Average Truck Accident Settlement in California [2024 Updated]

When a passenger vehicle or a motorcycle collides with a commercial truck or tractor-trailer, it is not an even match. The size and weight of trucks can cause significant damage to smaller vehicles, which can result in serious injuries to the vehicle occupants or operators. Victims of truck accidents have the right to seek compensation when incidents like these occur. If you’ve been in a crash with a truck, it may be useful to know the average truck accident settlement in California.

Your Right to Compensation for Truck Accidents in California

California is considered an at-fault state, which means that you have the legal right to recover compensation for losses or damage to your vehicle after an automobile accident. You also have the right to seek compensation for bodily injuries or the death of a loved one that resulted from an automobile crash. This is true for truck accidents in California as well.

While you do have the right to seek compensation for property damage and physical injuries caused by truck collisions, there is a limited amount of time after the incident for you to legally pursue compensation. The statutes of limitations in California for seeking compensation after a truck accident are as follows:

• The statute of limitations in California for property damage is three years from the date when the damage occurred.
• The statute of limitations for personal injury is two years from the event that caused the injury unless the injuries were discovered at a later time.
• The statute of limitations for personal injury is one year for injuries that were discovered at a later time after the event.

While the statute of limitations for property damage and personal injury in California does give you years to seek compensation, it can be helpful for your case to file a claim as soon as possible after an accident with a truck. Your ability to recall the details of the accident may diminish over time, and people who witnessed the accident may forget key pieces of information in the years after the event initially occurred.

Comparative Fault in California

California follows a comparative fault rule, which means that you can seek compensation even if you share part of the responsibility for the collision with a commercial truck or tractor-trailer. If you are 20% responsible for causing the accident, you can seek 80% of the total compensation won from the defendant for your property damage or injuries. Even if you were 50% at fault for causing the accident, you can still seek compensation for your injuries in California.

California Truck Accident Settlement Amounts

The average settlement amount for truck accidents in California varies based on the type of accident and the damages or bodily injuries that those who were involved in the crashes sustained. Payouts for truck accidents can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. There have been cases in which individuals who were involved in automobile crashes were later awarded more than a million dollars because their injuries were so severe.

Because the range for truck accident settlement amounts can vary so significantly, it is advisable to consider speaking with a professional personal injury attorney who has experience representing clients who were involved in truck crashes. A truck accident attorney with knowledge of truck crash cases can assess the details of your accident with a truck. They can then determine an appropriate amount of compensation that you could seek.

FAQs

Q: How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements in California?

A: Most truck accident settlements in California range from thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Multiple factors can determine the amount of compensation that you are entitled to, such as the severity of your injuries or the degree of damage to your vehicle from the accident. Additionally, you may be entitled to punitive damages if the driver of the truck was breaking the law when the accident occurred.

Q: How Much Is the Average Truck Accident Settlement in California?

A: The average truck accident settlement in California depends on the type of truck accident. A head-on collision with a truck might cause more severe injuries or even death to the driver of the other vehicle. Truck accidents in which drivers sustain significant injuries are likely to see settlement amounts that are higher than those with less severe or significant injuries. If you were injured in a truck accident, consider consulting with an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Q: How Much Are Most Personal Injury Settlements for Truck Accidents?

A: Most personal injury settlements for individuals involved in truck accidents range from several thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. There have been some cases in which people involved in automobile accidents were awarded more than a million dollars because they sustained significant neck and back injuries.

Even if you were partially at fault for causing an accident with a truck, you have the right to seek compensation in California for a certain amount of time after the accident under the state’s comparative fault rule.

Q: What Is the Average Settlement for Pain and Suffering From Truck Accidents?

A: The average settlement amount for pain and suffering that was caused by a truck accident changes depending on the type of pain and suffering. If you were injured in an automobile accident involving a truck, you could be granted a significant amount of compensation for your pain and suffering.

To obtain compensation for pain and suffering after a truck accident, you must be able to prove that the pain and suffering is a direct result of the accident with the truck. Non-visible ailments, like anxiety or emotional trauma, can be difficult to prove without the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Contact a Reputable Truck Accident Attorney

The attorneys at Law Offices of David Davidi, APLC, are strong advocates when representing clients who were involved in accidents with commercial trucks and tractor-trailers. If you were injured or suffered property damage or loss due to a truck driver’s negligence, we can provide the legal representation you need to recover the full amount of compensation that you are entitled to by California law. Contact Law Offices of David Davidi, APLC, today.