Commercial truck crashes carry legal complexity that standard car accident cases do not — multiple defendants, federal regulatory frameworks, and rapid-response carrier investigators who begin building the defense within hours of the collision. Southern California's freight corridors, including the I-710, I-5, I-10, and I-110, carry heavy commercial truck traffic daily, and the consequences when an 80,000-pound rig strikes a passenger vehicle are rarely minor.
The injuries we see — spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures, crush trauma, wrongful death — require lifetime medical planning, not a quick insurance payout.
Trucking cases are messy on the liability side. The driver, the motor carrier, the cargo loader, the maintenance contractor, and sometimes the truck or component manufacturer itself — each one has defense counsel and rapid-response investigators dispatched within hours of the crash. You need someone building your side of the record just as fast.
Malekan Law Group operates from 9171 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, and represents truck accident victims across Southern California on a strict contingency — no upfront fees, no hourly billing. Call +1 (424) 248-1318 for a free consultation.
Before you read another word about trucking law, look at the outcomes. Our largest single-case recovery to date is a settlement of $600,000 or more, obtained for a client seriously injured in an auto collision — the kind of result that requires aggressive liability investigation, credible life-care planning, and a willingness to push carriers past their opening offers.
That case is not an outlier in isolation. Malekan Law Group has resolved over 500 personal injury cases with favorable outcomes for clients across California, spanning rear-end collisions, catastrophic truck crashes, motorcycle wrecks, and wrongful death claims. Consistency across accident types is what matters when your case is complex.
The firm holds a 4.9-star rating across 126+ Google reviews as of July 2026, which earned a strong client satisfaction reflected in Google Reviews — a reflection of sustained client satisfaction built case by case, not a single standout moment.
You can verify the lawyer before you commit. Attorney Samuel Malekan has been licensed by the State Bar of California since 2022 and is in good standing — independently confirmable on the State Bar's public website, as well as through his verified profiles on Avvo and Justia. If you want to discuss what a truck-crash case might be worth, reach out for a free consultation.
Evidence in commercial truck cases is time-sensitive. Carriers have legal obligations to preserve certain data, but some records overwrite automatically on short cycles — which is why we move quickly after being retained. We pursue preservation of electronic logging device (ELD) data, engine control module ("black box") downloads, dashcam and forward-facing camera footage, GPS telematics, dispatch communications, and bills of lading to ensure the full picture of what happened is available for your case.
From there, we audit the carrier's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliance file: hours-of-service logs against actual GPS pings, drug and alcohol testing records, DVIR inspection reports, driver qualification files, and prior violation history. Our investigation looks for discrepancies in these records that point to driver negligence or carrier misconduct.
We then map every potentially liable party — the driver, the motor carrier, the shipper who loaded the trailer, the maintenance vendor, and sometimes a broker who dispatched an unqualified carrier. Multiple insurance policies often stack.
On catastrophic-injury files, we work with experts in accident reconstruction, commercial trucking safety, life-care planning, and medical treatment to document both economic losses and the human cost. That evidentiary depth is what moves insurers off lowball offers.
No two truck crashes unfold the same way — each collision type brings its own liability patterns, injury profiles, and investigative demands. The cases we see most often across Southern California reflect the freight corridors and road geometry that define this region.
Fully loaded semis at freeway speeds on the I-710 near the Port of Long Beach or the I-5 through Commerce produce total vehicle destruction and life-altering injuries — 18-wheeler and semi-truck collisions are the highest-stakes category we handle. Jackknife accidents happen when a trailer swings out at a sharp angle to the cab, sweeping across multiple lanes at once; root causes typically trace back to brake failure, uneven load distribution, or driver overcorrection on wet pavement.
Underride and override crashes produce catastrophic head and spinal trauma and often implicate missing or defective side guards as a contributing factor in injury severity. Wide-turn and blind-spot collisions — right-turn sweeps across busy intersections and no-zone drift — injure cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians who never see the impact coming.
