California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer
The Right Choice for Your California Tractor Trailer Accident. Named a Top Lawyer for 13 Years in a Row With Over 45 Years of Experience.
When you’ve been injured in an auto accident anywhere in California, finding the right California tractor trailer accident lawyer is essential to protect your rights and to make sure you obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries and all you’ve been through.
California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson offers over 45 years of experience representing traffic accident victims and clients who deserve the best in legal representation and is ready to provide immediate assistance to you and yours after an accident.
When you work with California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson, you’re working with with an attorney who has been named a Top Lawyer in Palm Springs Life Magazine year after year after year, and an attorney you can count on who has the determination to obtain a result you can be proud of. Tired of trying to reach an attorney who will actually answer your calls? Call us and see the difference when you’ve chosen the right California tractor trailer accident lawyer for your case.
California Tractor Trailer Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson, The Right Choice for You
It’s a considerable problem just how many tractor trailer truck accidents in California are caused by negligent, careless, reckless and inattentive tractor trailer truck drivers each year. The vast majority of such accidents in California are caused by drowsy and inattentive drivers who simply lose concentration or whose attention wanders after far too many hours on the road. If you’ve been the victim of such an accident caused by a negligent, careless or reckless tractor trailer truck driver, you need a California tractor trailer accident lawyer experienced in the handling of such cases.
California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has been recognized by Palm Springs Life Magazine as One of the Top Lawyers of 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011. He’s been called “Brilliant” and “A Legend.” If you want a top lawyer on your side, call Sebastian Gibson today at (760) 776-1810.
The California Vehicle Code statutes are meant to prevent tractor trailer truck drivers from falling asleep at the wheel, texting or performing other activities when they should be attentive to driving conditions, but truck drivers become distracted when they fill out forms while driving, use their cell phones to call their destinations or loved ones, talk to passengers, bend down to pick up something that’s fallen off a seat, or eat while they drive so they don’t lose time. When they perform these or any number of other tasks while driving, they become inattentive to the road, and truck accidents occur.
Tractor trailer truck accidents also occur when truck drivers fail to heed weather reports or continue to drive during windy conditions or other types of dangerous weather when they should be pulling off the road rather than risking their own lives and that of other drivers on the road.
One of the most unfortunate results of tractor trailer accidents in California, is that when a tractor trailer truck hits anything smaller like a compact car or even a pickup truck that gets in the way, more often than not, the smaller and more lightweight car or truck is going to be crushed or burn in a catastrophic accident involving sometimes horrendous injuries and or the death of any passengers, their children and their pets. If the tractor trailer truck does not jackknife, it may rollover and crush any other vehicles in its path.
Causes of Tractor Trailer and Big Rig Truck Accidents Throughout California
Strict deadlines put on truck drivers by their carriers and brokers can lead to dangerous driving, speeding and carelessness while operating vehicles that weigh as much as 10 or 20 times the weight of a car.
A truck driver and a commercial trucking company are required to make an inspection of their truck before setting out on the road. Such truck inspections can be superficial when facing a deadline to get goods delivered by a specific time. Truck brakes that seem mushy, balding tires, transmission or steering problems, truck lighting and other maintenance that need looking at are unfortunately put off until another time.
Commercial truck drivers operating on too little sleep and falsified rest periods, popping drugs to stay awake that only last so long, or relying on coffee to keep alert for merging or slow traffic can lead to disastrous consequences.
Trucking companies delivering commercial goods to businesses in California without sufficient assets, aging trucks or already facing fines or judgements for previous accidents can find themselves in financial trouble and only able to only hire truck drivers without the sufficient experience to drive safely on the roads you travel.
Commercial truck drivers from Palm Springs and Palm Desert to Indio and Thermal, in the Coachella Valley and California have been known to take unjustifiable risks when pulling out into traffic. Driving a big rig, tractor trailer or 18-wheeler truck at sunset or at night that is unable to accelerate quickly enough to avoid traffic coming in the opposite lane or around a bend is a recipe for disaster.
Palm Springs and Palm Desert Truck Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson has seen the consequences of these and other factors that cause catastrophic truck accidents in California and have the ability to obtain the compensation you deserve when you’ve suffered severe injuries in a California commercial truck accident.
