Qualified San Luis Obispo Moving Van Accidents Lawyers
California is one of the many locations where occupied individuals can plant or uproot their roots at a moment’s notice. Families seeking a change of residence may relocate or move within California, between cities, or out of state.
Typically, these excursions include renting a moving van or employing a moving company to assist with packing and relocation. Numerous drivers of larger cars may lack the expertise necessary to operate a larger, heavier truck or van.
This inexperience can result in hazardous road conditions for truck drivers, other vehicles, and pedestrians. Victims of accidents involving moving trucks may be required to seek financial assistance from the driver and the rental firm.
After a terrifying accident involving a moving van, you should be able to recover without having to worry about how to pay for your medical care. Unfortunately, receiving adequate compensation to cover your medical expenses and missed wages is not automatic.
To get financial help for your problems, you may need to submit a claim for damages with the at-fault driver’s insurance company and, in some instances, with the moving business. You must be aware of your legal rights as a victim and the potential value of your truck accident injury.
There is nothing to lose by taking advantage of 805 Law Group’s free case consultation. This assessment does not obligate you or your family in any way. Discussing what happened with our seasoned San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers can assist you with your available alternatives.
Why Do You Need Our Skilled San Luis Obispo Moving Van Accidents Lawyers?
You may retain one of our San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers for assistance with all aspects of your case. We will manage your personal injury claim while you heal from your injuries. In addition, our skilled truck accident lawyer will:
- Investigate the details of your truck accident
- Collect evidence to demonstrate responsibility
- Establish the scope of your losses
- Establish a settlement or reward estimate for your case
- Negotiate a reasonable agreement
- If necessary, take your case to court to obtain just compensation before a jury
- Inform you of the applicable legislation that may influence your situation
What is the Overview of Moving Van Accidents in California?
Not all moving vans create catastrophic trucking accidents with severe health consequences for the victims. Generally speaking, huge moving vans may inflict the most damage. These enormous vehicles weighing thousands of pounds can cause significant injuries when they collide with vehicles or motorcycles.
This type of trucking accident can result in property damage, personal injury, and a lifetime of medical bills and other costs for the victim. If you were not at blame for the collision, you should not be required to pay for its repercussions; the motorist who was at fault should.
The impact may be catastrophic when a moving van and an automobile meet at full speed. Unfortunately, the driver and any passengers in the vehicle are typically the ones who sustain injuries. The moving van driver is typically not critically injured unless there is a van rollover or an explosion in a moving van.
What Are the Different Reasons Why Moving Vans Crash?
Similar to cars, moving van accidents happen due to inattentive, distracted, or intoxicated driving. However, there may be additional truck-specific causes of moving van accidents,
Worn Out Drivers
Moving van drivers frequently log long hours on the road. There are governmental standards released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) limiting the time drivers can have their windows open while driving. These highway standards are monitored by the California Highway Patrol as well as the Obispo County Sheriff. For example, drivers may operate with 14-hour or 11-hour daily driving windows.
This can build up to sixty hours over seven days or seventy hours over eight days. This amount of nighttime and daytime travel may exhaust any motorist, and accidents will possibly occur.
Moving Van Safety Lapses
Occasionally, trucking firms fail to adequately maintain the safety systems of their vehicles. Without routine maintenance, the driver of a moving van may unintentionally be operating a risky vehicle. If the driver takes a bend too rapidly and the axles fail, the truck might roll over and do severe damage to vehicles and individuals.
Irresponsible Renting
If a trucking firm lacks precautions to guarantee that the individual renting the moving van is qualified to drive, they would be responsible if the driver committed an accident.
If the driver did not have a valid license, was intoxicated when they leased the truck, or was otherwise incapable of driving the moving van and caused your accident, you may be entitled to sue both the driver and the moving van business.
Unfavorable Weather Conditions
When operating moving trucks in California, drivers frequently face stormy, windy, and even hazardous weather conditions. Inclement weather with an unskilled driver driving a moving vehicle might be a formula for vehicular catastrophes.
Vehicles Missing in Blind Spots
Large moving van drivers may not detect smaller vehicles in their blind zones. If a truck wishes to change lanes, it must signal and drive only after confirming that no vehicles are in its blind spot. Moving without checking one’s mirrors might result in a catastrophic collision.
If you or a loved one has sustained severe injuries in a collision with a moving van driver, our skilled San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers at 805 Law Group can assist you. Contact a member of our legal team for additional information about your possible claim immediately.
What Are the Different Types of Moving Van Accidents in California?
As with any other vehicle, there are several kinds of probable moving van accidents. The most prevalent types include:
Frontal Collision
The outcome of a head-on collision between a moving van and any other sort of vehicle can be disastrous and fatal for both drivers, especially if the moving van is carrying large goods.