When freight comes loose on Southern California freeways, cargo spill and unsecured load accidents can trigger chain-reaction crashes where liability extends to the shipper, the loader, and the carrier simultaneously. At the far end of the severity spectrum, hazardous materials and tanker truck accidents involving flammable, toxic, or corrosive spills cause injuries beyond the collision itself and trigger a distinct federal regulatory framework.
If your crash fits any of these patterns, our Los Angeles truck accident team can evaluate it at no cost.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules govern commercial trucking operations across the country. When a carrier breaks those rules, the violation itself becomes powerful evidence of negligence — often among the most persuasive facts for a jury or insurer evaluating liability.
Hours-of-service violations are among the most damaging pieces of evidence we uncover. FMCSA caps drivers at 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour on-duty window, with mandatory 10-hour rest breaks, and electronic logging devices record every minute. When ELD data reveals a driver exceeded those limits — or when log records contain irregularities that suggest manipulation — drowsy-driving liability becomes difficult for the defense to escape.
Drug and alcohol testing failures cut just as deep. Carriers must run pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable-suspicion testing, so a positive result, a missed test, or a gap in the program supports a negligent entrustment claim and can open the door to punitive damages against the company itself.
Maintenance and inspection records tell their own story. Daily Vehicle Inspection Reports and annual inspections are federally mandated, so when brakes, tires, lights, or coupling devices fail because paperwork was skipped, those gaps show a carrier chose cost savings over safety in plain black and white.
Driver qualification file gaps. Missing medical certificates, expired CDLs, or falsified background checks shift liability directly onto the motor carrier and typically increase claim value substantially. Call +1 (424) 248-1318 to have your case's FMCSA file reviewed.
The four steps below preserve both your health and your claim. Take them in order, starting the moment you are safe.
Step 1 — Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks pain for hours, and traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding often show no early symptoms. A medical record dated the day of the crash also anchors your injury to the collision, cutting off the defense argument that you were hurt somewhere else.
Step 2 — Document the scene without confronting the driver or carrier. Photograph the tractor's DOT and MC numbers, license plate, company markings, trailer cargo, road surface, skid marks, debris field, and your visible injuries before anything is moved or cleaned up.
Step 3 — Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer. Carrier adjusters are trained to elicit language that reduces your compensation. Decline politely and tell them your attorney will follow up.
Step 4 — Contact Malekan Law Group at +1-424-248-1318 before evidence disappears. Black box downloads, ELD data, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses are often overwritten within days. The sooner we issue a preservation demand, the stronger your case — request a free consultation today.
California gives you two years from the date of the truck crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss that deadline and your right to compensation is gone — no matter how catastrophic the injuries or how clear the carrier's fault. Cases against a public entity (a city truck, a Caltrans vehicle) require a written government claim within just six months, which is why early consultation is not optional.
Expect a comparative-fault fight. California follows pure comparative negligence, meaning you can recover even if you are partially at fault — your award is simply reduced by your assigned percentage. Trucking defense teams push hard to inflate that percentage, so credible reconstruction evidence directly protects the value of your claim.
Most commercial truck cases resolve through a structured sequence: a detailed demand package, negotiations with layered insurers, then mediation. Carriers settle seriously only when they see a plaintiff's firm actually prepared to try the case.
Recoverable damages include current and future medical care, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and — where the carrier's conduct was grossly negligent — punitive damages. To discuss what your specific losses are worth, contact our team for a free case review.
Truck crash injuries fall on a spectrum from post-concussive cognitive deficits to complete paralysis, and each end of that spectrum requires a different proof strategy. Our traumatic brain injury work spans mild TBI with lasting memory, mood, and executive-function symptoms all the way to severe TBI requiring lifetime attendant care — a range reflected in a prior $250,000 policy-limit TBI settlement we secured for a seriously injured client.
Spinal cord injuries are financially unforgiving. Initial hospitalization is a fraction of true lifetime cost when you add adaptive housing, durable medical equipment, home health aides, and repeat surgeries. We work with life-care planners and vocational economists early so future needs are projected accurately — not underfunded by a settlement that runs dry a decade in.
Crush injuries, traumatic amputations, and burns from cargo fires or ruptured fuel tanks demand thorough medical documentation while treatment is still evolving, so the full medical trajectory is captured before any demand goes out.
