Author name: Tom Feher, Esq.

In California, the statute of limitations for a truck accident is typically two years for personal injury claims and three years for property damage. If a government entity is involved, the deadline shrinks to just six months – a timeline many victims don’t realize until it’s too late. The consequences of a truck accident can

A California truck-accident lawsuit triggers Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as the controlling negligence standard, opening up discovery into hours-of-service logs (FMCSR 395.3), maintenance records (FMCSR 396), driver qualification files (FMCSR 391), and ELD data. Direct negligence claims against the carrier (negligent hiring, training, retention, entrustment) often unlock higher policy layers than vicarious-liability claims alone.

From Tom Feher, Esq. “When a commercial truck driver is involved in an accident in California, three investigations open in parallel: CHP, FMCSA, and the carrier’s internal review. Each pulls different evidence streams. Each can be leveraged by skilled plaintiff counsel into negligence-per-se findings. The cases we recover the most on are the ones where

Most 18-wheeler lawsuits in California settle within 6 to 16 months. However, some cases may take longer due to the complexity of truck accidents, the involvement of multiple parties, and the need to comply with strict federal and state trucking regulations. Unlike passenger vehicle accidents, trucking accidents often result in catastrophic injuries or permanent disabilities.

Truck driver negligence in California occurs when a commercial driver violates Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations or California Vehicle Code 34500, including hours-of-service violations (FMCSR 395.3), distracted driving, inadequate inspections (FMCSR 396.13), or speeding under Vehicle Code 22350. Each FMCSR violation creates a negligence-per-se argument that essentially eliminates the fault dispute. Our truck cases routinely

To sue a California trucking company: (1) preserve evidence immediately (truck driver logs, electronic logging device data, dashcam, maintenance records), (2) identify all liable parties (driver, trucking company, broker, vehicle manufacturer), (3) file a personal injury claim within 2 years of the accident under CCP §335.1, and (4) hire a truck accident attorney experienced with

From Tom Feher, Esq. “Truck cases live or die on what happens in the first 72 hours. FMCSR requires carriers to retain ELD logs, driver records, and inspection reports, but only for limited periods that begin running immediately. Without a spoliation letter early, evidence routinely disappears under document-retention policies. The carriers know this. The 72-hour