Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck Accident Attorney Sacramento
A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When one fails to stop behind you on I-5 or drifts into your lane on SR-99, you are the one who pays for the mistake, in surgeries, lost work, and months of recovery. If you need a Sacramento truck accident lawyer, Ravan Law represents people seriously hurt by big rigs and other commercial trucks on the freight routes that meet in the capital.
The trucking company and its insurer start on their file within hours. The proof you need sits on their systems, and some of it is erased on a routine schedule. We move first to stop that.
We handle Sacramento truck cases from our Los Angeles office, with consultations by phone or video. Call (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Sacramento Big Rig Accident Lawyer: The Freight Routes and Who Investigates
I-5 and SR-99 carry trucks the length of the Central Valley. I-80 carries them west toward the Bay Area and east over the Sierra toward Reno, and a carrier hauling across state lines operates under federal safety rules. US-50 and the Capital City Freeway add local delivery and construction trucks to commuter traffic.
The Antelope scales. The CHP operates truck inspection facilities on both sides of I-80 at Antelope, in Sacramento County. Roadside inspection results, including brake and tire violations, become part of the carrier’s federal safety record, and we pull it.
City truck routes. The City of Sacramento publishes a truck route map that separates city truck routes, weight-restricted routes, and STAA truck routes. A big rig on a street outside those routes raises questions for the driver and the dispatcher who sent it there.
On the freeways, the California Highway Patrol area office for that stretch investigates. The most serious crashes may be reconstructed by the CHP’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team. On city streets, the Sacramento Police Department takes the report.
The Federal Rules That Decide a Sacramento Truck Crash, and Who They Reach
A truck case runs on rules a car case does not have. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration limits a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour window, with a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 CFR Part 395). A long-haul driver can be over those limits by the time the truck reaches Sacramento. The electronic logging device shows it, and carriers only have to keep those records for six months. Under Evidence Code 669, a violation of a safety rule written to protect people like you can create a presumption of negligence. Our article on truck driver fatigue accidents in California explains how that proof is built.
Responsibility rarely stops at the driver. Each party below is a separate source of insurance.
| Who may be liable | Why | Record we ask for first |
|---|---|---|
| The driver | Fatigue, speed, distraction, an unsafe lane change | ELD log, phone records, post-crash test results |
| The motor carrier | Answers for its driver on the job, and for negligent hiring, training, or scheduling | Driver qualification file, dispatch messages |
| The truck or trailer owner | Leased equipment in poor condition | Lease and maintenance records |
| The shipper or loader | Overloaded or unsecured freight | Bill of lading, load and weight tickets |
| A repair shop or parts maker | Brake, tire, or steering failure | Work orders, the failed part itself |
| A public entity | A city, county, or state truck, or a dangerous public road | The government claim, presented within six months |
For-hire interstate carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage for general freight under 49 CFR Part 387, and many carry $1 million or more with excess policies above it. Because each defendant pays non-economic damages only in proportion to its own fault (Civil Code 1431.2), leaving one out can leave part of your compensation uncollected. We put every one of them on notice.
When a City, County, or State Truck Is Involved in Sacramento
Public agencies run heavy trucks on these same roads: City of Sacramento trucks, County of Sacramento trucks, and Caltrans maintenance vehicles on the state highways. A public entity is liable for an employee’s negligent driving on the job under Vehicle Code 17001, and for a dangerous condition of its road under Government Code 835.
The first deadline in these cases is six months, not two years. A written claim must reach the right agency within six months of the injury (Government Code 911.2):
- A City truck: the Office of the City Clerk.
- A County truck: the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, on the County’s form.
- A Caltrans vehicle or another state truck: Caltrans takes claims of $12,500 or less at its district claims office. Claims over $12,500, and claims against other state departments, go to the Department of General Services Government Claims Program.
See claims against Caltrans and the State of California after a highway crash and what to do if you have been injured due to a government entity.
What a Truck Accident Claim Can Recover
Economic damages cover medical treatment, future care, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and home modifications. Non-economic damages cover pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, and a spouse’s loss of consortium, and California does not cap them in a truck case. Punitive damages against a trucking company require clear and convincing proof under Civil Code 3294 that an officer or managing agent knew the driver was unfit and kept the driver on the road, or approved the conduct. Our article on why trucking accident cases often involve higher damages in California goes further.
Deadlines and Evidence Clocks After a Sacramento Truck Accident
| Clock | Time | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Post-crash alcohol test of the truck driver | 8 hours | 49 CFR Part 382 |
| Post-crash drug test | 32 hours | 49 CFR Part 382 |
| SR-1 report to the DMV | 10 days | Vehicle Code 16000 |
| ELD and hours-of-service records kept by the carrier | 6 months | 49 CFR Part 395 |
| Claim against the City, the County, or the State | 6 months from the injury | Government Code 911.2 |
| Injury or wrongful death lawsuit | Generally 2 years | Code of Civil Procedure 335.1 |
For an injured child, the two-year period is generally tolled until age 18, but the six-month government claim is not paused. Late-claim relief may be available under Government Code 911.4 and 911.6.
How We Handle a Truck Accident Case for Clients in Sacramento
- Free consultation by phone or video. We tell you plainly whether there is a claim.
- Preservation letter within days. It goes to the carrier and demands the engine control module data, ELD logs, dashcam video, driver file, and maintenance records.
- Reports and records. We request the CHP or Sacramento Police report and the carrier’s federal safety record.
- Government claim, where one applies, inside the six-month window.
- Medical proof, with future care priced in serious cases.
- Demand, negotiation, and suit. If no offer reflects the harm, we file in Sacramento County Superior Court, whose civil operations moved in April 2026 to the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento Superior Courthouse at 500 G Street.
Through all of it you work with us directly, and we answer your questions. Results our firm has obtained in vehicle cases:
| Recovery | Case type |
|---|---|
| $3,500,000 | Motor vehicle accident with a county vehicle |
| $500,000 | Motor vehicle accident |
| $275,000 | Bus accident |
These results come from across our practice, not from Sacramento, and each depended on its own injuries, evidence, and insurance.
Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.
For the federal rules in full, see our main truck accident page. For other injuries, see our Sacramento personal injury page.
Talk to a Sacramento Truck Accident Lawyer Before the Logs Are Overwritten
Engine data can be lost when the truck goes back into service, and dashcam video can be recorded over in days. If a City, County, or state truck was involved, the six-month claim under Government Code 911.2 started on the day of the crash.
Call Ravan Law at (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation by phone or video with a Sacramento truck accident lawyer. No fee unless we win. For other injuries, see our Sacramento pages on car accidents, Uber and Lyft accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, and sidewalk injuries and government claims. You can also see all of our locations.
6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 401, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Attorney Advertising. Ted H. Ravan, Esq., Ravan Law, Los Angeles, CA. This content is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its specific facts.
Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.
