenance Provider: If the accident was caused by mechanical failure, such as faulty brakes or tires, due to negligent repairs. 
• The Truck Manufacturer: If a defective truck part contributed to the collision. 

A thorough investigation is required to identify every potentially liable party, which is crucial for ensuring you can recover the full compensation you deserve for your catastrophic injuries.

Dealing with Aggressive Corporate Insurance Companies

The insurance policies covering commercial trucks are massive, often worth millions of dollars. Consequently, these insurance carriers and the trucking companies they represent have a lot to lose. They deploy “rapid response teams” of investigators and lawyers to the scene of a crash, sometimes arriving before the wreckage has even been cleared. Their goal is to control the narrative, gather evidence that protects their interests, and pressure victims into making statements that could harm their claim. They are not there to help you. They are there to protect their bottom line. Facing these powerful corporate entities requires a personal injury attorney with the resources, experience, and resolve to match their aggressive tactics and fight for your best interests at every turn.

Who Can Be Held Liable? Understanding Negligence in a Truck Accident

After a devastating truck accident, identifying the responsible party is far more complicated than in a standard car crash. The legal concept of Negligence is the foundation of any personal injury claim and is best explained as violating a legal duty not to cause harm to others. In California, trucking accidents are governed by a comparative negligence system. This means the court determines fault and assigns a percentage of responsibility to each involved person. This system is crucial because multiple people or entities can be held responsible for a single accident. You can actually be found somewhat at fault for your Orange County truck accident, but still seek compensation from other parties for the role they played in your wreck. However, your final payout will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. An experienced truck crash attorney is vital to investigate every potential defendant, prove their negligence, and ensure you are not unfairly blamed for a collision you didn’t cause.

The Truck Driver

The truck driver is the most obvious potential defendant. Like any other motorist, they have a duty to operate their vehicle safely. A driver can be held liable for direct acts of negligence, which commonly include:

• Speeding or driving too fast for road conditions. 
• Violating federal hours-of-service regulations leads to dangerous driver fatigue. 
• Distracted driving, such as texting or using a dispatch device while on the road. 
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI). 
• Making illegal lane changes or failing to properly check the truck’s extensive blind spots. 

The Trucking Company (Carrier)

In almost every case, the trucking company (motor carrier) shares liability for its driver’s actions. This can occur through vicarious liability, where an employer is responsible for its employees’ negligence. More importantly, the company can be held directly liable for its own negligence, which often includes:

• Negligent Hiring: Hiring drivers with a known history of DUIs, traffic violations, or previous accidents. 
• Inadequate Training: Failing to properly train drivers on safety procedures, vehicle operation, and federal regulations. 
• Poor Maintenance: Cutting corners on fleet maintenance, leading to catastrophic equipment failure like worn-out brakes or tires. 
• Pressuring Drivers: Encouraging or forcing drivers to violate hours-of-service rules to meet unrealistic delivery schedules, which directly compromises safety. 

The Cargo Loader or Shipper

The way cargo is loaded and secured is vital for a truck’s stability. If a third-party company was responsible for loading the trailer, they can be held liable if their negligence caused the crash. This can occur if the cargo was:

• Overloaded: Exceeding federal weight limits, making the truck difficult to control and stop. 
• Improperly Balanced: Creating an uneven weight distribution that makes the truck susceptible to tipping over. 
• Poorly Secured: Allowing the cargo to shift dramatically during transit, causing the driver to lose control. 

The Truck or Parts Manufacturer

Sometimes, a crash occurs not because of driver error but due to a defective vehicle part. In these cases, a product liability claim can be filed against the manufacturer of the truck or its individual components. Common examples include:

• Brake failure due to a design or manufacturing defect. 
• Tire blowouts caused by faulty production. 
• Steering system or coupling failures that lead to a sudden loss of control. 

These cases are highly technical and require a skilled personal injury attorney with the resources to hold large manufacturers accountable.