When a truck crash is fatal, we represent surviving families under California wrongful death law, pursuing funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. Call +1 (424) 248-1318 to speak with our team.
Commercial truck crashes cluster along Southern California's freight corridors, and knowing where they concentrate helps investigators respond faster. The I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) connecting the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to inland warehouses is one of the highest-volume container-truck routes in the region — port-bound rigs and heavy cargo carriers dominate the traffic mix.
The I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway) and I-5 (Golden State Freeway) through downtown Los Angeles and the Commerce and Vernon industrial belt carry daily heavy truck volume feeding warehouse and distribution centers, producing regular collisions with commuter traffic. The 101 through Hollywood and the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass generate wide-turn and lane-change crashes where freeway geometry forces large vehicles into tight maneuvers.
Surface streets in Vernon, Compton, Carson, and the City of Industry — Southern California's core logistics zones — are frequent sites of truck-versus-pedestrian and truck-versus-cyclist incidents. Growing freight movement on the 60 Freeway (Pomona Freeway) through the San Gabriel Valley and the 91 Freeway linking Riverside County to Los Angeles is driving up trucking incidents tied to inland port traffic.
We represent clients across Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County — including Culver City and Santa Monica — wherever the crash occurred.
Truck crashes rarely happen in isolation — a jackknifed rig on the 405 triggers rear-end pile-ups, sideswipes motorcyclists, and injures rideshare passengers in adjacent lanes. Because one collision can spawn multiple claims, we handle the full range of traffic cases under one roof.
Our car accident practice covers rear-end, T-bone, freeway, and hit-and-run collisions on the same corridors where trucks operate, using the same aggressive negotiation approach. Motorcycle and bicycle riders struck by commercial vehicles face the most severe injury outcomes of any road user category, and we apply specialized knowledge of California lane-splitting rules and cyclist right-of-way law to those files.
Rideshare and pedestrian claims — including Uber and Lyft crashes, crosswalk strikes, and parking-lot incidents — round out the traffic side of the practice. When a commercial vehicle is involved in any of these scenarios, the FMCSA investigation framework we build for truck cases applies directly.
Traumatic brain and spinal injury representation cuts across every accident type, giving clients a single point of expert representation for the most complex medical scenarios. For fatal crashes, our wrongful death practice supports surviving families. Browse our full service list or call us to discuss overlapping claims.
Every truck accident case at Malekan Law Group begins with a 100% free, no-obligation consultation. We review the crash details, walk through the FMCSA violations and liability theories that may apply to your file, and give you honest guidance on your legal options — at absolutely no cost. If we are not the right fit for your case, we will tell you.
From there, we handle every truck accident matter on a strict contingency fee basis. That means no retainer, no hourly billing, no filing fees passed to you, and no out-of-pocket legal costs of any kind. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict we recover. If we do not win, you owe us nothing — that is the meaning behind the firm's slogan, No Fees Until We Win.
This structure matters. A family staring at catastrophic medical bills after an 18-wheeler crash deserves the same caliber of representation as any other client — financial pressure should never dictate whether a truck accident victim gets justice.
We are reachable when working families actually have time to talk. Open Sunday through Thursday from 6 AM to 11:30 PM, Friday from 6 AM to 1 PM, closed on Saturday. Call +1-424-248-1318.
The decision comes down to verifiable credentials, documented outcomes, and aligned incentives — three things you can check before you ever pick up the phone.
Credentials you can verify independently. Attorney Samuel Malekan is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California — searchable on the State Bar's public website. His verified profiles on Avvo and Justia give you additional independent sources to confirm his professional background before making contact. No client is asked to take credentials on faith.
Documented outcomes, not marketing claims. A 4.9-star rating across 126+ Google reviews, a largest single-case recovery exceeding $600,000, and more than 500 personal injury cases resolved for California clients are numbers you can measure against any other firm on your shortlist.
Aligned incentives. The firm's operating model — No Fees Until We Win — means the firm gets paid only when you do. In truck accident litigation, where carriers deploy defense counsel within hours and settlements can reach seven figures, that alignment is exactly what a catastrophically injured client needs on their side.
