We Make the Process Easy to Get the Results You Deserve

At MKP Law Group, LLP, our attorneys exclusively represent injury victims. For years we have fought on behalf of clients who were hurt in truck accidents due to the negligence of another party. We realize that it can be difficult to afford a quality truck accident lawyer in Los Angeles, so we always work on what is known as a contingency fee basis, meaning WE DON’T GET PAID UNLESS WE WIN.

There are no upfront, out-of-pocket costs to our clients. Our experienced truck wreck attorneys have recovered millions on behalf of our clients. We will fight hard on your behalf to ensure you get maximum compensation for your injuries. Our lawyers work with a team of medical experts in the Los Angeles area and throughout California to ensure that you or a loved one receives top-notch medical care for a speedy and healthy recovery while we deal with the insurance companies.

We represent truck wreck victims throughout the State of California. Our team of personal injury lawyers at MKP Law Group, LLP strives to make the process as easy and quick as possible for you. The team at MKP Law Group, LLP has the experience and dedication to give your case the attention it deserves. Call us today at 310-285-5353 to schedule your 100% free consultation.

All of our cases are on a contingency fee basis, meaning if we don’t win your case, you don’t owe us a dime.

Why Hire Our Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers?

When a person is involved in an 18 wheeler, big rig, or other big-truck accident, it can be an extremely scary experience. Often serious injuries and even death can occur following the wreck. 

Accidents are an already scary experience. When a semi-truck is involved, the repercussions following a road accident are only amplified. These massive, heavy commercial vehicles can cause devastating effects. The large truck size and weight of big rig trucks make controlling these vehicles especially precarious and increase the likelihood of accidents.

Catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths are not uncommon when there is a big rig involved in a collision. If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in this type of accident, you need a truck wreck lawyer to help you fight for what you are owed. 

MKP Law Group, LLP is here to help you with every step of the legal process. Our truck accident lawyers in Los Angeles have the experience, resources, and dedication you deserve. Continue reading to learn more about how we can assist you.

Types of Trucks Involved in Accidents

Large trucks, often known as “big rigs,” are generally trucks with an attached tractor-trailer used for hauling freight. These trucks are common in California as they are used to transport goods and materials for commercial businesses and include the following types of vehicles:

• Tow Trucks - private operators often run these large vehicles. Improperly attached loads and obstructed brake lights can be a concern for road safety. 
• Dump Trucks - These trucks carry large loads of gravel, dirt, and more. Flying or falling particles can pose a risk, and their top-heavy design risks them tipping over.  
• Garbage Trucks - Often driving around residential areas, garbage trucks have lots of blind spots, and debris can fly out of the bin.
• Delivery Trucks - This type of truck delivers various products for commercial businesses, often into residential areas. Tired drivers and blind spots can make them a potential road hazard. 
• Utility Trucks - These trucks, often owned by businesses offering utility services or repair, can be wobbly due to the distribution of the utility bed and its various drawers and compartments. 
• Long-Haul Semi-Trucks - A truck of many names: semi-trailer, big rig, and 18-wheeler. They have lots of blind spots, are prone to rollovers, and often are driven for long periods.
• Fuel Trucks - also known as tanker trucks, these trucks often haul hazardous liquids or gases and can be prone to rollovers. 
• Flatbed Trucks - Trucks with an extended open trailer often hauling cargo that is sometimes improperly secured. 

Commercial freight trucks and tractor-trailers weigh thousands of pounds more than the weight of personal motor vehicles.  While there are many different types of trucks and classifications, they are generally divided by their gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR. The higher this rating is, the more dangerous threat it can pose for the typical driver.

Due to the size and considerable weight of larger trucks, auto accidents involving trucks are typically much more dangerous and lead to more fatalities, than typical car accidents. Unfortunately, many victims of semi-truck accidents do not survive. 

Common Causes of Truck Accidents or Big Rig Accidents

Truck driver's schedules usually require them to drive for long periods of time and at odd times, such as throughout the night or early in the morning. Despite federal trucking regulations in place aimed at preventing drivers from driving too much, truck accidents still happen. There are a range of factors that can cause an accident that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Truck drivers being exhausted, negligent, or poorly trained.
• Driving at accelerated speeds (over the speed limit)
• Driving aggressively
• Mechanical failures in the truck itself (faulty tires or brakes)
• Drivers being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
• Pressures for a timely delivery
• Trucker Fatigue
• Failure to Properly Inspect the Truck/Freight
• Blind Spots
• Unsafe Lane Changes/Wide Turns  

While truck driver negligence is the primary cause of most trucking accidents, the truck itself can cause danger to other motorists.  For example, some auto accidents occur by situations where the freight is not secured correctly to the tractor-trailer. 

