Truck Accidents matters in Crescent City
Commercial trucks are a constant on Del Norte County's highways, and when one of them is involved in a crash, the injuries are often catastrophic. Logging rigs, freight haulers, and delivery trucks share narrow coastal and canyon roads with passenger cars, and the size mismatch leaves little margin for error. MMG Law Firm represents people seriously hurt by commercial vehicles throughout the Crescent City area.
Truck traffic on US-101 and US-199
US-101 is the only continuous coastal route through Del Norte County, so nearly all north-south freight passes through Crescent City on it. US-199 is the inland connector to Grants Pass and the Interstate 5 corridor, and it climbs through the Smith River canyon on tight curves with narrow shoulders. Logging trucks loaded with timber, fuel tankers, and long-haul freight all use these roads. A fully loaded big rig needs far more distance to stop, and a curve or downgrade that a car handles easily can become a runaway situation for a truck that is overweight, has worn brakes, or is moving too fast for the grade.
Why truck cases are different
A truck crash is not just a bigger car crash. Federal and state trucking rules govern driver hours, vehicle inspections, brake maintenance, cargo loading, and recordkeeping. When those rules are broken, the violation itself can be powerful evidence. Trucking companies also carry far larger insurance policies and send investigators to the scene quickly to protect themselves. That is why preserving the truck's electronic logging device data, the driver's hours-of-service records, maintenance files, and the cargo manifest matters so much, and why we send preservation demands early before that evidence disappears.
After a truck crash in Crescent City
Survivors of serious truck collisions are frequently taken to Sutter Coast Hospital and may be airlifted to a regional trauma center for major injuries. Once you are safe and treated, the priority is preserving proof: the position of the vehicles, skid marks, the load, and any witnesses. On rural stretches of US-199 there are rarely cameras, so the physical evidence at the scene and the company's own records carry the case. Keep all medical bills and records, and avoid giving a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer before you have spoken with a lawyer.
How MMG Law Firm helps
We identify every responsible party, which can include the driver, the trucking company, a separate cargo loader, and a maintenance contractor, and we pursue each available insurance policy. When a fair resolution is not offered, suit is filed at the Del Norte County Superior Court in Crescent City. We cannot promise any particular result, but we will investigate thoroughly, explain your options clearly, and communicate with you in your own language at every stage.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with truck accidents
Truck cases are won or lost in the first days, so Mihran M. Ghazaryan moves immediately to preserve the evidence — the electronic logging device, the driver's hours-of-service records, and the truck's onboard data — before it can be overwritten. He identifies every responsible party (driver, carrier, broker, and their separate insurers) and applies the federal motor-carrier rules that govern these cases, building the claim for the larger exposure a commercial policy carries.
Types of truck accidents we handle
Tractor-trailer and 18-wheeler crashes
Often involve fatigue, improper loading, or maintenance failures. We send a preservation letter immediately and pursue ELD and ECM data.
Delivery-truck and box-truck collisions
Last-mile delivery has driven a surge in inexperienced drivers under tight schedules. Liability often runs to the carrier, not just the driver.
Underride and override collisions
Catastrophic injury cases. Vehicle conspicuity, guard equipment, and applicable FMCSA standards all matter.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every truck accident claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Call 911 and request medical evaluation on scene.
- Photograph the truck — license plate, USDOT number, MC number, trailer markings.
- Get the trucking company's name, not just the driver's.
- Save any clothing or vehicle parts as evidence.
- Contact us before speaking with the trucking company's insurer or a 'rapid response' team.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.