A collision with a commercial truck is different from a typical car accident. The vehicles are larger, the injuries are often more severe, and the legal issues become far more complicated. If you or a loved one has just been involved in a truck crash, you may be overwhelmed, in pain, and unsure of what to do next.
Knowing what to do after a truck accident can protect your health, preserve your legal rights, and prevent the trucking company from shifting blame or withholding necessary evidence. This post walks you through the essential steps to take under California law so you can move forward with clarity and support.
1. Get to Safety and Call 911 Immediately
Truck accidents often cause extensive damage and create dangerous crash scenes. Large commercial vehicles can block lanes, spill cargo, or catch fire. Your first step is to get yourself and your passengers to safety if you are able. Move away from the truck, especially if it is leaking fuel or appears unstable.
Once you are safe, call 911. California law requires drivers to report accidents involving injuries or fatalities. Because truck collisions often cause serious injuries, emergency responders must assess the situation, treat victims, and secure the roadway. Paramedics and law enforcement officers also document the accident, which can later become critical evidence.
2. Check for Injuries, Including Ones You Cannot See
In truck accidents, injuries are often severe because of the force of impact. Even if you do not feel pain right away, check yourself and others carefully. The adrenaline response in traumatic events can mask serious injuries like concussions, internal bleeding, and spinal trauma.
If anyone appears hurt, do not move them unless they are in immediate danger. Allow paramedics to evaluate everyone at the scene. Their reports help link your injuries directly to the collision, which insurance companies closely scrutinize in truck-related claims.
3. Allow Law Enforcement to Conduct a Full Investigation
When officers arrive, they will:
- Interview both drivers,
- Document vehicle positions,
- Inspect damage,
- Create diagrams of the scene,
- Identify whether traffic laws were violated, and
- Take statements from witnesses.
Unlike simple car accidents, truck collisions often involve violations of federal trucking regulations, fatigue issues, equipment failures, and overloaded trailers. Officers may call specialized investigators to examine the truck’s condition or request commercial vehicle inspection units from CHP.
Do not leave before speaking with law enforcement. Stick to the facts and avoid discussing fault. You cannot fully know what caused the crash at this early stage, and trucking companies often send their own investigators to protect their interests.
4. Exchange Required Information with the Truck Driver
California Vehicle Code requires you to exchange information with the other driver. In truck accidents, take extra steps to gather more detailed information, including:
- Driver’s name, address, and license number;
- Trucking company name and DOT number;
- Insurance carrier for both the driver and the trucking company;
- Trailer owner, if different;
- License plate and trailer number; and
- The driver’s employer (they may not be an employee but an independent contractor).
Trucking accidents often involve multiple layers of responsibility. Collecting accurate information now prevents confusion later.
5. Document the Scene Carefully as Evidence Disappears Fast
Trucking companies often send response teams to the scene to protect evidence, take photos favorable to the driver, and secure company documents. You should document everything you can before anything is moved.
Take photos and videos of:
- Vehicle damage and debris;
- Skid marks and impact points;
- The truck’s position and trailer configuration;
- DOT markings, hazard placards, and cargo;
- Road conditions and weather;
- Injuries; and
- Traffic signals, signs, and intersections.
If you notice dash cams on the truck or nearby businesses with security cameras, make note of their locations. Your truck accident attorney in Sacramento can request this footage before it is erased.
6. Seek Immediate Medical Care
Truck accident injuries can be catastrophic, but even those that start as “soreness” can develop into severe conditions. Seek medical care as soon as possible, even if you think you feel fine.
Early medical documentation:
- Protects your health,
- Creates a clear record linking your injuries to the crash, and
- Prevents insurance companies from arguing the injuries were “not related.”
Save your discharge papers, follow-up instructions, prescriptions, and imaging results. These documents help establish the severity of your injuries and the treatment you will need.
7. Notify Your Insurance Company
You must notify your insurance carrier within a reasonable time after the crash. However, with truck accidents, the stakes are much higher because the trucking company and its insurer are highly motivated to protect their bottom line.
When reporting the collision:
- Provide basic facts,
- Do not guess about what caused the accident,
- Decline recorded statements, and
- Avoid minimizing your injuries.
The trucking company’s insurer may also try to contact you quickly. Do not speak with them until you have talked to an attorney. They are looking for statements they can twist to reduce your compensation.
