Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer
Hurt in a crash with a big rig or commercial truck in Orange County? The trucking company and its insurer often start investigating within hours, and much of the key evidence is in their hands. We act quickly to preserve the truck’s data and the company’s records, and pursue every responsible party and policy.
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Recent Personal Injury Results
Faud Haghighi has resolved cases resulting in tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. Recent recoveries are shown below.
Last updated: October 2026 · Reviewed by Faud Haghighi, Esq., Founder & Lead Trial Attorney
How Can an Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer Help?
An Orange County truck accident lawyer moves quickly to preserve the truck’s electronic data and the company’s records, identifies every responsible party from the driver to the trucking company, and pursues the larger insurance policies that commercial carriers carry.
Crashes with big rigs, delivery trucks, and other commercial vehicles are different from ordinary car accidents. The vehicles are many times heavier, the injuries are usually more serious, and the case often turns on records the trucking company controls. The Law Offices of Faud Haghighi represents people hurt in truck crashes throughout Orange County and Southern California from offices in Aliso Viejo and Tustin. Faud Haghighi’s practice centers on high-stakes cases with disputed liability and multiple defendants, which describes most serious truck cases, and he handles each case personally.
| Truck claims at a glance | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Several possible defendants | The driver, the carrier, the shipper or loader, and maintenance or parts companies may each be responsible. |
| Records can expire | Federal rules require carriers to keep drivers’ duty-status records for only 6 months, so preservation demands go out early. |
| Federal safety rules | Hours-of-service, logging, and maintenance violations can be strong evidence of fault. |
| More insurance | Interstate carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage for most freight. |
| Fees | Free, confidential consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you. |
What Should You Do After a Crash With a Truck?
Get medical care, get the truck and company information, and get legal advice quickly so the evidence the trucking company controls is preserved.
- Get medical attention, even if you think you are only shaken up.
- Call the police or CHP and get the report number.
- Photograph the truck, including the company name on the door, the USDOT number, the trailer and its plate, any cargo, and the scene.
- Get the driver’s information and the names of witnesses.
- Don’t talk to the trucking company’s insurer or sign anything before getting advice.
What Kinds of Truck Crashes Cause the Most Serious Injuries?
A loaded truck needs far more distance to stop than a car, sits high enough that smaller vehicles can slide underneath it, and has large blind spots. Those facts drive the most common serious crashes:
- Rear-end crashes: a truck following too closely or a distracted driver can’t stop in time for slowing traffic.
- Blind-spot lane changes: a truck moves into a lane occupied by a car the driver didn’t check for.
- Wide right turns: a truck swings left before turning right, and a car, cyclist, or pedestrian is caught in the gap.
- Underride crashes: a car slides under the back or side of a trailer, often causing severe head and neck injuries.
- Jackknife and rollover crashes: braking too hard, speed on curves or ramps, or a shifting load causes the truck to lose control.
- Cargo and equipment failures: unsecured loads fall or spill, and worn brakes or tires fail.
Pedestrians and cyclists are especially vulnerable in turning and backing crashes; see pedestrian accident claims.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident?
More parties than in a typical car crash. Depending on the facts, each of these can share responsibility, and each may carry separate insurance:
| Party | How it may be responsible |
|---|---|
| Truck driver | Distraction, fatigue, speeding, unsafe lane changes or turns, impairment |
| Motor carrier (trucking company) | Responsible for its employee driver’s conduct on the job; negligent hiring, training, or supervision, or pressure to break hours-of-service limits |
| Company that arranged the load | Carelessly selecting an unsafe carrier, depending on the facts |
| Shipper or loader | Overloaded, unbalanced, or unsecured cargo that shifted or fell |
| Maintenance company | Faulty brake, tire, or lighting repairs |
| Manufacturer | Defective brakes, tires, steering, or other parts; see defective product claims |
California’s pure comparative negligence rule applies to truck cases too. If a jury values your losses at $300,000 and finds you 10% at fault, you still recover $270,000, and fault can be divided among several defendants.