As a skilled commercial truck accident lawyer, Sebastian Gibson will act immediately to preserve evidence and hire experts to reconstruct the causes of your truck accident in Palm Springs or Palm Desert and to determine the responsible parties for causing your injuries.
Compensation You’re Entitled To Following A California Tractor Trailer Truck Accident That’s Not Your Fault
Once a determination has been made as to the responsible parties and their insurance carriers, Palm Springs Truck Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson will seek to obtain compensation for your past and future medical bills and treatment, property damages for your car, motorcycle or truck, loss of wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life including loss of consortium and in instances when a truck driver has been drinking and is convicted of driving while intoxicated, punitive damages.
Commercial truck drivers operating big rig and tractor trailer trucks with the destructive capability of a tank have the highest standard to avoid a disastrous and tragic accident that can cause loss of life in an instant.
Driver fatigue caused by lack of sleep, substance abuse whether by alcohol or drugs, speeding to make deadlines or economic gain, insufficient inspections and truck maintenance, unsafe loading of trucks, and failure by a truck company to sufficiently train their truck drivers in safe driving techniques all contribute to the growing number of commercial truck accidents on California roads, highways and freeways in daytime traffic or late at night.
If you’ve been injured in a California commercial truck accident, call California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson without delay. Our office works on a contingency fee and we utilize experts in all phases of your case. We can refer you to medical specialists that work on a lien basis to ensure you obtain the medical treatment you need for your injuries. Our office also advances the court costs and our time and unless we’re successful in your case, you pay us nothing to reimburse us for costs we’ve advanced or for our legal fees.
What Happens After A California Tractor Trailer Truck Accident
After a commercial truck accident in California, a trucking company will immediately be on the line to their insurance carrier who will call out the troops to obtain, photograph or hide evidence. Truck drivers will clam up, records may become falsified, and maintenance records augmented. When such actions take place, it can be difficult to trace the actions that led to a truck accident disaster.
Fortunately, California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson is familiar with such tactics by truck drivers, their employers and commercial truck company insurance investigators as are most truck accident investigators from the California Highway Patrol and many Sheriff Officers who are called to the scene of truck accidents in Palm Springs and throughout the Coachella Valley and Orange County.
The Growing Number of Commercial Big Rig and Tractor Trailer Trucks On Freeways in California
More and more commercial trucks are on freeways not only in the slow lane, but in the lane next to the slowest lane and even occasionally in all the third lane from the right as big rig trucks are forced to the left by merging traffic or when seeking to pass slower trucks.
Even when traffic signs are posted prohibiting trucks from passing in mountains or hills, it’s not uncommon to see tractor trailer big rig trucks and 18 wheeler trucks passing slower commercial trucks late at night when truck drivers feel confident they won’t be seen by a California Highway Patrol officer.
As truck drivers are as a rule better trained than the average driver of a car, the cause of a truck accident on the freeway can be the result of the failure by the driver of another vehicle failing to yield the right of way to a commercial truck unable to move to another lane while merging into traffic. In such an event, the driver of the car merging without looking will commonly be found to be the primary cause of the truck accident.
When two or more commercial trucks are involved in a truck accident, one of the most common causes of such an accident is fatigue that causes the driver of one 18-wheeler truck to run into the rear of a second big rig commercial truck.
If you’ve been involved in a commercial tractor trailer truck accident, on the freeway, on a rural road or around town, or by a landscaping truck, garbage truck or delivery truck, call the offices of California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson immediately. Our office will go into motion without delay to preserve evidence crucial to your case. Whether your accident is in Palm Desert, Coachella, Orange County or anywhere in California, the right choice for you and your family after a truck collision resulting in injuries or loss of life is California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson.
These Are Some Of the Biggest Trucking Companies Whose Trucks You’ll See On the Highway
The number of trucks on the road is simply staggering. Today there are about 40 million trucks registered and used for business purposes (excluding government and farm).
There are nearly 1.2 million for-hire trucking companies on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in addition to private carriers totaling over 800,000, and a further 80,000 plus interstate motor carriers.
The size and weight of these trucks is equally staggering. Big rigs can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. There are by some estimates, as many as 15.5 million trucks operating in the U.S. Of this, 2 million tractor trailers are being operated, and over 5.5 million semi-trailers are on the roads and highways.
