San Mateo Jackknife Truck Accident Lawyer
Trucks Rarely Jackknife Without Someone's Mistake.
When a trailer swings out at an angle to its cab, it can strike cars in neighboring lanes or roll the truck over. Our San Mateo truck accident attorneys trace the crash back to the driver, the carrier, the loader, or the brake shop, and make them pay for the harm.
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A Jackknife Is a Warning Sign of Negligence
In a jackknife, the truck’s trailer swings out until it sits at a sharp angle to the cab. The trailer can sweep into vehicles in adjacent lanes, and a jackknife often ends with the truck overturning. Because these crashes usually happen at highway speeds, people in smaller vehicles can suffer severe, permanent, or even fatal injuries.
Jackknife crashes rarely happen unless someone was careless. The most common causes include:
Driving too fast, especially for rain or other poor conditions
Sudden or forceful braking
An empty trailer, or a load that was unbalanced or poorly secured
Brakes that were defective or not properly maintained
Each cause points to a party who can be held responsible, and often more than one. Anyone hurt in a jackknife crash in San Mateo should talk to a lawyer quickly, before the truck is repaired and the evidence is gone. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Steps to Take After a Jackknife Crash
Move away from the wreck if you can, and call 911.
A jackknifed truck can block lanes, and traffic behind it may still be moving.
Accept medical care at the scene.
Injuries from a trailer strike or a rollover can be severe even when they don’t feel that way yet.
Photograph the truck and trailer.
The angle where they came to rest, the cargo, skid marks, and the road and weather conditions.
Record the truck's company name and numbers.
The carrier, and sometimes a separate trailer owner or shipper, may all be involved.
Keep a record of your injuries and recovery.
Hospital stays, surgeries, therapy, missed work, and how your daily life has changed.
Refer every insurer to us.
Trucking insurers move quickly after a serious crash; don’t give statements or sign anything first.
What a Jackknife Injury Claim Can Include
Medical care, present and future
Emergency treatment, surgeries, long hospital stays, rehabilitation, and ongoing care such as nursing or future procedures.
Lost income and earning capacity
The wages you’ve missed, and the reduced ability to earn a living if your injuries are lasting.
Pain, disability, and quality of life
Physical pain, disability, disfigurement, emotional distress, and the lost ability to enjoy life, including the psychological impact of the crash.
Punitive damages, in rare cases
When a defendant’s conduct was especially egregious, such as a trucker who was drunk or driving far above the speed limit, California law allows a claim for additional damages meant to punish.
Following the Chain of Responsibility
Finding the cause of a jackknife is often the easy part: driver error lies behind most of them. The harder work is finding everyone who contributed, because the answer affects how much insurance is available for your recovery. We investigate:
- The driver’s conduct: speed for the conditions, braking, and the moments before the trailer swung out
- The trucking company’s role: whether it pressured the driver with an unreasonable delivery schedule, or failed to check the driver’s training and record
- The cargo: whether the trailer was empty, or the load was unbalanced by the company that loaded it
- The brakes: inspection and maintenance records, and whether a defective part failed
Even when the driver is an independent contractor, the trucking company may still be responsible if its schedule pushed the driver to speed or it never looked into the driver’s background.
California Law on Jackknife Liability
An employer answers for its driver
When a trucker’s error causes a jackknife, the company that employs the driver is generally responsible for the harm.
Others can share the blame
A company that loaded the trailer badly, or a manufacturer or maintenance company responsible for failed brakes, can be held responsible for its part.
Punitive damages require proof of extreme conduct
They are available only when the defendant’s conduct was especially egregious, and they are rarely awarded in injury cases.
Deadlines apply
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit, and only six months for a claim involving a government vehicle. Your share of fault, if any, reduces but doesn’t eliminate your recovery.
What Our Clients Say
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San Mateo Jackknife Truck Accident FAQs
What happens in a jackknife accident?
The truck’s trailer swings out at an angle to the cab. It can strike vehicles in neighboring lanes, and the truck often overturns.
What usually causes a truck to jackknife?
Most often driver error: speeding, particularly in poor weather, and sudden or hard braking. Empty or unbalanced trailers and faulty brakes also play a role.
Who can be held responsible?
The driver and the trucking company, and depending on the cause, the company that loaded the trailer, the brake manufacturer, or the maintenance company.
The driver was an independent contractor. Is the trucking company off the hook?
Not necessarily. The company may still be responsible if it set an unreasonable delivery schedule or didn’t look into the driver’s training and record.
What injuries are common in jackknife crashes?
Serious ones: concussions and traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, internal organ damage, severe bleeding, facial and eye injuries, and traumatic amputations, along with lasting emotional trauma.
Can I get punitive damages?
Rarely. California allows them when a defendant’s conduct was especially egregious, for example a trucker who was drunk or far over the speed limit.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years from the date of injury, or six months for a claim involving a government vehicle. Call early so evidence can be preserved.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency; you pay a fee only if we recover for you.
Get Your Free, Confidential Case Review, 24/7
After a jackknife crash, the truck gets towed, repaired, and back on the road fast, and the evidence goes with it. Call now or send the form; we respond fast, 24/7, in English, Spanish, or Korean. Your consultation is free and confidential. No fee unless we win.
Call (408) 256-2871Free Case Review
Solution Now Law Firm
1253 Park Ave
San Jose, CA 95126
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