Torrance Truck Accident Lawyer

A loaded truck hits a car with far more force than another car does, and the injuries show it. If a semi, box truck, or delivery truck hurt you on I-405, I-110, SR-91, Hawthorne Boulevard, or Crenshaw Boulevard, you are up against a trucking company with insurers and a response team that moves fast. You need a lawyer who moves just as fast. Moe Abdallah is a Los Angeles injury attorney who handles motor-vehicle crash cases only, and he works Torrance truck cases from his downtown office at 527 W 7th St. Here is what sets a Torrance truck crash apart: the rules the carrier must follow, the evidence that vanishes, who can be held responsible, the deadlines, and where you get care. Call (323) 716-1992 any hour. Se habla español.

Where big trucks and Torrance traffic collide

Three freeways, I-405, I-110, and SR-91, run through or alongside Torrance. Surface streets carry the rest. The city says Hawthorne Boulevard (SR-107) handles about 70,000 vehicle trips a day as the gateway to Del Amo Fashion Center, and Crenshaw Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Western Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, and Del Amo Boulevard all mix cars with commercial traffic. A truck turning off one of those streets into a loading dock or a shopping center lot has a wide swing and big blind spots, and a car sitting beside it often has nowhere to go. We do not have a Torrance truck-crash ranking to quote, and we will not invent one. What the state does publish is the overall picture. The California Office of Traffic Safety counted 647 fatal and injury victims in Torrance in 2023, which put the city 32nd of 62 similar-size cities. Those numbers cover every kind of crash, so they say nothing about trucks alone. They do show that hundreds of people a year are hurt on these roads. Who maintains the road matters too. The City of Torrance says Caltrans, not the city, maintains Pacific Coast Highway, Western Avenue, and Hawthorne Boulevard north of PCH. If a missing sign, bad lane striping, or a badly designed lane contributed to your truck crash, that changes who you file a government claim against, and how soon you must act.

Federal trucking rules hand you proof of negligence

A truck driver is not held to the same rulebook as you are. Federal regulations limit how long a driver can work, and a tired driver is more likely to drift across a lane or react too late to stop. For a driver hauling property, the hours-of-service rule in 49 CFR 395.3 allows no more than 11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour on-duty window, and only after 10 straight hours off duty. A 30-minute break is required after 8 hours of driving. Weekly caps are 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days. When a log shows the driver went past those limits, the carrier has a hard time arguing the crash was just bad luck. The rules also set a floor on money. A for-hire carrier moving ordinary freight across state lines must carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance under 49 CFR 387.9. Certain hazardous loads require $1 million or $5 million. Those are federal floors. A carrier can carry more, and a local delivery operation may fall under different rules, which is why we pull the actual policy early. Drug and alcohol testing rules help you too. After a fatal crash, the employer must test the surviving driver. After a crash where someone is treated away from the scene or a vehicle is towed, testing is required if the driver is cited. The alcohol test must happen within 8 hours and the drug test within 32 hours. If a test is not done, the carrier has to document why. If the carrier skipped that step, we ask why.

Evidence inside the truck can disappear within days

The most useful proof in a truck case lives on the truck and in the carrier's office, and the carrier controls both. The engine control module records speed, braking, and throttle data in the seconds before a crash. The electronic logging device shows the driver's hours. Many fleets also run forward-facing and driver-facing cameras. Dispatch messages, GPS pings, fuel receipts, and maintenance records can show whether the driver was rushed and whether the brakes were ever fixed. Some of that data is overwritten on a schedule. Some gets lost when a truck goes back into service. The first thing Moe sends is a preservation letter. It tells the carrier in writing to keep the truck, its data, and its records, and it makes any later loss of evidence far harder to excuse. Do not send anything to the carrier's insurer, and do not take a quick settlement call. The adjuster is building a file against you. You can protect evidence too. At the scene, photograph the truck from every side, the company name and DOT number on the door, the license plate, skid marks, and damage to your car. Get names and numbers of witnesses. Look for cameras on nearby stores along the street, because that footage is often erased in days. If you can, write down what the driver said. Then ask for the Torrance police report. TPD says to allow at least 15 days after the crash before it shows up online.

Driver, carrier, or the city: who owes you money

A truck crash in Torrance can have more than one responsible party, and each has its own insurer. The driver is the obvious one. The trucking company that employs the driver is usually responsible for what its employee does on the job, and it may also be responsible for hiring a driver with a bad record, skipping training, or ignoring maintenance. A company that loaded the truck badly, or a repair shop that missed a brake problem, can share blame depending on the facts. We look at all of them before the claim is filed, because each defendant brings a different insurance policy to the table. California is a pure comparative negligence state. Under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, you can recover even if you were partly at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of the blame. Carriers lean on that rule, so expect them to say you braked late or changed lanes. Proposition 51 adds a twist. Each defendant pays pain and suffering only in proportion to its own fault, though medical bills and lost income can be recovered from any responsible defendant (Civ. Code 1431.2). If a city, county, or other government vehicle was involved, such as a refuse truck or a public-works truck, you must present a written claim within six months (Gov. Code 911.2). The City of Torrance accepts claims by mail or in person at the City Clerk's Office, 3031 Torrance Blvd. It does not accept email or fax.

Torrance police reports, the courthouse, and your deadlines

The Torrance Police Department, at 3300 Civic Center Dr., writes the report for crashes inside the city. You can order it online through LexisNexis eCrash, which charges a convenience fee, or by mail or in person from the TPD Records Division with a Request for Release of Police Records form, a copy of your photo ID, and an $18.00 check or money order. The Records Division number is (310) 618-5529. Reports go to drivers, vehicle owners, injured people, and their representatives. If your crash happened on a freeway ramp or unincorporated stretch, a different agency may hold the report, and we help you track it down. California also wants a report from you. If anyone was hurt or damage went over $1,000, you must report the crash to the DMV within 10 days on an SR-1 form (Vehicle Code 16000). Many people miss that step while they are in the hospital. Your deadlines are tight. You generally have two years to sue for injury or wrongful death (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1) and three years for vehicle and property damage (CCP 338). Government claims are far shorter. You have six months to present a claim, and after a written rejection you have six months to sue (Gov. Code 945.6). Truck cases are often heard in Los Angeles Superior Court. The Torrance Courthouse is at 825 Maple Ave, but unlimited personal injury cases may be assigned downtown, so we confirm the court with the Filing Court Locator before filing.

Truck injuries, nearby hospitals, and how Moe runs your case

Truck crashes cause life-changing injuries. Broken pelvises and femurs, spinal cord and back injuries, brain injuries, crushed limbs, burns, and internal bleeding are common when a car and a truck meet. Several hospitals serve the Torrance area. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, just outside the city limits in West Carson, is listed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority as a Level I adult and pediatric trauma center. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, on Torrance Boulevard, is a 24/7 emergency department and a paramedic base station, stroke center, and STEMI receiving center. Torrance Memorial Medical Center on Lomita Boulevard also has an emergency department, but it does not appear on the state's list of designated trauma centers. Where the ambulance takes you depends on your injuries, and the records from that first visit become part of your claim. Here is how Moe works. You get a free case review at any hour. He handles your case personally and updates you by call and text. He sends the preservation letter, collects the police report and medical records, identifies every insurer, and prepares the claim so the carrier knows you are ready to go to court. You pay nothing unless he wins. Past results include $30,000 policy-limit recoveries and a $75,000 outcome after an insurer first offered $900. Every case is different, and past results do not promise a similar outcome.

Talk to a Torrance truck accident lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our truck accidents representation →

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