Jackknife
Large moving vans and semi-trucks can jackknife, placing inexperienced drivers in dangerous positions. When a moving truck is engaged in this sort of collision, both traffic lanes might be affected.
Rollover Accidents
Top heavy vehicles, such as moving trucks and vans, are more likely to flip over. The danger rises during turns and lane changes.
Dislodged Cargo
When other vehicles collide with merchandise that has been dislodged from moving vans along a roadway or highway, several collisions may result.
Side Impact Collision
Moving vans are far longer than passenger cars which most people are familiar with. This increases the likelihood of a side impact collision.
Rear-End Collisions
A lack of visibility may increase the likelihood of rear-end collisions. If you collided with a moving van that abruptly stopped, you may get further injuries from the vehicle’s load.
Underride Accident
Small cars can become trapped beneath the underside of tall moving vans with a large amount of clearance.
What Are the Typical Injuries From Moving Van Accidents?
In terms of the injuries that victims often sustain, accidents involving moving vans are comparable to other truck accidents. Numerous variables, such as whether you were wearing a seatbelt or how fast the vehicles were traveling, might influence the outcome of any event.
Here is a summary of the most frequent injuries sustained in moving van accidents:
- Concussion
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Brain damage
- Amputation
- Unjustified death
- Bruises and wounds
What Should You Do After a Moving Van Accident?
When involved in a collision with a moving van, it might be difficult to determine what to do next. These are the following steps you can take following an accident involving a moving van:
- Obtain medical care if you have not done so previously
- Request accident report and medical records
- Collect the contact information and insurance details of the other parties
- Contact your vehicle insurance company
- Touch base with one of our San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers
If you are still unsure of what to do next, consult your doctor, attorney, and insurance company for guidance.
What Are Some of the Recoverable Damages After a Moving Van Accident in California?
You can file a claim or lawsuit for your injuries, suffering, and other damages following an accident with a moving van. We recognize that money cannot completely compensate for your grief and suffering, but pursuing justice is a step in the right direction on the road to healing.
The following are examples of compensable damages:
Medical Expenses
If you are injured after being engaged in an accident with a moving van, you are likely to seek medical attention. Consequently, you are entitled to reimbursement covering all of your medical expenditures. If your injuries are permanent, you may be entitled to future medical expenses.
Lost Income
If the accident-related injuries prevent you from working, you can recover any lost wages. Moreover, if your injuries result in a disability, and you are unable to return to work, you can make a claim based on your loss of future wages.
Pain and Suffering
This refers to mental and emotional suffering in general. Due to its subjectivity, it is impossible to assign a monetary value to this type of injury. For this reason, our competent San Luis Obispo County moving van accidents lawyers may consult with additional specialists, including psychiatrists and physicians, to accurately determine the worth of your claim.
Property Loss
Most moving van accidents cause damage to the other cars involved. If your car was damaged by a moving van, you are entitled to reimbursement for the expenses of replacement or repair.
Unjustified Death
If another party’s carelessness caused the loss of a family member in a moving van accident, you might pursue a wrongful death claim. The compensation will cover, among other damages, pre-death medical bills, loss of companionship, and burial expenses.
Who Pays When a Moving Van Causes an Accident and Injuries?
Accidents involving moving vans or trucks are typically more difficult to resolve. Even if the driver of the van accepts blame, there are likely multiple additional people who should provide you with financial assistance as you recover.
Driver and Rental Agency Insurance Coverage
If you are injured in an accident caused by the driver of a hired moving van, you would likely first file a claim with the driver’s auto insurance policy. This may cause you to hit your insurance’s liability limitations while you still have medical expenses to pay. A firm like U-Haul may also offer very limited coverage to assist you with medical expenses and missed pay.
Rental Company Carelessness
A further claim for damages can be filed against a truck rental firm if it is determined that the company’s carelessness caused your accident-related injuries. They may have neglected to verify a driver’s history and provided a truck to someone without a valid driver’s license. Furthermore, the driver may have been visibly inebriated when a van rental firm handed them the keys.
Repairs on Rental Moving Vans
A truck rental firm such as Budget may have maintained a rental truck illegally. Defective brakes or unreplaced worn-out tires can be probable causes of a collision. One of our professional San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers is responsible for analyzing these aspects in the hopes of securing further compensation for your rehabilitation.
Competent Trucking Company
When a professional moving business is transporting someone’s household goods, the company or organization should have commercial insurance to insure the victims of an employee’s error.
It might be difficult to tell who owes you compensation while in recovery. Our professional California truck accident attorney is prepared to tackle any challenge. We will fight back on your behalf if any of these parties attempt to reject responsibility or severely limit the assistance you receive.
How to Prove Negligence in a Moving Van Accident?
The standard in any accident involving a moving van is negligence. You must demonstrate that the defendant breached the standard of care expected of them under the circumstances.
The initial step is to identify the suitable defendant to sue. In large truck accidents, there may be several defendants. First, our moving van accident lawyers will analyze the collision to identify who is at fault.