What to do After a Truck Accident in Los Angeles

Truck accidents involving semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles can cause severe accidents such as car pile-ups and underride crashes. 

With more and more products moving via our highways, these types of accidents only increase in frequency with time. While we certainly benefit from the online marketplace and quick delivery, the reality is this additional road traffic can cause considerable property and personal injury to innocent victims. 

If you have been involved in a truck accident, here are some steps to follow: 

1. Obtain Driver’s Truck Insurance Information: It is always best to obtain the insurance from all drivers involved in the accident as well as their contact information. 
2. Obtain Witness Contact Information: Often, car or truck accidents can result in a game of “he-said-she-said.” Collecting as much witness information as possible as soon as possible after the accident can prevent you from falling into that never-ending debate. Often independent witness testimony can have a huge impact on proving who caused the accident. 
3. Call the Police and Take Photographs: The police report from the scene of the accident documents the incident and creates a “Traffic Collision Report.” These reports can help determine and show who was at-fault in the accident. They also include essential information about the other driver that may prove helpful when negotiating the settlement. Photographs of the vehicles at the scene of the incident can also be helpful. It’s best to take photos before any vehicles have been moved. This will demonstrate the accident results best. 
4. DO NOT Give Any Statement to the Other Insurance Company: Whether recorded or not, do not give any statements before speaking with a lawyer. You are under NO obligation to do this. Do not speak to your injuries or make any comments about the incident. These statements can be used against you and damage your case. Insurance adjusters know how to ask tricky questions in order to get you to minimize your injuries or admit fault in some way. However, insurance companies cannot talk to you if an attorney represents you. Finding one to represent you as soon as possible ensures you don’t fall in any of the insurance traps and helps you get the compensation you deserve.
5. Do Not Delay in Getting Medical Treatment: Regardless of whether your injuries are serious the day of the accident, seek medical treatment and get a professional opinion. Often injuries from vehicle accidents do not become severe until a few days after the accident. Delays in treatment give insurance companies more reason to minimize the severity of your situation and claim they are unrelated to the accident. 
6. Contact MKP Law Group, LLP Today: Our experts are ready to get you or your loved one the compensation you deserve. Call us now for your free consultation at 310-285-5353. At MKP Law Group, LLP, our truck accident lawyers are highly experienced in handling commercial truck auto accidents and have obtained significant settlements on behalf of our clients. We know how to deal with insurance companies so that you do not have to. We also work with medical doctors, therapists, and professionals who can treat injuries resulting from the accident so you can focus on getting better.

MKP Law Group, LLP’s team strives to make the process as easy and quick as possible. Our team is experienced, attentive, dependable, and tenacious, so call us today to schedule your 100% consultation.

As always, if we don’t win your case, you don’t owe us a dime.

Common Injuries Sustained From Truck Accidents

People who are involved in collisions with semi-trucks are likely to sustain catastrophic injuries. These massive trucks can weigh tons, so their impact is often devastating.

The most common of these injuries are as follows:

• Minor bruises and scratches
• Broken bones
• Burn injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Paralysis
• Death

Regardless of the severity of your injury, always see a medical professional following the accident. Going as soon as possible is imperative because even when there are no physical signs of damage, there can be deeper trauma that reveals itself over time. Traumatic brain injuries or spinal injuries often take time to appear and can often be the result of truck accidents.

In 2018 alone, 4,136 people died in truck accidents.

Recoverable Damages in Truck Accident Cases

The damages one can recover for a semi-truck personal injury claim are essentially the same damages recoverable in an ordinary passenger vehicle accident. These damages may include the following:

• Medical expenses and bills
• Lost income
• Loss of earning capacity
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional Distress
• Loss of Consortium
• Property Damage
• Wrongful death: In wrongful death actions, a family member of the deceased victim can file a lawsuit to recover damages on behalf of the victim, including funeral/burial expenses.

In rare cases, special damages known as “punitive damages” are awarded. Punitive damages function is to make an example of and punish the at-fault party with the hope of deterring future wrongful conduct.

