Driving in and around San Jose involves sharing the roadways with many commercial trucks.

A semi-truck weighs up to 80,000 lbs. when fully loaded and requires a much longer distance to stop, making it far more difficult to control. When a truck driver does not control the vehicle safely, this can lead to serious or fatal injuries to others who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rebuilding your life after a truck accident: Get the legal help you deserve

At The Swanson Law Group, our semi-truck accident attorneys in San Jose represent those injured in an accident with a semi-truck, big rig, 18-wheeler, or other commercial truck. Our goal is to achieve justice for the injured and help them rebuild their lives by getting their health back and recovering top compensation for their injuries.

Types of truck accidents

When a truck driver is unable to safely control a vehicle, several types of collisions occur, including:

Jackknife truck accidents: When a truck driver speeds, drives on wet roads, or has an unevenly loaded trailer, the trailer can swing sideways, which results in the tractor that is pulling the load being pushed sideways. The vehicle is no longer in control and the weight of the tractor and trailer continues in motion, sweeping aside any vehicle nearby.

Rollover truck accidents: A big rig traveling on curved roadways at an unsafe speed can cause the vehicle to become unbalanced and the trailer to tip over. Driver error is the most common cause of a rollover, performing negligent actions such as talking on the phone, alcohol or drug intoxication, being fatigued, or other type of failure to operate the vehicle safely. 

Rear-end truck accidents: A driver who is operating a large commercial truck too fast for the road conditions or who is speeding may be unable to bring the vehicle to a stop fast enough to avoid ramming into a passenger car ahead.

Sideswipe truck accidents: A truck driver may be operating the vehicle unsafely, allowing it to swing into an adjoining lane or changing lanes and impacting a vehicle in another lane, causing a serious or fatal collision.

Underride truck accidents: When another vehicle slides beneath the body of a truck, the cabin of the vehicle can be sheared off or crumpled, crushing the driver and passenger. 

Our big rig accident lawyers in San Jose are here to help you in your most trying times. 

Who is liable? 

Filing a claim for compensation requires identifying all liable parties. In a truck accident, multiple parties may be liable, including:

  • The truck driver: A negligent driver who has failed to operate the vehicle safely, exceeded speed limits, or made a serious error in judgment could be named in a claim or lawsuit.
  • The trucking firm: The trucking firm that owns the vehicle and employs the driver may be held responsible due to failure to maintain the vehicle or train the truck driver as required by law.
  • The truck manufacturer: If a truck system failed, the truck manufacturer may be liable in a truck accident injury case.
  • The truck parts manufacturer: If a critical truck part failed, the part manufacturer may be held liable.
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Settlement or trial? 

Many times, a case will be settled — but we never compromise. Our clients deserve to recover fair compensation, and when an insurance company offers a low settlement (which they usually do), we prepare for battle. To get an idea of how we communicate with insurance companies, take a look at a few of our insurance letters and some of our case results. While our clients wait for the case to resolve, we provide up-front money to help them through the tough times.

The Swanson Law Group: A passion for justice

At The Swanson Law Group, our team of truck accident attorneys in San Jose take on cases to achieve justice and total compensation. Our legal team prepares for each case as if it will go to trial and are passionate about getting you what is right. 

Get the help you need from a team you can trust

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Our investigation into a truck accident: What is involved?

After we take on a client in a truck accident case, our investigation into the facts begins. Every detail of the collision will be reviewed, including: 

  • The truck’s black box data: Commercial trucks are equipped with a black box that tracks speed and other data. This information can reveal truck driver errors such as speeding and any false information in the truck driver’s hours-of-service log.
  • Truck driver training and experience: The Code of Federal Regulations covers the laws regulating commercial drivers. A driver may have a history of violations, or the inquiry required into the driver’s history may not have been performed by the trucking firm.
  • The hours-of-service log: Truck drivers must follow the hours-of-service regulations. They have strict rules regarding how long they can drive without rest, as well as the breaks they must take. This information is kept in a log, but does the information match the black box data? Truck drivers can be under pressure to deliver a load on time, and therefore may violate the hours of service regulations. We investigate every detail.
  • The accident investigation report: Reports are issued by several agencies, including local law enforcement and, in serious accidents, federal accident investigators. These reports can be a key part of the evidence supporting a claim for compensation.

Our mission: Your health, your compensation, and the road ahead

At The Swanson Law Group, our mission is to help our clients get better after a truck accident by giving them access to our network of physicians and specialists. These are wonderful doctors — the very same that we would visit if we had a similar injury to yours. Your health is our top priority, and we help you keep track of your appointments and follow-up care. Your job is to go to your appointments, take your medications, follow the doctor’s orders, and get better. We are focused on assisting each person we represent to face life ahead with a positive attitude so they can make the most out of their lives and the money recovered in a claim or lawsuit. We take care of our clients and take down insurance companies.

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You are not alone. Let us guide you

Losing your health can be impossible to understand until it actually happens. A severe injury can leave you feeling hopeless.

Our legal team has the legal know-how you need on your side after a truck accident. If you want uncommon results, you need a unique attorney.

A law firm that cares and is willing to fight for you

There are many lawyers who can attract clients, send them to a chiropractor, and then urge them to accept whatever amount the insurance companies offer. This is not how we operate at The Swanson Law Group. We are fully committed to achieving fair and full compensation, and we are willing to go to battle for it. We care more and fight harder.

Types of damages in a truck accident: What is your case worth?

Every case is different. When valuing a claim, several types of damages can be pursued, including:

  • Economic losses: These damages include the cost of medical treatment (past, present, and estimated for the future), lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, medications, rehabilitation costs, and other losses.
  • Non-economic damages: The injuries sustained have a terrible impact on the individual. These damages include pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, the losses associated with intimacy with a loved one, and other very personal and very significant losses.

Our core values: Client service, empathy, resolve, team, and results

When the legal team at The Swanson Law Group takes on a case, we are fully committed to our client and their future, and we engage in a relentless quest for justice. When we represent you, you can rest assured that you have joined a winning team that’s with you throughout every phase of your journey to better health and the best life possible.

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Free case consultation

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, we offer a free case consultation to speak with you about what happened. We are interested in your side of the story. If an insurance company has made a settlement offer, we urge you to have it reviewed. These companies are profit-based and often offer a settlement far lower than you deserve — in particular, to members of the Hispanic community, a group that tends to get victimized often by insurance companies.

We have a lot of respect for this community, and we do everything we can to fight back against the tactics of the insurance companies. All our cases are represented on a contingency fee basis. This means there are no legal fees unless we win. Call us today and talk to a law firm with a strong record of successful results that genuinely cares about you. 

Get the help you need from a team you can trust

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