Truck Accidents matters in San Rafael
Why San Rafael Truck Routes Are High-Risk
Marin County's truck traffic concentrates on a handful of corridors, and that is where the most serious collisions occur. US-101 is the spine of regional freight, carrying tractor-trailers, delivery box trucks, and construction haulers through San Rafael toward the North Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The grades and merges near the Central San Rafael and Terra Linda interchanges leave little room for a fully loaded truck to stop, and rear-end and underride crashes here can be catastrophic.
The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge and the I-580 approach funnel heavy interstate trucking from the East Bay onto local roads near Bellam Boulevard and the Canal district, where commercial vehicles share tight space with commuters and cyclists. Trucks serving local businesses also work the industrial pockets off Andersen Drive and Francisco Boulevard, making turns across traffic that produce devastating side-impact and blind-spot wrecks. A loaded big rig can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a passenger car, so even a low-speed mistake transfers enormous force to the people in the smaller vehicle.
Truck Cases Are Different — and Move Fast
A truck crash is not just a bigger car crash. Liability can extend beyond the driver to the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, a maintenance contractor, or a cargo loader. Federal and state regulations govern driver hours, inspections, and load securement, and violations of those rules can be powerful evidence of negligence. The trouble is that the most important proof — the truck's electronic logging device, the driver's hours-of-service records, dashcam footage, and maintenance files — is controlled by the company and can be overwritten or lost within weeks.
That is why prompt action matters. We move quickly to send preservation letters, secure the police report, and get you evaluated at MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae so your injuries are properly documented from the start. Building the case early, before evidence disappears, is often the difference between a fair recovery and a denied claim.
California Deadlines and the Marin County Courts
Most truck accident injury claims in California must be filed within two years of the crash under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a government truck or a dangerous public road condition played a role, you may have only six months to file a claim under Government Code section 911.2. Because trucking companies often span multiple states and corporate entities, sorting out who is responsible takes investigation that should begin right away.
Marin County civil cases are filed at the Marin County Superior Court at the Civic Center on North San Pedro Road. Trucking insurers know which firms prepare seriously and which do not. MMG Law Firm builds every truck case with the documentation and expert support needed to negotiate from strength, and we are ready to take a case to a Marin jury when an insurer refuses to be fair.
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.