Determining Liability in Trucking Accidents

Every semi-truck accident requires a thorough investigation. Having all the accident facts is imperative to recover maximum compensation for your injury case. Often, hiring experts to engage in a fact-finding investigation allows legal teams to fully understand the accident’s circumstances and who is at fault. Our semi-truck accident attorneys have the experience and resources to conduct a thorough investigation, including:

• Obtaining and Reviewing Accident & Police Reports
• Investigating the Accident Scene
• Investigating & Verifying the Truckers Driving Credentials
• Interviewing all Witnesses
• Hire Experts to Analyze the Property Damage to the Vehicles
• Reviewing Trucking Company Records/Driver Logs
• Reviewing Truck Camera Footage

Semi-Truck accidents often involve multiple parties making them more complex. In general, the tractor or truck is owned by one entity and the trailer by another.

So, semi-truck accidents involve the truck driver AND multiple trucking companies AND their insurance companies. This means there could be numerous parties responsible for your injuries and several attorneys defending the claim.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (or “FMCSA”) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates the trucking industry in the U.S.

To combat the issue of driver fatigue and promote safety, the trucking industry is highly regulated by federal law with safety regulations on how many consecutive hours truckers can drive for, mandatory break periods, and rules requiring logs detailing trucker work hours.

Unfortunately, oftentimes these logs are manipulated or altered by the trucker or the trucking company to skirt federal laws and safety regulations. MKP Law Group, LLP’s truck accident lawyers know how to analyze these logs and determine if they are falsified and, if so, how to hold the trucking company fully accountable.

How a Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

Male lawyer or Counselor working in courtroom have meeting with client are consultation with contract papers of real estate, Law and Legal services concept.

Filing a truck accident injury claim and getting on the road towards filing legal action is complicated.

It is imperative you hire an experienced truck accident lawyer to take your case as soon as possible after a truck or semi-truck accident. Our experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorneys provide comprehensive professional legal representation and deal with the insurance companies so that our clients can focus on their medical treatment and recovery.

The Truck Accident Injury Claim Process

Thorough Investigation
Due to the extensive property damage and the likelihood of catastrophic injuries, almost every semi-truck accident will produce a police investigation and report. Our law office staff will obtain and review the police report and hire accident reconstruction experts to investigate the scene of the accident, trucker logs, and truck footage/data. We will also reach out to any eyewitnesses to obtain their statements. Our attorneys may have to send spoliation letters to the trucking company, to demand that the trucking company preserve all relevant data, footage, and/or reports.

File an Insurance Claim
After completing the investigation, our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys will submit a claim to any and all insurance companies that may provide coverage for the incident. The claims submitted to each insurance company will include a demand for full compensation for your injury claim as well as a detailed summary as to why the trucking company/truck driver was negligent and liable for the injury claim.

Settlement Negotiations
Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys know how to negotiate to maximize the case value. Before beginning negotiations, we talk to our clients to understand your ultimate goals for your injury claim to make sure we are all on the same page.

File a Lawsuit
If we are unable to resolve the case via settlement negotiations with the insurance company, the next step in the process is to file a lawsuit against all potential at-fault parties. During litigation, there is still the potential to settle the case out-of-court, but if the parties are unable to do so, then a trial will commence where evidence is presented, and a jury will issue a verdict. The jury will decide who is at-fault for the accident and how much compensation is owed to the victim.

It is important to remember that a trucking accident victim can still present an injury claim even if they were partially at fault for the accident.
California has adopted a comparative liability system. This system is known as comparative negligence. What it means for semi-truck accident victims is that they can still recover damages even if they were partially responsible for causing the accident, but the damages they can recover will be reduced based on the degree to which they were responsible for causing the accident.

Contact MKP Law Group, LLP Today

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident contact us today at 310-285-5353 so that we can start fighting to get you the compensation you deserve.

At MKP Law Group, LLP, we have personal injury attorneys that are highly experienced in handling auto accidents and have obtained large settlements on behalf of our clients.

We know how to deal with insurance companies so that you do not have to and, instead, can focus on getting better.

MKP Law Group, LLP’s team strives to make the process as easy and quick as possible for you. Our highly specialized attorneys are experienced, attentive, dependable, and tenacious so call us today to schedule your 100% consultation. As always, if we don’t win your case you don’t owe us a dime.

We proudly service clients in the city of Los Angeles and other cities in Los Angeles County including Santa Monica, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, and more. We also represent clients in Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County as well.