Which Federal Trucking Rules Matter Most?
Interstate trucking companies and drivers must follow federal safety rules on driving hours, record-keeping, vehicle maintenance, and driver qualifications, and a violation can be strong evidence of fault.
- Hours of service: a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window that starts after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 C.F.R. §395.3).
- Electronic logging devices: most carriers must have drivers record their duty status electronically, and must keep those records and supporting documents for at least six months (49 C.F.R. §395.8).
- Minimum insurance: for-hire interstate carriers hauling non-hazardous freight in trucks of 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, with higher minimums for oil and hazardous materials (49 C.F.R. §387.9).
- Driver qualification and maintenance records: carriers must keep files on their drivers and maintain and inspect their vehicles, and those records often show whether a company cut corners.
Trucks that operate only within California follow state safety rules that are similar but not identical.
What Evidence Wins a Truck Accident Case?
The most important evidence is usually in the trucking company’s possession, which is why we send written preservation demands at the start of the case.
| Evidence | What it can show |
|---|---|
| Engine control module and event data | Speed, braking, and throttle in the seconds before impact |
| Electronic logs and dispatch records | Hours driven, rest breaks, and delivery pressure |
| Forward- and driver-facing cameras | The road ahead and whether the driver was distracted |
| Driver qualification file and drug and alcohol testing | Whether the carrier hired and supervised a safe driver |
| Inspection and maintenance logs | Known problems with brakes, tires, or lights |
| Bills of lading and cargo records | Who loaded the truck, the weight, and how it was secured |
| Police report, scene measurements, and witnesses | How the crash unfolded, independent of the company’s records |
We combine those records with, when needed, an accident reconstruction expert. Read more about why expert witnesses matter and how discovery works.
Where Do Truck Accidents Happen in Orange County?
Most serious truck crashes in Orange County happen on the freeways that carry freight through the county, and at the ramps, interchanges, and industrial areas where trucks merge, turn, and stop.
- The I-5 and I-405, which carry heavy truck traffic through the county and merge at the El Toro Y; see our guide to accidents on the 5 and 405.
- SR-91 and SR-57 in North County, where trucks travel to and from the Inland Empire, and SR-55 and SR-22 through central Orange County.
- Industrial and warehouse areas in cities like Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine, where trucks make wide turns, back into docks, and pull onto busy streets.
- Neighborhood streets, where delivery trucks double-park, back up, and make tight turns near pedestrians and cyclists.
What Affects the Value of a Truck Accident Claim?
Truck crash claims are often larger than car accident claims because the injuries tend to be more severe and commercial carriers usually carry higher limits, but value always depends on the injuries, the losses, and the evidence of fault. A claim can include past and future medical care, lost earnings and earning capacity, pain and suffering, disability and disfigurement, and property damage. There is no reliable “average truck accident settlement”; these factors usually move value:
| Can increase value | Can complicate or reduce recovery |
|---|---|
| Serious or permanent injury and future care | Disputed fault, or several defendants blaming each other |
| Safety-rule violations by the driver or carrier | Lost or overwritten electronic data |
| Substantial lost earnings or earning capacity | Gaps or delays in treatment |
| Clear video or electronic data | A smaller carrier with limited coverage |
For life-changing injuries, see catastrophic injury claims, spinal cord injury claims, and brain injury claims, and read more about what affects the value of a personal injury case.
How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?
Generally two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit, but evidence can disappear much sooner, and a claim involving a government vehicle or road has a six-month deadline.
| Situation | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Injury lawsuit against the driver, carrier, and other parties | 2 years from the crash | CCP §335.1 |
| Vehicle and property damage | 3 years | CCP §338 |
| Crash involving a government truck or a dangerous public road | Written claim within 6 months | Gov. Code §911.2 |
| Carrier’s duty-status records | Required to be kept for only 6 months | 49 C.F.R. §395.8(k) |
| Fatal crash: family’s wrongful death claim | 2 years from the death | Wrongful death claims |
This page explains California and federal law in general terms as of October 2026. Laws change and exceptions apply, so it is not legal advice about your situation.