It is advantageous for your case if you can sue many parties, as this might result in more compensation. As a preliminary step, we will need to collect the required evidence to establish culpability. Before discussing exact money amounts, you must prove that another party was irresponsible.
In common terms, this means:
- Another party owes you a duty of care
- They violated the duty of care by acting irrationally
- You received an injury
- You would not have sustained injuries but for the defendant’s negligence
When a moving van driver fails to check their blind spot and collides with a motorist in the next lane, this is a typical case of driver negligence. Another example of moving van operator negligence is when the driver speeds up and causes an accident.
When is the Truck Rental Company Liable?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a collision with a moving van, you should contact us immediately for answers. Many of our clients want to know if the moving van rental firm, such as U-Haul, Ryder, Enterprise, Penske, etc., may be held accountable or at fault for any injuries they sustained in an accident involving a moving truck or van.
When individuals sign the papers to hire these moving vans, the terms and conditions may contain a liability release. In addition, particular California and federal regulations may impose further liability limits that limit the responsibility of truck rental firms.
When injuries are involved and insurance companies are concerned about paying out a settlement, this legal business gets quite convoluted. In general, it can be laborious to hold Ryder, U-Haul, or any other moving van rental firm accountable because they only provide the van or truck to a third party that drives it.
Once the driver leaves the parking lot and begins driving recklessly, neither U-Haul nor Ryder is liable because the driver is not an employee. There are instances in which the moving van rental firm hires a vehicle for an individual prohibited by law from operating a vehicle:
- Underage motorists
- Drivers who appear to be impaired
- Drivers operating without a license
- Motorists lacking auto insurance
Because all drivers need to possess these essentials to hire a moving van, the moving truck rental firm may be held accountable in such situations. Truck rental businesses occasionally hire damaged vans by accident, but this is another issue.
When is the Defective Moving Van Manufacturer Liable?
In many cases, a moving van collision is caused by faulty components or a vehicle that is simply out-of-date. Our professional San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers can typically demonstrate that the vehicle or trailer was faulty and the principal cause of the moving van accident in three ways:
- A defect based on the original design of the product is typically caused by inadequate testing before the product is sold to the buyer.
- When they failed to sufficiently warn consumers about the known dangers and possible hazards associated with these moving vans and trailers, they committed a label or warning defect.
- A manufacturing problem occurs more frequently than you would believe. Typically, this happens if the corporation failed to create the items effectively to save money by decreasing the price of the manufactured goods. When this occurs, we must demonstrate that the produced product deviated (tended to be different) from the initial design. A damaged product might be an outcome of a machine mistake or irregularity in the manufacturing process.
Some U-Haul or Ryder trucks may not have stickers warning of broad turns or wide loads, which are subtle and necessitate caution to the driver and other motorists.
How Can Our Skilled San Luis Obispo Moving Van Accidents Lawyers Help?
When individuals move from one residence to another, they often have two options for obtaining a moving van to transport their furniture and other significant possessions. This consists of employing movers through a moving company or renting a moving van from a business and driving it themselves.
Each alternative offers advantages and disadvantages for the relocating family and those using the road with the moving truck. While hiring a van is often less expensive, it is also possible that an unskilled driver unfamiliar with huge vehicles will be behind the wheel.
Regardless of the circumstances that led to the accident involving your California moving van, you have the option to file an insurance claim. Our professional San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers will evaluate the circumstances, assign liability, and find a suitable insurance policy.
We will use the specifics of your incident and the relevant evidence to construct a compelling argument demonstrating that you were the victim of the negligent motorist. Then, they will submit their case to the insurance company, corporate legal team, or court and jury, as appropriate. This will contain proof of the monetary worth of your losses and any damages.
Our skilled California moving van accidents lawyers at 805 Law Group will take these actions contingently. Our clients never pay out of pocket for legal expenses. Instead, our fee is contingent upon the amount of money we collect and only if we win the case. If we are unable to collect compensation for our clients, our attorneys will not be recouped. Dial now to talk with a member of our San Luis Obispo law office.
Contact Our San Luis Obispo Moving Van Accidents Lawyers Today!
In California, accident victims have up to two years to pursue a claim for damages against the insurance company of a negligent driver. Employers and rental agencies involved in your accident are subject to this statute of limitations.
This may seem like a long time, but you should discuss your case as soon as possible with one of our professional San Luis Obispo moving van accidents lawyers. The sooner we can begin working on your case, the simpler it will be to gather evidence and records and gather down witnesses.
The 805 Law Group provides a free and private case examination. We will work diligently to ensure our clients can rebuild their health and life without worrying about hospital expenses and lost wages. Families who have lost a loved one in an accident involving any moving van are also eligible for a free case review. Families must understand the compensation accessible to them through a claim for wrongful death.
