Truck accidents usually mean more serious injuries, more parties who might be at fault, and a lot more evidence to track down. A big rig can weigh many times what your car does, so a crash on the 5 or the 805 that would be a fender bender between two sedans can put someone in the hospital.
The biggest difference is who you end up dealing with. In a car accident case, you're often up against one driver and their insurance. In a truck accident case, the responsible party might be the driver, the trucking company that employed them, the company that loaded the cargo, or a maintenance contractor. More than one insurance policy can be in play, and those policies tend to be larger, which means the insurance companies fight harder.
There's also evidence unique to trucking. Commercial trucks carry electronic logging devices, driver hour records, inspection and maintenance files, and sometimes onboard cameras. That evidence can disappear fast, so getting a lawyer involved early matters.
California still gives you two years to file a personal injury claim under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, but a truck case takes longer to build, so time is not really on your side.
This is general information, not legal advice, and every case turns on its own facts.
If you were hurt in a crash with a commercial truck, call Crudo Law at (858) 622-7280 or reach us through our contact page for a free, confidential consultation.