8. File Required Reports with California DMV
If a truck accident causes injuries, fatalities, or more than $1,000 in damage, you must file a DMV SR-1 report within 10 days. This requirement applies even if law enforcement has already documented the accident.
Failing to file the SR-1 can lead to license suspension. Your attorney can help you complete and submit it correctly so that all required details are included.
9. Understand the Complexities of Truck Accident Liability
Truck accidents differ from standard collisions because multiple parties may be responsible. Depending on the circumstances, liability may involve:
- The truck driver,
- The trucking company (carrier),
- The trailer owner,
- The shipping company that loaded the cargo,
- Maintenance companies,
- Manufacturers of defective parts, and
- Brokers or logistics companies.
Each party has its own insurance policy and will try to minimize its own exposure. Understanding who to pursue is one of the most important steps after a truck accident, and one of the hardest to accomplish without legal help.
10. Preserve Crucial Evidence Before the Trucking Company Destroys It
Commercial trucking companies are required to keep certain records, but many are allowed to destroy them after short retention periods. Important evidence includes:
- Driver’s logbooks and hours-of-service records,
- Electronic logging device (ELD) data,
- Dispatch logs,
- GPS data,
- Maintenance and inspection reports,
- Pre-trip and post-trip inspection records,
- Drug and alcohol test results, and
- Driver qualification files.
Once you hire an attorney, they will send a spoliation letter demanding that this evidence be preserved. Without this step, vital information could be lost forever.
11. Know the Damages Available in a Truck Accident Claim
Because trucks are heavier than standard vehicles, their accidents often cause extensive physical, emotional, and financial harm. You may be entitled to compensation for:
- Emergency medical treatment,
- Hospital bills and surgeries,
- Future medical care,
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity,
- Property damage,
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional distress,
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and
- Wrongful death damages in fatal crashes.
The value of a truck accident claim is typically much higher than a car accident claim, but insurers will aggressively fight these cases to protect their financial interests.
12. Mistakes to Avoid After a Truck Accident
To protect your case, avoid:
- Apologizing or admitting fault,
- Speaking to the trucking company’s insurer,
- Signing any documents without legal review,
- Posting accident details on social media,
- Missing doctor’s appointments, and
- Accepting early settlement offers.
Truck accident claims require strategy, consistency, and professional support from the beginning.
13. Why You Should Contact a California Truck Accident Lawyer Early
Truck accident cases move fast because trucking companies have teams trained to respond immediately after a crash. While you are recovering, they are gathering evidence, interviewing their driver, reviewing their logs, and preparing defenses.
Hiring a lawyer early helps you:
- Preserve critical evidence,
- Stop the trucking company from controlling the narrative,
- Identify every liable party,
- Prevent insurers from pressuring you,
- Calculate the full value of your damages, and
- Pursue a settlement or file a lawsuit when necessary.
Your attorney becomes your advocate during one of the most stressful times of your life.
Speak with a California Truck Accident Lawyer Who Knows How to Protect You
After a crash with a commercial truck, you deserve more than surface-level advice or insurance representatives who care more about minimizing payouts than helping you recover. You deserve a legal team that understands the complexities of trucking law, sees the obstacles ahead, and provides a clear path forward. That is precisely what the Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C. offers.
Our firm approaches every truck accident case with the seriousness it deserves. Commercial carriers and their insurers act quickly to defend themselves, but we act just as fast to protect you. We investigate the crash in detail, gather the evidence that trucking companies often fail to disclose voluntarily, and identify every party responsible for the harm you suffered. Our attorneys take the time to listen, understand what the collision has taken from you, and build a strategy tailored to your medical needs, financial challenges, and long-term recovery.
When you work with us, you are not left to guess or handle pressure from insurance adjusters on your own. We communicate directly with the trucking company, its insurer, and all related parties so you can focus on healing while we handle the legal burden. Whether your case involves severe injuries, disputed liability, or multiple insurance policies, we pursue the compensation you need to rebuild your life. And if the insurer refuses to negotiate in good faith, our team is fully prepared to take your case to court.
If you have questions about what to do after a truck accident, reach out to the Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C., today to schedule your consultation. We are here to protect your rights, guide you through the process, and help you move forward with confidence and support.
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