A traffic accident involving a large truck can happen when you least expect it and turn your life upside-down. At Jacoby & Meyers, our lawyers provide compassionate legal support and representation to victims of trucking accidents in San Jose. Let us help you get the justice you deserve so that you can rebuild your life. Call our San Jose law office at (408) 341-6883 today for a free consultation.
Why Clients Choose Jacoby & Meyers
- We have been representing truck accident victims in California since 1972 while maintaining a 99-percent case success rate. Our law firm has collected over $2 billion on behalf of clients.
- We accept truck accident cases in San Jose on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t pay us anything in fees unless we win your case and secure compensation for your losses.
- Our San Jose truck accident lawyers always put people first. We take pride in handling every case with the same level of care, big or small. Our goal is to help you get back to the life you love.
How a Commercial Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You With This Claim
Getting justice when you’ve been injured or a loved one has tragically died in a San Jose truck accident is not easy. Trucking companies defend themselves from liability for collisions with aggressive legal teams and powerful insurance corporations.
The best way to even the playing field is by hiring an experienced truck accident attorney. A lawyer will have the knowledge, resources and connections to experts to help you prove that the trucking company is responsible for your losses. An attorney can investigate your truck accident, determine fault and collect evidence to establish your claim.
At Jacoby & Meyers, we will make sure you get the medical treatment you need and handle property damage for you so that you can focus on healing. We will prepare and litigate your legal claim using a personalized legal strategy for optimal results. Our number one goal is to ensure your well-being.
What Makes a Truck Accident Claim Unique?
While an experienced personal injury lawyer in San Jose can provide invaluable services during any type of automobile accident case, it is especially vital to hire one for a trucking accident case in San Jose. These cases involve many complicated legal elements and nuances that can be difficult to navigate on your own.
Types of Accidents
A large truck is vastly different from a passenger car in terms of size, weight, height and design. Because of this, large truck accidents tend to take unique forms, such as:
- Jackknife accident
- Underride accident
- Override accident
- Overturns or rollovers
- Shifting or falling cargo
- Blind spot accidents
- Wide-turn accidents
Truck operators must undergo special training to prevent these common types of accidents, such as how to correctly use a truck’s hydraulic brake system.
Federal Trucking Laws
Trucking companies are classified as “motor carriers” in the eyes of the federal government. As such, they are subject to special rules and regulations that are in place to improve public safety, including truck driver hours-of-service regulations, truck maintenance requirements, and truck driver hiring and training protocols. A trucking company that violates any of these laws puts the public at risk.
Catastrophic Injuries
The level of damage caused by large truck or 18-wheeler accidents generally exceeds typical car accidents. Victims often suffer catastrophic or life-changing injuries, such as broken bones, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries and amputations. Sadly, large truck accidents are often fatal for the occupants of the smaller cars.
Unique Evidence
As the person who is filing the insurance claim or truck accident lawsuit in San Jose, you bear the burden of proof. This means you or your attorney must establish that someone else is more likely than not to be at fault for the crash. This burden is known as a “preponderance of the evidence.”
Truck accident cases often involve unique types of evidence, such as the truck’s black box, electronic logging devices and data recorders, federal compliance records, driver and truck crash histories, the driver’s medical documents, and truck maintenance records. A truck accident lawyer can issue subpoenas to preserve and gather evidence on your behalf.
Powerful Defendants
Finally, truck accident cases in San Jose pit everyday drivers against powerful adversaries, such as large trucking companies and their insurance carriers. This can make it more difficult to secure the settlement that you deserve – especially if you are dealing with injuries that will have a lasting impact on your life and future.
10 Steps to Take After a Truck Accident in San Jose
The aftermath of a commercial truck accident in San Jose can be devastating. It is important to remember your rights and to try to take the following steps to protect them as a victim:
- Call 911 immediately to report the accident and request paramedics.
- Restrict your movements until help arrives in case you have suffered a serious spinal cord injury.
- If you can, exchange information with the truck driver.
- Write down the name of the trucking company, the truck number and its license plate number.
- If there are any vehicle passengers or witnesses, get their information to collect statements.
- Take photographs and videos while you are still at the scene of the semi-truck accident.
- Call your car insurance company to report the crash. Do not admit fault.
- Do not give a car insurance company a recorded statement about the truck accident.
- Follow your doctor’s orders and recommendations for treatment while in recovery.
- Before accepting an insurance settlement, ask an attorney about the true value of your case.
Do not worry if you can’t take all of these steps after your crash. Simply contact a truck accident lawyer at Jacoby & Meyers as soon as possible and we will take over your claim for you.
Contact Us for a Free Truck Accident Case Review in San Jose
At Jacoby & Meyers, we believe that negligent truck drivers and trucking companies in California must be held accountable for the accidents, injuries and deaths they cause. Our lawyers are committed to helping truck accident victims reclaim their lives.
Find out how we can help you during a free, no-obligation case evaluation at our local law office in San Jose. We are located at Plaza West, 3031 Tisch Way #110, San Jose, CA 95128. Contact us online or call (408) 341-6883 now. We look forward to helping you through this difficult time.
Call or text 888-522-6291 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form