Not surprisingly, with this number of trucks on the road, it is estimated that over 500,000 truck accidents occur each year.
The top biggest trucking companies include the following:
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. provides truckload transportation as well as logistic services. Knight operates a fleet of 4,000 tractors and 8,800 trailers and also provides brokerage and other freight management services.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services operates more than 12,000 trucks. Over 100,000 trailers and containers are in its fleet. It was one of the first large US truck companies to utilize a system of trucking containers straight from trains and ships.
XPO Logistics is a freight brokerage provider worldwide, with approximately 38,000 independent carriers operating over one million trucks
Old Dominion Freight Line provides truckload shipping and also offers truckload brokerage, supply chain consulting, and warehousing. It operates approximately 41,000 tractor and trailers.
Schneider National operates 10,120 company trucks and 33,830 trailers on the road and provides brokerage, supply chain management, and port logistic services, among other services.
Werner Enterprises is a transportation and logistics company that operates with more than 8,000 trucks and 24,000 trailers.
Landstar System has a network of independent agents consisting of more than 16,000 trailers, 10,000 owner operated trucks and nearly 60,000 other capacity vehicles.
US Xpress Enterprises today has more than 15,500 trailers and 7,000 tractors providing logistic services.
Daeske is one of the biggest flatbed trucking companies with a fleet of more than 13,000 specialized trailers and 6,000 tractors.
CRST International has a current fleet of about 4,500 trucks.
The Estimated Number Of Trucks Operated in Private Fleets by Companies Is Even Larger Than You Might Have Thought
However, there are more than 200,000 companies, excluding farmers, who operate private fleets of trucks in the United States as well.
Among those private fleets, some of the largest include the following:
Walmart – 6,500 tractors and 55,000 trailers
Amazon – 40,000 semi-trucks and 30,000 vans
Waste Management Inc. – 26,000 collection and transfer vehicles
PepsiCo – 36,000 trucks and over 14,000 tractors
Coca- Cola – 5,487 tractors, 1,354 trucks, and 7,500 trailers
Sysco – 7,800 trailers and 9,400 total vehicles
US Foods – More than 5,400 tractors, nearly 350 straight trucks and more than 8,400 trailers
UPS – Nearly 100,000 delivery trucks, over 27,000 truck tractors, and nearly 100,000 trailers.
FedEx – More than 100,000 trucks in its Express division and more than 170,000 vehicles in its ground transportation fleet.
This Is How Many Trucks Are Manufactured and Sold Each Year
Over 235,000 heavy trucks were produced in the United States in 2020. More than 4.3 million heavy trucks were produced worldwide. The most popular semi-trucks in America include these trucks:
Freightliner, which has about 40% of the commercial truck market share and which sells about 190,000-200,000 trucks per year.
Kenworth, which sells over 150,000 trucks per year and which has about a 14% market share.
Peterbilt which manufactures medium and heavy-duty trucks has about a 13% market share. Peterbilt is a subsidiary of Paccar which also owns heavy-duty truck manufacturer Kenworth. Peterbilt makes over 150 trucks each day.
International has about an 11% market share.
Volvo Trucks make up about a 10% market share. A Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer, it also owns Mack Trucks.
It’s no wonder when you see so many large trucks on the freeways, roads and highways these days why truck accidents are so frequent.
A Tractor Trailer Truck Accident Can Change Your Life, But We Can Help
With over 40 years of experience as a personal injury attorney, California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has seen victims involved in an 18-wheeler truck accident, big rig truck accident, tractor trailer truck accident, semi truck accident, commercial truck accident, auto accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident or any other type of car or motor vehicle accident or personal injury claim. Many of these accidents in California have involved wrongful deaths, serious spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, as well as injuries to children.
Over the years, our personal injury and tractor truck accident lawyers have handled cases in California involving distracted and inattentive drivers, drowsy driving, aggressive driving, road rage intentional driving, negligent or careless driving, drunk driving accidents, reckless driving, hit and run accidents, intersection crashes, failures to stop at red lights and stop signs, accidents caused by speed, accidents caused by distracted drivers and drivers using their cell phones to text or tweet at the time of their accident.