When you are ready to talk, contact our team for a free case review.
Call +1 (424) 248-1318 now to speak directly with our team. Every hour after a truck crash matters: ELD data can be overwritten on a 30-day cycle, dashcam footage from the tractor is often looped within days, and DVIR inspection records tied to the truck can be lost once the rig returns to service. The faster you reach us, the faster we issue formal preservation demands that lock that evidence in place.
Visit our office at 9171 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 — centrally located and accessible to clients from across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. Use our Google Maps directions to plan your visit, or ask us to come to you if travel is difficult after your injuries.
Your consultation is free. Your case is handled on contingency. If we do not recover compensation for you, you pay nothing — zero financial risk in making the one call that can shape the rest of your recovery. Reach out today.
13 questions answered
Malekan Law Group handles truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket unless they recover compensation for you. There is no retainer, no hourly rate, and no legal fee of any kind if the case does not result in a win. The fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict obtained on your behalf. Every case begins with a 100% free, no-obligation consultation.
The timeline for a truck accident case in California varies depending on the severity of injuries, the number of liable parties, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Cases involving catastrophic injuries, multiple defendants such as the motor carrier, shipper, and maintenance contractor, or disputed FMCSA violations tend to take longer because of the volume of evidence that must be gathered and analyzed. Settling too quickly often means leaving significant compensation on the table, particularly when lifetime medical costs have not yet been fully documented.
A commercial truck accident involves federal regulations under the FMCSA, multiple potentially liable parties, and evidence such as electronic logging device data and black box downloads that can disappear within 30 days if not legally preserved. Car accident claims typically involve a single at-fault driver and one insurance policy, while a truck crash can implicate the driver, the motor carrier, a cargo loader, a maintenance vendor, and sometimes a component manufacturer, each with separate insurance coverage. The injuries are also frequently catastrophic, requiring long-term medical planning rather than a straightforward damage calculation.
Attorneys investigating a commercial truck crash commonly examine hours-of-service log falsification, skipped pre-trip vehicle inspections, driver qualification file deficiencies, and failed or missed drug and alcohol testing records. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets mandatory standards for how long a driver may operate without rest, how trucks must be maintained, and what qualifications a carrier must verify before putting a driver on the road. Violations of these rules can establish negligence on the part of the carrier, not just the individual driver.
Within hours of being retained, Malekan Law Group issues formal spoliation notices — legal hold letters demanding the preservation of ELD data, black box downloads, dashcam footage, GPS telematics, dispatch communications, and bills of lading. Without this step, federal regulations allow carriers to legally destroy certain records after as little as 30 days. The firm simultaneously audits the carrier's FMCSA compliance file and maps all potentially liable parties before the defense team can shape the narrative.
In most commercial truck accident cases, the motor carrier can be held directly liable alongside the driver, particularly under theories of negligent hiring, negligent entrustment, and vicarious liability for the driver's on-duty conduct. Depending on the facts, the shipper who loaded the cargo, the maintenance contractor who serviced the vehicle, and even a freight broker who dispatched an unqualified carrier may each carry legal exposure. Identifying all liable parties matters because multiple insurance policies may stack, which directly affects the total compensation available.
Attorney Samuel Malekan is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California, with Bar number 336832, verifiable directly on the State Bar's public website. The firm has resolved over 500 personal injury cases with favorable outcomes for clients across California and holds a 4.9 out of 5-star rating across 126 or more Google reviews as of July 2026. Samuel Malekan's profile is also independently verified on Avvo and Justia.
Truck accident victims in California can pursue economic damages such as medical expenses, future medical costs, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity, as well as non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving wrongful death, surviving family members may recover funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. When injuries are catastrophic — spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, or permanent disability — life-care planners and expert witnesses are typically used to document the full scope of future losses.
The most time-sensitive evidence in a truck crash includes electronic logging device data, engine control module recordings, forward-facing dashcam footage, and GPS telematics from the cab, all of which require a formal preservation demand — dashcam and telematics data can be overwritten within days, while ELD records must be retained six months under federal law but are best preserved immediately. Physical evidence such as brake components, tires, and cargo securement hardware is equally important, particularly in jackknife, underride, or cargo spill cases. Police reports, witness statements, and photos taken at the scene should also be secured as quickly as possible.
