Were you or a family member injured in a preventable truck accident in the Greater Los Angeles area because of another party’s carelessness or negligence?
The nationally-recognized truck accident lawyers at Wisner Baum can help you seek the maximum amount of compensation available under the law.
No one should be subject to avoidable injury, nor should anyone be stuck having to pay for associated expenses.
At Wisner Baum, we know that it can be difficult to overcome the physical, mental, and emotional injuries caused by a big rig truck accident.
Our firm has helped many clients bring negligent semi-truck operators to justice, as evidenced by just a handful of our past successes, some of which include:
Please note that past favorable results do not guarantee a similar outcome in future cases. However, we will apply the valuable insight and skills we learned during these cases to reinforce the strength of your claim.
Call our truck accident attorneys in Los Angeles today at (310) 207-3233 or contact us online to get started on your case.
Los Angeles freeways are riddled with potholes, even though they always seem to be under construction. Our city streets are often at too steep of an incline, and there are miles-long stretches of interstate highways without rest stops. These hazards are bound to pose risks to even the most conscientious truck drivers.
These same roads become significantly more dangerous when truck drivers ignore safety protocols and drive recklessly, while fatigued, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
According to truck crash statistics from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Los Angeles County sees on average 2,200 injury truck crashes and 50 fatal truck crashes on an annual basis, by far more than any other county in the state.*
*based on CHP statistics over 5-year period
According to data from the Southern California Association of Governments, the 710 Freeway is one of the most dangerous highways in the Los Angeles area when it comes to truck accidents. More than 42,000 trips across this highway are made daily by commercial trucks, making it a “hotspot” for collisions.
Freeway sections with the highest number of truck crashes per mile include:
Some of Southern California’s other busiest truck routes include:
For most people harmed in a big rig or semi-truck crash, picking out the best Los Angeles trucking accident attorney boils down to the following:
Attorneys have different specialties, just like doctors. You wouldn’t want a cardiologist to perform surgery on your knee, would you?
If a family member were in a car accident, you’d want to go with an attorney who specializes in car accident litigation. If you or a family member were in a truck accident, you would want to make sure you pick an attorney who specializes in truck accident lawsuits.
Why experience and knowledge matter
These days, there are consumer reviews on everything, including truck accident lawyers and the firms they work for.
Be sure to read client testimonials from lawyers and their law firms.
Attorneys should be happy to connect you with past clients they have represented so they can give you a firsthand history of their experience working with the lawyer/law firm.
Read reviews from past clients
A truck accident law firm that has a lengthy practice history litigating cases like yours should give you confidence.
Helping truck accident victims since 1985
While it may be true that the vast majority of truck accident lawsuits are settled out of court, your attorney should have extensive trial experience in the event your claim cannot be settled out of court.
Car and truck accident lawsuits that proceed to trial are often complex, requiring adherence to proper procedures and rules of evidence. Put simply, this task should not be left to a novice.
Companies we have handled trucking cases against
It may seem obvious, but any attorney you hire should have an established winning record for big rig and semi-truck accident cases.
Over $4 billion in settlements and verdicts
If your vehicle gets hit by a truck, there are several key steps you should take after the accident to support any legal action you may take down the line.
Taking the following steps may help your case succeed later:
If a truck driver, trucking company, and/or truck manufacturer caused or contributed to an accident that left you injured, you may be able to pursue justice and compensation in a truck accident lawsuit.
Most semi-truck accidents are caused by:
If you believe any of these were factors in a truck crash that caused you harm, it is highly advisable that you discuss the matter with a truck accident attorney in Los Angeles who has experience litigating against major truck companies and their insurers – like those at Wisner Baum.
In the state of California, injured individuals who may be partially at fault for a crash between a car and a truck can still pursue legal action because the state employs comparative negligence, which means all contributing acts of negligence are taken into account.
The defendant (or defendants) in a comparative negligence case will likely try to increase how responsible you as the victim are for the accident and argue that their client (the trucker or trucking company) is “less responsible” to limit their liability.
This is why retaining legal counsel with years of experience successfully resolving semi-truck accident cases is vitally important to protecting your legal rights in these matters.
Sometimes surviving a truck accident can be a very alienating experience. You can feel lost and alone, and the long-term trauma that you deal with both physically and mentally can make you feel as if no one else understands what you’re going through. The good news is that there is help available.
If you have been the victim of a truck accident in Los Angeles, you can take advantage of the following resources that are available to you during your recovery:
MADD California - If you were the victim of a truck accident where the driver was intoxicated, you may find support and encouragement through the Southern California branch of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers). They offer emotional support, education, and many other resources to victims in the Southern California area.
Trauma Survivors Network (TSN) - TSN offers victim support and resources for car accident victims throughout the U.S. This victim support service is offered at several Los Angeles area hospitals including:
Ready to learn more about your rights and legal options? Call our Los Angeles big rig accident attorneys at (310) 207-3233 or contact us online for a free consultation.
"Wisner Baum gave exceptional attention to all aspects of the case, detailed inquiry, and tenacious overview of all the information submitted. The paralegals are efficient and diligent. I was completely surprised to find an empathic personal message to take care of my own health during the challenging time of being a full-time caretaker.*"
In May of 2019, the jury in the case of Pilliod et al. v, Monsanto Company ordered the agrochemical giant to pay $2.055 billion in damages to the plaintiffs, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a Bay Area couple in their 70s. R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial attorney for the Pilliods, delivering the opening and closing statements and cross-examining several of Monsanto’s experts. Wisner Baum managing shareholder, Michael Baum and attorney Pedram Esfandiary also served on the trial team in the Pilliod case.
The judge later reduced their award to $87M. Monsanto appealed the Pilliod’s verdict which the California Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District denied on August 9, 2021. Monsanto then requested the California Supreme Court review the appeal’s court decision, which the court denied on Nov. 17, 2021. Monsanto (Bayer) then submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court which SCOTUS denied on June 27, 2022, allowing the final judgment of $87M to remain intact.
$289.2 million jury verdict in Monsanto Roundup trial
Wisner Baum co-represented Dewayne “Lee” Johnson in the first Roundup cancer lawsuit to proceed to trial. On Aug. 10, 2018, a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $39.25 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages to Mr. Johnson, a former groundskeeper who alleged exposure to Monsanto’s herbicides caused him to develop terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Months after the jury verdict, the judge overseeing the trial reduced the punitive damages to $39.25 million. Mr. Johnson decided to accept the remittitur, bringing the adjusted amount awarded to Mr. Johnson $78.5 million.
Monsanto (Bayer) appealed the verdict and Johnson cross appealed. On July 20, 2020, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the verdict against Monsanto but reduced Mr. Johnson’s award to $20.5 million. The company chose not to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, ending the litigation.
In 2016, Wisner Baum attorney Timothy A. Loranger and six other attorneys in the Plaintiffs’ Management Committee were able to secure a $265 million settlement for victims of the 2015 Amtrak 188 derailment in Philadelphia, one of the largest in the U.S. for 2016.