How Does Faud Haghighi Investigate the Driver and the Trucking Company?
Truck cases are won or lost on evidence the defense controls and on the willingness to litigate against well-funded insurers. Faud Haghighi has practiced law in California since 2012, has resolved cases against large corporate defendants and insurance carriers, and prepares each case as if it will go to trial. He handles each case personally, sends preservation demands early, examines the driver’s logs and the carrier’s safety records, and brings in reconstruction and trucking-safety experts when the case calls for it. If the carrier’s insurer won’t pay fair value, we file in the Orange County Superior Court.
We represent truck crash victims throughout Orange County and Southern California, including Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, and the cities above, as part of our Orange County personal injury practice. For crashes with ordinary passenger vehicles, see car accident claims; for riders, motorcycle accident claims.
Hit by a truck? The trucking company’s records won’t wait. Call (949) 313-7656 or request a free consultation. There is no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
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Faud Haghighi, Esq.
Founder & Lead Trial Attorney
An Orange County trial attorney representing people injured by someone else's negligence — in car and truck crashes, slip-and-falls, premises accidents, and other serious-injury cases. Faud builds each case with the right medical and liability experts, preserves the evidence early, and prepares every file for trial — and you work directly with him, start to finish.
CA State Bar since 2012 · Aliso Viejo & Tustin
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Orange County Truck Accident FAQs
It can be several parties: the driver, the trucking company that employs the driver, a company that arranged the load, the shipper or loader, a maintenance company, or a parts manufacturer. Identifying all of them matters because each may carry separate insurance.
That is common, and the truck’s own data often answers it. Engine and event data, electronic logs, dash cameras, and scene evidence can show the truck’s speed, braking, and lane position. Even if you share some fault, California’s comparative fault rule reduces your compensation rather than eliminating it.
Yes, through a preservation demand and the discovery process in a lawsuit, including logs, dispatch records, the driver’s qualification file, maintenance records, and camera footage. Federal rules require carriers to keep drivers’ duty-status records for only six months, so the demand should go out early.
Under federal rules, a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 C.F.R. §395.3). Violations can be strong evidence of fatigue.
An ELD is a device connected to the truck’s engine that records driving time and duty status, replacing most paper logs. Its records can show whether a driver exceeded the federal hours limits or skipped required breaks before the crash.
Most trucks have an engine control module that can record speed, braking, and throttle data around a crash, and many also have cameras. This data can show what the truck was doing before impact, but it must be preserved before it is overwritten or the truck is repaired.
Federal rules require for-hire interstate carriers hauling non-hazardous freight in trucks of 10,001 pounds or more to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and more for oil or hazardous materials (49 C.F.R. §387.9). Many carry more than the minimum.
Brake failure points to maintenance and inspection. The carrier, a maintenance company, or a parts manufacturer may be responsible, depending on whether the brakes were poorly maintained, badly repaired, or defective. Inspection and maintenance logs, and the truck itself, need to be preserved.
The company that loaded or secured the cargo may share responsibility with the driver and carrier. Bills of lading, weight records, and photos of the load and tie-downs help show who loaded the truck and whether it was overloaded or improperly secured.
The employer is generally responsible for an employee’s driving while on the job, so the company’s commercial policy usually applies in addition to the driver’s. Note the company name on the vehicle and keep any delivery or tracking information.
Claims against public agencies have a much shorter deadline: a written claim generally must be presented within six months (Gov. Code §911.2) before you can sue. Contact a lawyer quickly if a government vehicle was involved.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you, and the consultation is free.
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How We Handle Your Orange County Truck Accident Case
From your first call to the final resolution, here’s what working with the Law Offices of Faud Haghighi looks like — a clear, six-step path built to take the pressure off you and pursue the full recovery you’re owed. There’s no attorney fee unless we recover for you.
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Aliso Viejo Office
120 Vantis, Ste. 300, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
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1352 Irvine Blvd #204, Tustin, CA 92780
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