Negligent driving by inattentive drivers isn’t simply committed by drivers of commercial and tractor trailer trucks and drivers of big rigs, and semi trucks, it’s also committed by young and old, people going to work or school, car and car pool drivers, drivers of SUV’s and pickup trucks and by motorcycle riders, and riders of mopeds and scooters.
The victims of careless and inattentive driving include other drivers of cars and trucks, pedestrians, bicycle riders, riders of motorcycles, sport bikes and mountain bikes as well as children playing and these accidents cause broken bones, internal injuries, back and neck injuries, soft tissue injuries, scars and on occasion, catastrophic injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia and wrongful deaths.
We’re Experienced In Dealing With Insurance Companies That Insure Trucks
With law degrees in both the U.S. and the U.K., Sebastian Gibson and over 40 years of experience in California and in London, California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has spent the last 25 years representing tractor trailer truck accident victims and other personal injury clients in Southern California. During that time he’s been frequently interviewed on radio and TV for his expertise, his wit and humor. The author of thousands of articles on the internet, California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has also written for the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal newspapers and is the author of a recently published book in 2012.
With millions of dollars in settlements for his auto accident clients and families who’ve lost a loved one, California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has been named one of the Top Lawyers the last 13 years running by Palm Springs Life Magazine for good reason. He’s known for his wit and humor, and a determination to make sure his clients receive the compensation they deserve. He has also been named as a “Superb” Lawyer by Avvo, their highest rating, which rates attorneys throughout the U.S.
Our personal injury lawyers have represented individuals injured in tractor trailer truck accidents and we can represent you against an insurance company for a tractor trailer truck accident in California, both inland, and up and down the coast.
Take Care Of Yourself And Get Better, We’ll Handle The Legal Issues
The most important thing for you to do after being the victim of a tractor trailer truck accident caused by an negligent or careless driver or one where the other driver was inattentive, reckless or distracted, is to get the best possible treatment you need for your injuries.
Depending on the level of impact to you or your vehicle, which in these accidents is usually extensive, you’re almost certainly in a great deal of pain, may still be off work, and may be worried how you’re going to pay for medical treatment if you have no health insurance.
California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson can safely guide you through your tractor trailer truck accident, deal with the insurance adjusters and refer you to doctors who will wait to be paid out of any settlement for the treatment they provide to you.
After A Tractor Trailer Truck Driving Accident, Let Us Talk To The Insurance Company
We can prevent you from falling into traps set by insurance company adjusters who may either be ignoring you or calling you constantly, trying to trip you up by taking a recorded statement to either pin the blame on you or to get you to say you’re fine before you can even identify all your aches and pains.
Despite their warm and friendly image on TV, insurance companies can be difficult at best to deal with and the insurance adjusters in California are particularly bad. An insurance company will often suggest that your claim has little or no value by using any admissions you made in your recorded statement against you or by using pre-existing medical conditions against you.
If an insurance company infers they see some comparative negligence on your behalf for even a made up reason, suddenly even a “nuisance value” settlement offer may sound like a good deal when it’s not, to an accident victim desperate to have their car repaired so they can return to work and put food on the table for their family.
When It Matters Most, Call California Tractor Trailer Truck Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson
The time to act is now, before the insurance company concludes your case can be resolved for pennies on the dollar because you’re unrepresented and categorizes your case as having little more than nuisance value. Call the number at the top of this page to talk to attorney Sebastian Gibson.
Just knowing that California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has now been named a 2023 Top Lawyer by the prestigious Palm Springs Life Magazine for the 13th year in a row, you can feel confident you’ve made the right choice when you retain Sebastian Gibson as your truck accident lawyer.
Choosing the Right California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer
California Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Sebastian Gibson’s practice areas in the field of truck accident law is today focused on the representation of individual victims who have been seriously injured and families who have lost a loved one when their vehicle has been involved in an accident with a big rig truck, tractor-trailer truck, semi-trailer truck, 18 wheeler, Fed Ex, UPS or other delivery truck, landscaping truck, garbage disposal truck, dump truck, cement mixer, flatbed truck, refrigerated truck, tank truck, heavy hauler, mobile crane, military truck, box truck, construction truck, car transport truck trailer, a fire truck or a heavy duty pickup truck.
