Have you or someone you care about recently been injured in a truck accident in San Jose, California? Call Mercado Kramer, LLP at (888) 311-4050 for a free consultation today. The trucking company and its careless driver should be held accountable. Our experienced San Jose truck accident lawyers are ready to fight for your compensation.
Our firm is a trusted name in personal injury litigation, bringing 18 years of collective legal experience to high-stakes legal disputes. Discover how our experience, passion for justice, and determined advocacy can make a difference in your fight for compensation after a truck accident. Contact our San Jose personal injury attorneys to arrange a free case review today.
Why Choose Mercado Kramer, LLP for Help After a Truck Accident in San Jose
Don’t leave anything to chance after a truck accident in San Jose, CA. Make sure you make the most of your truck accident lawsuit by hiring an experienced San Jose personal injury lawyer.
Victims of catastrophic truck accidents choose Mercado Kramer, LLP, because we’re honest and compassionate attorneys who aren’t afraid to be aggressive to obtain the best case results possible.
We’re recognized for excellence in personal injury litigation by:
- The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
- The Week, and
- Univision.
Serving the Bay Area and Central California, we stand up to powerful corporations on behalf of everyday people and don’t rest until their stories are heard and they’re made whole. The trucking company won’t have your best interests at heart after your accident, but our San Jose truck accident attorneys will.
Contact our legal team to discuss the specific details of your truck accident case today. There’s no charge for your initial case review.
How Much Money Is My San Jose Truck Accident Case Worth?
No two truck accidents are the same. No two truck accident victims will have the same experience after a collision. So, it’s difficult to estimate what your truck accident case might be worth without knowing more about your specific crash and how it’s affected your life.
Several factors can be relevant when calculating how much money can be awarded to a San Jose truck accident victim:
- The types of physical injuries sustained
- Changes in the ability to work
- Changes in earning capacity
- Contributory fault
- Age and life expectancy
- Available insurance benefits and applicable policy limits
- Changes in quality of life
- Costs to replace or repair damaged property
The more serious a person’s truck accident injuries, the more their life is likely to change physically, emotionally, and financially. When that person files a legal claim, they can pursue compensation for the full extent to which their life has changed because of the truck accident. So, the potential award is likely to be highest when injuries are catastrophic or fatal.
However, several factors, including shared fault and failure to mitigate, can also limit a truck accident victim’s potential financial recovery.
Since valuation can be complicated, it’s important to hire an experienced California truck accident attorney in San Jose to handle your claim. Our firm works closely with reliable expert witnesses and specialists to ensure that our clients have every opportunity to win their cases and recover compensation that truly represents what their claims are worth.
What Damages Can Be Awarded to Truck Accident Victims?
Damages are paid to make you whole after a truck accident in San Jose, California.
Whether you file a claim with the trucking service’s insurance company or seek compensation through a civil lawsuit, you can ask for both economic and non-economic damages for:
- Current and medical bills
- Lost wages, benefits, and income
- Diminished earning capacity
- Disability
- Property damage
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Pain and suffering
If your truck accident lawsuit moves to trial, a Santa Clara County court can also potentially award another type of damages: those designed to punish a defendant for their actions. Punitive damages are usually only appropriate under California law when there is compelling proof of malice, oppression, or fraud.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Truck Accident Attorney in San Jose, CA?
You won’t pay unless our personal injury attorneys in San Jose win your truck accident case.
We offer representation on a contingency fee basis, which means our attorney fees are directly tied to the case results we achieve.
If we don’t win, you pay nothing. When we recover a settlement or win a verdict at trial, our attorneys are paid a percentage of that monetary award.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in California?
It’s likely because California follows a pure comparative negligence standard. You can typically get compensation for your truck accident injuries as long as you’re not 100% responsible for your accident. However, the degree to which you are to blame will limit your financial recovery.
Damages are generally reduced proportionately to fault. If you’re 25% to blame for a recent big rig accident in San Jose, any settlement offer or jury award you receive will likely be reduced by 25% to account for your shared fault.
Common Truck Accident Injuries in San Jose, CA
Large tractor-trailers and semi-trucks can generate a lot of force when involved in a crash. When those crashes involve smaller vehicles, they can do a lot of damage to the occupants inside.
It’s common for victims of truck accidents to suffer:
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Crushing injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Chest injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Brain injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Leg injuries
- Burn injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Sometimes, the shock of being involved in an accident with a large commercial truck can make it hard to identify signs and symptoms of physical trauma. Don’t assume you haven’t been hurt. Instead, make it a priority to get to the closest hospital in San Jose for a thorough medical evaluation. The sooner your injuries are diagnosed and treated, the better.
What Are the Leading Causes of Truck Accidents in California?
Commercial rigs can cause extensive damage when they’re not driven or operated properly, so truck drivers, trucking companies, and the trucking industry as a whole are held to heightened safety standards. Still, the existence of stringent safety regulations doesn’t automatically ensure compliance, so accidents do still happen.
Factors that tend to contribute to truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk and drugged driving
- Driver fatigue
- Braking errors
- Following too closely
- Wide turns
- Unsafe passing
- Illegal turns
- Unsecured cargo
- Negligent vehicle maintenance and inspections
- Negligent hiring and/or training
- Auto malfunctions
- Speeding, including driving too fast for the conditions
- Aggressive driving and road rage
There are also situations where human error isn’t the only cause of a truck accident. Many truck accidents can also be attributed to mechanical problems, auto defects, and bad weather conditions.
Representing Clients Injured in All Types of Truck Accidents in California
Every truck accident is different, so it’s important to hire a law firm whose attorneys have extensive experience litigating cases like yours.
We proudly advocate for clients in truck accident cases involving:
- Truck rollovers
- Jackknife accidents
- Override accidents
- Underride accidents
- Squeeze play accidents
- Lost cargo accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Side impact collisions
- Tire blowouts
- Bobtail truck accidents
- Blind spot truck accidents
- Fatal truck accidents
Hiring an experienced and qualified legal advocate to handle your truck accident case could be the difference between a nominal financial recovery and a life-changing one. Our truck accident attorneys in San Jose have a proven ability to litigate tough cases and win big results. Contact us to discuss your truck accident case today.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in California?
While there can be exceptions, most California truck accident lawsuits must comply with a two-year statute of limitations.
This means you’ll have until the second anniversary of the date you were injured in a San Jose truck accident to submit a truck accident claim with the local court. If you miss the filing deadline, you lose out on the ability to hold the trucking company, a negligent truck driver, or another liable party accountable for your considerable costs and suffering.
Contact Our San Jose Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Contact the award-winning legal team at Mercado Kramer, LLP if you’ve suffered injuries in a recent truck accident in San Jose, CA. You have rights as a truck accident victim, and our San Jose truck accident lawyers want to make sure you’re able to recover the compensation you need and deserve.
Hiring our personal injury law firm puts 18+ years of combined experience and a multi-million-dollar track record of success in your corner. It shows the trucking service and its insurer that you’re not backing down without a fight, and that you won’t give up until you’ve been made whole.
We offer a free consultation, so call our San Jose law office to begin today.
