San Diego Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney

Were you or a loved one involved in a crash with a commercial vehicle? Are you facing surgery for a significant injury? Are you worried about paying for your medical bills? These are difficult questions and if you are trying to deal with them alone, it is time to call The Levinson Law Group and get answers from a commercial vehicle accident attorney. The last thing you need right now is confusion, uncertainty and anxiety about your future.

Commercial vehicles are just as serious and deadly as truck accidents. Each commercial vehicle accident is different, and the facts dictate how a case is handled. If you or a loved one was involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle owned by Amazon, FedEx, UPS or OnTrac, you likely have serious injuries. Commercial vehicle accidents cause enormous damage, and those who survive need all the legal assistance they can get.

Types of Commercial Vehicle Crashes

A commercial vehicle is used by a business, is registered and insured under the company name, not an individual, and is typically a van, truck, limousine, bus, or taxi, rideshare vehicles and even semis.

Crashes that involve commercial vehicles may include:

• Light trucks
• Delivery vans
• Pizza delivery vehicles
• Airport limousines
• Airport shuttles
• Heavy vehicles on construction sites
• Parcel express trucks such as FedEx, UPS, Amazon, UPS
• Delivery vans
• Light truck with/without trailers
• Rental vans
• Light trucks used for maintenance, landscaping, or construction
• Foodservice vans
• Lunch wagons
• Buses run by public transit authorities, private entities or school districts
• Maintenance, inspection vehicles run by utility companies
• Box trucks

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) divides commercial trucks into eight classes:

• Class 1 – GVWR ranges from 0 to 6,000 pounds (0 to 2,722 kg)
• Class 2 – GVWR ranges from 6,001 to 10,000 pounds (2,722 to 4,536 kg)
• Class 3 – GVWR ranges from 10,001 to 14,000 pounds (4,536 to 6,350 kg)
• Class 4 – GVWR ranges from 14,001 to 16,000 pounds (6,351 to 7,257 kg)
• Class 5 – GVWR ranges from 16,001 to 19,500 pounds (7,258 to 8,845 kg)
• Class 6 – GVWR ranges from 19,501 to 26,000 pounds (8,846 to 11,793 kg)
• Class 7 – GVWR ranges from 26,001 to 33,000 pounds (11,794 to 14,969 kg)
• Class 8 – GVWR is anything above 33,000 pounds (14,969 kg)

Commercial Delivery Vehicle Accidents

Commercial vehicle accidents often take longer to settle. The company has a team of attorneys and insurance experts working to avoid paying out much on a claim or even trying to deny the claim. It can take years to receive compensation.

Delivery companies hire numerous workers to deliver packages. In most instances, the employees follow strict rules about driving safety. However, some companies only want the goods delivered, and it does not matter how that gets done.

Some companies even have a list for each driver detailing the number of deliveries they are responsible for in one day. That usually means the driver has to double-time it to get all the packages delivered. The hiring company is responsible for hiring capable drivers and making sure they are appropriately licensed and qualified. If drivers need training, that needs to be done as well. If there is a probationary period, that must be adhered to for safety’s sake.

Hiring inexperienced drivers and expecting the impossible in improbable timeframes results in tired, inattentive and rushed employees that are an accident looking for a place to happen. To keep up with the high demand to deliver packages, the hiring company needs to keep their fleet safe with regular inspections.

It is not just the company that needs to ensure all of their vehicles are in good operating order, but the manufacturer as well. If an automaker markets a vehicle with faulty parts or it has not been properly tested, it is a dangerous vehicle on the road – one that can cause serious accidents or kill someone. In the instance of a defective commercial vehicle, the driver of that vehicle and the passenger in the other car have the right to file a claim for damages.

Who Is Responsible for a Commercial Vehicle Accident?

If the other driver was the at-fault party, the business or trucking company is liable for your injuries. If you were at fault, you are responsible for paying damages.

Common commercial vehicle accidents can include:

• Tire blowouts
• Wide turn accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Head-on collisions
• T-bone collisions
• No-Zone accidents
• Rollovers
• Improperly secured load

What Causes a Commercial Vehicle Accident?

Some of the most common causes of commercial vehicle accidents include:

• Poor or no driver training
• Improper maintenance for fleet vehicles, cutting corners and not replacing worn tires, etc.
• Speeding
• Overtaking to pass another vehicle
• Distracted driving
• Driving while drowsy and trying to meet delivery deadlines
• Being under the influence of prescription or street drugs, or alcohol
• Aggressive driving by vehicles or the trucker
• Rush hours with clogged, vehicle to vehicle lineups

Commercial Vehicle Accidents Are Unique

Every vehicle accident is unique. When commercial vehicles are involved, filing a personal injury claim is far more complex due to the trucking industry’s complicated regulations and laws. It takes specialized legal knowledge of the trucking industry to research, from start to finish, a case to reach a settlement in a commercial truck accident or take it to court. Every factor involved in a commercial truck case is thoroughly researched and assessed for what part it played in the crash. Who was negligent? How were they negligent? You never walk alone when you connect with The Levinson Law Group.

When you decide to work with The Levinson Law Group, you will know that you have someone in your corner throughout the entire process. We begin by explaining the recovery process in understandable terms and ensure we are available to answer your questions whenever they come up. To learn more about your options, give The Levinson Law Group a call at 760-512-8088. You can also connect with us through our online contact form. We accept cases on a contingent fee. That means that if there is no recovery in your case, you pay no fee. And in most cases, we even advance the costs.