We Handle All Types of Truck Accident Cases in Orange County

Commercial truck accidents are not monolithic; the specific circumstances and mechanics of the crash dictate the investigative path and legal strategy required to win. From mechanical failures to driver fatigue, each cause presents unique challenges in proving negligence. An experienced Orange County truck accident attorney must possess the specialized knowledge to handle any type of collision. Our firm has a deep understanding of the complexities behind these devastating events and a proven track record of holding the responsible parties accountable, no matter the cause.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife accident occurs when the cab of a semi-truck and its trailer fold in on each other at a 90-degree angle, resembling a folding pocketknife. This often happens when a driver brakes suddenly, causing the trailer’s momentum to push it forward and swing out uncontrollably. Jackknife accidents frequently lead to multi-vehicle pileups, blocking entire freeways and causing catastrophic injuries to anyone caught in the trailer’s path.

Underride and Override Accidents

These are two of the most horrific types of truck accidents. An underride accident happens when a smaller passenger car slides underneath the side or rear of a large truck’s trailer. An override accident is the opposite, where the high clearance of a truck allows it to run over the top of a smaller vehicle. Both are often fatal due to the massive trauma inflicted on the occupants of the car. These cases often involve investigating whether the truck was equipped with legally required and properly maintained underride guards.

Overloaded or Improperly Secured Cargo Accidents

The stability of a semi-truck is heavily dependent on its cargo. If a trailer is overloaded beyond federal weight limits or if the cargo is improperly balanced or secured, it can shift dramatically during transit. This can cause a driver to lose control, leading to a rollover or a jackknife. In these cases, liability may extend beyond the driver and trucking company to the third-party shipper or cargo-loading company that was negligent.

Fatigued Driver Accidents

Federal regulations strictly limit the number of hours a truck driver can be on the road to prevent fatigue. Yet, trucking companies often pressure drivers to meet unrealistic deadlines, leading to violations. A fatigued driver can have reaction times as slow as an intoxicated one, making this a leading cause of preventable wrecks. Our firm meticulously investigates driver logs, dispatch records, and fuel receipts to prove violations and hold both the driver and their employer accountable.

Drunk or Impaired Driving Accidents

When a truck driver operates their massive vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the consequences are almost always catastrophic. This is an act of extreme negligence. While the driver will face serious criminal charges, our job as your personal injury attorney is to pursue a civil claim to compensate you for your immense losses. In cases of drunk driving, we can often seek punitive damages, which are intended to punish the wrongdoer and deter such reckless behavior.

Poor Truck Maintenance Accidents

Trucking companies have a legal duty to ensure their vehicles are safe for the road through regular inspections and maintenance. When they cut corners to save money, mechanical failures are inevitable. Accidents caused by worn-out brakes, bald tires, steering system failures, or defective coupling mechanisms are the direct responsibility of the company or the third-party maintenance facility that performed negligent work.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents on Orange County Freeways (I-5, I-405, SR-55)

Orange County’s major freeways—the I-5, I-405, and SR-55—are filled with commercial trucks, creating a persistent risk for drivers. Catastrophic truck accidents on these routes are rarely simple; they are typically the direct result of preventable negligence. Understanding the common causes is the first step toward holding the responsible parties accountable for their actions.

• Driver Fatigue One of the primary and most dangerous causes of semi-truck collisions is drowsy driving. The immense pressure to meet tight delivery deadlines leads many drivers and their employers to violate federal hours-of-service regulations. Truckers sometimes work far too many hours at a stretch, and a fatigued driver’s reaction time and judgment can be as impaired as a drunk driver’s. This is a significant concern on major transit routes, and our Ontario truck accident lawyers frequently handle cases involving fatigued drivers on the I-10 and I-15 freeways. When truckers fail to abide by these regulations, insurance companies should compensate you for your suffering. 
• Speeding and Other Reckless Driving Behaviors Speeding and other reckless driving behaviors are major contributors to truck collisions. Truckers rushing to make up for lost time, tailgating smaller vehicles, or making aggressive lane changes create little margin for error, putting all motorists at risk. 
• Poor Truck Maintenance and Equipment Failure In many cases, the blame shifts from the driver to the trucking company for poor maintenance practices. Some carriers cut corners on essential upkeep to maximize profits, leading to catastrophic brake failures, tire blowouts, or steering malfunctions at high speeds. These are not unforeseeable “accidents” but predictable outcomes when profit is prioritized over public safety. 
• Distracted Driving Distracted driving, such as texting or eating, is a huge risk factor that causes many commercial trucking collisions. In 2021, California saw a significant increase in fatalities from distracted driving incidents, with 140 people killed—a 27.3% rise from the previous year. Mobile devices are a primary distraction, but other behaviors, like listening to loud music, paying too much attention to passengers, or using dispatch devices, can also cause drivers to lose focus, often with disastrous results. 
• Improper Cargo Loading (Failure to Secure a Load) The way cargo is loaded and secured is vital for a truck’s stability. Sometimes, the trucking company or a third-party loading company fails to properly secure a load. Improperly secured cargo can shift, causing a truck to become unstable, roll over, or spill onto the road, often leading to catastrophic injuries and death. 