Commercial truck accident cases require knowledge of FMCSA regulations, the ability to immediately issue spoliation notices for trucking-specific electronic data, and experience working against motor carriers that deploy their own rapid-response investigators within hours of a crash. A general practice firm unfamiliar with federal trucking law may miss the narrow window to preserve critical evidence or fail to identify all liable parties across the trucking company's supply chain. Malekan Law Group specifically investigates FMCSA violations, driver negligence, and multi-party trucking company liability on these cases.
A settlement offer made shortly after a commercial truck accident is almost always made before the full extent of injuries, future medical costs, and lost earning capacity are known — accepting it typically closes your right to pursue additional compensation. Trucking carriers and their insurers have experienced defense teams working immediately to limit payouts, and an early offer rarely reflects what the case is actually worth once all damages are properly documented. Consulting an attorney before accepting any offer costs nothing under a contingency arrangement.
Malekan Law Group represents truck accident victims across Southern California, not exclusively within Los Angeles city limits. The firm's office is located at 9171 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, and handles cases that arise on major Southern California freight corridors including the I-710, I-5, I-10, and I-110. You can reach the firm at +1-424-248-1318 to discuss a case from anywhere in the region.
During the free consultation, the firm reviews the details of your crash, evaluates the potential liability of each party involved, and provides honest guidance on your legal options — all at no cost and with no obligation to hire. For truck accident cases, this conversation typically covers what evidence needs to be preserved immediately, whether the carrier may have violated FMCSA regulations, and a realistic assessment of what categories of damages may be recoverable. Open Sunday through Thursday from 6 AM to 11:30 PM, Friday from 6 AM to 1 PM, closed on Saturday.
Me and my wife just finished wrapping up our case with Sam, if the six figure settlement wasn’t enough, the care and constant communication provided would be more than enough for me to recommend him. He turned our worst day into something that we can handle and recover from without any true loss. 5/5 and I’d give him 10/10 if I could.
Great experience working with this attorney. Very professional, responsive, and got us the most money possible for our case. Great work Sam
This is truly the most professional law firm there is. Ive dealt w lawyers before and I could never get any sort of response. Sam and his team literally answered me every time I called them and knew exactly what was going on. Not only that but they got me some very good money. Youre crazy if you get into an accident and dont hire these guys
Sam was very helpful. He was understanding of my Situation. He care! Always easy to contact made himself available to all my questions I would recommend him to anyone. When you’re dealing with someone in a time of hardship going through pain and trying to figure things out, it’s good to have someone on your team who actually care about what you’re experiencing. I was not just another file. I was treated like a person.
I am incredibly grateful for all the support and guidance I received from Sam Malekan throughout my personal injury case. From the very beginning, Sam was kind, caring, and consistently communicative, which helped me feel at ease during an otherwise stressful and difficult time. He alleviated the stress from the entire process and made sure I was informed, updated, and taken care of. Thanks to Sam's guidance and expertise, I was ultimately able to get the care I needed. I highly recommend Malekan Law Group to anyone looking for an attorney who is not only exceptionally skilled but also extremely supportive and reliable. Thank you so much again for everything!
Honored for excellence in our craft
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars across 126+ client reviews on Google (as of July 2026). Live rating and reviews are synced automatically from the Google Business Profile.
View on g.pageSamuel Malekan, Esq. is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California (Bar #336832).
View on apps.calbar.ca.govThe firm's largest single-case recovery to date for a client injured in a serious auto accident.
Over 500 personal injury cases resolved with favorable outcomes for clients throughout California.
No upfront cost — you pay nothing unless we win
No Cost, No Obligation
Every case begins with a 100% free, no-obligation consultation. We will review the details of your situation, answer your questions, and provide honest guidance on your legal options — all at absolutely no cost to you.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay absolutely nothing out of pocket — no retainer, no hourly rates, no legal fees of any kind unless we successfully recover compensation for you. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict we obtain on your behalf. If we don't win, you owe us nothing.
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