Identifying the true cause requires a deep and thorough investigation. A skilled Orange County truck accident attorney can uncover the evidence of negligence needed to build a powerful and successful case.

Crucial Evidence We Secure in a Truck Accident Investigation

In the immediate aftermath of a truck accident, the trucking company and its insurance carrier dispatch their own “rapid response team” of investigators and lawyers to the scene. Their objective is singular: to control the narrative and gather evidence that protects their financial interests. To counter this, your legal team must act with equal or greater speed and precision. Securing and preserving crucial evidence before it can be lost, altered, or destroyed is the single most important step in building a successful truck accident claim. Our firm has a proven investigative process designed to uncover the truth and establish undeniable proof of negligence.

The Truck’s “Black Box” (ECU/EDR) Data

Nearly every modern commercial truck is equipped with an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and an Event Data Recorder (EDR), commonly known as a “black box.” This device is a treasure trove of objective, unbiased data from the moments leading up to and during a collision. It records critical information such as:

• The truck’s speed at impact.
• Whether the brakes were applied (and when).
• Steering angles and RPMs.
• Cruise control status.

This data can directly contradict a truck driver’s false claims about their actions. However, this information is fragile. The data can be automatically overwritten after a certain period, or the trucking company may “lose” it. We immediately send a legal spoliation letter, demanding that all electronic data be preserved, preventing the company from legally destroying this vital evidence.

Driver’s Logbooks and Hours-of-Service Records

Federal law strictly limits the number of hours a truck driver can be on the road to prevent fatigue. Drivers are required to maintain detailed logs of their on-duty and rest periods, now primarily through Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs). These records are a primary tool for proving that a driver was dangerously fatigued and in violation of the law at the time of the crash. However, drivers have been known to falsify their logs. Our investigation goes deeper; we cross-reference the logbook entries with other documents like fuel receipts, toll records, weigh station data, and dispatch communications to expose any discrepancies and prove a pattern of rule-breaking.

Maintenance and Inspection Records

Trucking companies have a non-negotiable legal duty to ensure their entire fleet is properly maintained and safe for the road. When they fail to do so, catastrophic mechanical failures can occur. We demand and meticulously analyze all maintenance, inspection, and repair records for the specific truck involved in your accident. These documents can reveal a history of neglect, such as a known brake issue that was never fixed, a pattern of using dangerously worn tires, or a failure to perform mandatory annual inspections. This evidence is key to shifting liability directly to the trucking company for its corporate negligence.

Cargo and Weight Manifests

The way cargo is loaded and secured is critical to a truck’s stability. Federal and state laws place strict limits on vehicle weight. We obtain the bill of lading and other cargo manifests to determine exactly what was being hauled and how much it weighed. This can reveal if the truck was dangerously overloaded, making it difficult to stop, or if the cargo was improperly balanced, making it prone to tipping over on a curve. This evidence can also identify third-party liability, such as a negligent shipper or loading company that contributed to the unsafe condition of the vehicle.

The Role of Insurance Companies in Commercial Truck Crashes

Legally, all drivers must have insurance in order to drive in California, and that is also the case for truckers. In fact, truckers have additional requirements because they drive for commercial reasons. Those companies have insurers whose job is to protect the company—and, by extension, the trucker—from injury claims. In most cases, insurance companies are going to do everything in their power to prove that the trucker wasn’t responsible for the Orange County wreck, or they will try to stick you with as much fault as they can to lower the amount they must pay you in a settlement. It’s a tactic the insurance companies use to protect their bottom line. We know all that from experience. That’s because we used to represent insurance companies. While we no longer represent them, we still remember how they operate. We will fight their sneaky tactics to see that you get the compensation you need to get past an Orange County trucking collision you didn’t cause.

Common Injuries Sustained in Orange County Truck Accidents

The sheer physics involved in a collision between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle are terrifying. An 80,000-pound semi-truck crashing into a 4,000-pound car unleashes a catastrophic level of force, resulting in injuries that are often severe, permanent, and life-altering. Understanding the types of injuries commonly seen in these devastating wrecks is essential for grasping the immense medical and financial resources required for recovery. For victims and their families, securing compensation to cover a lifetime of care is not just a legal goal—it is a necessity.

Catastrophic Injuries (Spinal Cord, Traumatic Brain Injury)

Truck accidents are a leading cause of catastrophic injuries, which are defined by the permanent and debilitating impact they have on a victim’s life.

• Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): Damage to the spinal cord from the violent force of a truck crash can result in partial or complete paralysis. This can lead to paraplegia (paralysis of the lower body) or quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs). Victims often require lifelong medical care, in-home nursing assistance, wheelchairs, and extensive home and vehicle modifications. 
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): The intense jolt of a truck accident can cause the brain to impact the inside of the skull, leading to a TBI. These injuries range from severe concussions with long-term effects to profound brain damage that can impair cognitive function, alter personality, and result in a permanent vegetative state. Recovery often requires years of cognitive, occupational, and physical therapy. 

Broken Bones and Internal Injuries

Even injuries that are not considered “catastrophic” can be incredibly severe and require extensive medical intervention.

• Broken Bones: The crushing force of a truck accident often results in multiple complex fractures and crush injuries, which may require numerous surgeries, the insertion of metal rods and plates, and a long, painful rehabilitation process. Many victims are left with chronic pain and permanent limitations in their mobility. 
• Internal Injuries: The immense impact can cause severe damage to internal organs, such as the spleen, liver, or kidneys, leading to life-threatening internal bleeding. These injuries are particularly dangerous because they may not be immediately apparent at the scene of the accident, making a thorough medical evaluation absolutely critical. 

Wrongful Death

Tragically, the forces involved in Orange County truck accidents are often not survivable. When a loved one is killed due to the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company, the surviving family members have the right to file a wrongful death claim. This is a civil action that seeks to provide financial stability and a measure of justice for the family’s profound loss. Compensation in a wrongful death claim can cover:

• Funeral and burial expenses.
• The loss of the deceased’s future income and financial support.
• The loss of love, companionship, guidance, and consortium. 

While no amount of money can replace a loved one, a wrongful death claim can help ensure that a grieving family is not left with an overwhelming financial burden in addition to their emotional loss.

Compensation for 18-Wheeler Wrecks in Orange County

When you’re driving safely down the road and a trucker isn’t paying attention and collides with you, should you pay for the associated damages? We certainly don’t think so. Damages from trucking collisions can add up fast and could include medical expenses from hospital bills, physical therapy, medication, and more.Not only will you suffer from monetary losses, you could suffer from non-monetary losses, as well. Your emotional well-being is just as important as your physical health—in some cases, more important. You deserve to be compensated for all your losses: physical, monetary, and emotional. Below is a list of damages that can be added to a personal injury claim for an Orange County semi-truck wreck:

• Hospital bills
• Healthcare-related costs, such as medications, physical therapy, and doctor visits
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder
• Mental health treatment
• Property damage
• Disfigurement
• Dismemberment

Serving Truck Accident Victims Across Southern California

Our experienced Orange County truck accident attorneys are committed to serving victims throughout Southern California. We have a deep understanding of the major freeways and local court systems, allowing us to provide expert legal representation to clients in key cities, including:

• Santa Ana
• Buena Park
• Ontario
• Irvine
• Westminster

If you have been injured in a commercial truck collision in any of these areas, our team is ready to fight for you.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Orange County Truck Accident Lawyers

Don’t face the powerful legal teams of trucking companies alone. The evidence needed to build a strong case can disappear quickly, making it crucial to act now. Contact Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. We will listen to your story, review the specifics of your accident, and provide a clear, honest assessment of your legal options. We operate on a contingency fee basis—meaning there is no financial risk to you. You owe us nothing unless we secure a successful recovery in your case. Protect your rights and take the first step.You can schedule a free, no-obligation legal consultation with a Newport Beach car accident lawyer at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys by calling us at 949.506.4511 or filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page. Address: 20371 Irvine Ave, Suite 110, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Phone: 949.506.4511