Los Angeles is home to the busiest truck corridors in America — the I-710, I-5, I-10, and the Port of LA/Long Beach trucking routes. When a negligent trucker or trucking company causes a devastating collision, Attorney Anand Desai brings 20+ years of experience and FMCSA expertise to hold them accountable.
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Truck accident cases are among the most complex personal injury claims. They involve federal regulations (FMCSA), multiple potentially liable parties (driver, trucking company, shipper, maintenance provider, manufacturer), commercial insurance policies with $1 million or higher limits, and well-funded defense teams employed by major trucking companies and their insurers. You need an attorney who has the experience, resources, and trial skills to take on these corporate defendants and win.
Attorney Anand Desai brings 20+ years of experience, 50+ jury trials, and a former LA County Public Defender background to every truck accident case. His aggressive courtroom style and deep understanding of trucking regulations make him a formidable adversary for the defense firms that protect major trucking companies.
Here is what makes our firm the right choice for your LA truck accident case:
• FMCSA Regulatory Knowledge: We understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that govern hours of service, driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, cargo securement, and drug/alcohol testing. Violations of these regulations are powerful evidence of negligence.
• Multi-Party Liability: We investigate and pursue claims against every liable party — the driver, the trucking company, the shipper, the broker, the maintenance provider, and the vehicle or parts manufacturer — to maximize total recovery.
• 11-Language Service: We serve Los Angeles's extraordinarily diverse community in English, Spanish, Armenian, Farsi, Korean, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Thai, Tagalog, and Russian.
• No Win, No Fee: 100% contingency representation. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Call us or fill out the form. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and answer all your questions — at no cost.
We gather evidence, work with experts, handle the insurance companies, and build your claim for maximum compensation.
We don’t get paid unless you win. 100% contingency fee — no upfront costs, no hidden charges, no risk to you.
Los Angeles County has the highest volume of commercial truck traffic in the United States, and the crash statistics reflect this grim reality. The I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) is the single heaviest truck corridor in the country, carrying an estimated 35,000+ trucks daily between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the inland distribution centers. The I-5 (Golden State Freeway) carries massive north-south truck volumes through the heart of LA. The I-10 (San Bernardino Freeway) serves as a critical east-west trucking route connecting the ports to the Inland Empire and beyond.
Other high-volume truck corridors in Los Angeles include the I-405 (San Diego Freeway), the SR-60 (Pomona Freeway), and the I-110 (Harbor Freeway) between the ports and downtown LA. Surface streets near the ports — including Alameda Street, Pacific Coast Highway, and Anaheim Street in the Wilmington/San Pedro/Long Beach area — see constant heavy truck traffic that creates extreme hazards for passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Truck accidents differ fundamentally from car-on-car collisions. A fully loaded 18-wheeler can weigh up to 80,000 pounds — compared to approximately 4,000 pounds for a typical passenger vehicle. The physics of a collision between these two vehicles are devastating: the passenger vehicle absorbs virtually all of the impact force. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, crush injuries, severe burns, and death are common outcomes. Our firm's experience with these high-stakes cases ensures that our clients receive representation commensurate with the severity of their injuries.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) establishes comprehensive regulations governing commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate commerce. These regulations — codified in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations — set minimum standards for driver qualifications, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, cargo securement, and drug and alcohol testing. Violations of these federal regulations are powerful evidence of negligence in a California truck accident case.
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations (49 CFR Part 395) limit how long truck drivers can operate without rest. Property-carrying drivers may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and may not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty. A mandatory 30-minute break is required after 8 cumulative hours of driving. The 60/70-hour limit caps total driving time within a 7- or 8-day period. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are required to track compliance, but violations remain widespread — particularly among small carriers and independent operators.
Driver Qualification standards (49 CFR Part 391) require commercial drivers to hold a valid CDL, pass DOT physical examinations, and maintain a satisfactory driving record. Carriers must conduct background checks and verify driving history before hiring. Drug and Alcohol Testing regulations (49 CFR Part 382) mandate pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable-suspicion testing. Our firm obtains and analyzes all FMCSA compliance records to identify regulatory violations that establish negligence.
One of the most important advantages in a truck accident case is the availability of multiple liable parties — each with their own insurance coverage. Unlike a standard car accident where liability typically falls on a single at-fault driver, truck accidents can involve liability from the truck driver, the trucking company (motor carrier), the shipper or loader, the freight broker, the maintenance company, and the vehicle or parts manufacturer.
The trucking company (motor carrier) is liable for its driver's negligence under the doctrine of respondeat superior. It may also be independently liable for negligent hiring (failing to screen the driver's record), negligent retention (keeping a driver with safety violations), negligent supervision (failing to enforce HOS rules), and negligent maintenance (failing to maintain the truck). Motor carriers are required to maintain minimum insurance coverage of $750,000 to $5 million depending on the type of cargo, with most carriers maintaining $1 million or higher per-occurrence limits.
Shippers and loaders may be liable if improperly loaded or overweight cargo contributed to the accident. The shipper has a duty to properly describe the cargo, and the loader has a duty to secure it according to FMCSA regulations. Freight brokers may face liability if they selected a carrier with known safety deficiencies. Maintenance providers who negligently serviced the truck can be independently liable. We investigate the entire chain of responsibility to identify every party whose negligence contributed to the crash.
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together form the largest port complex in the Western Hemisphere, handling approximately 40% of all containerized cargo entering the United States. The truck traffic generated by these ports — estimated at tens of thousands of truck trips daily — makes the surrounding freeway and surface street network the most hazardous trucking corridor in the country.
The I-710 carries the heaviest concentration of port-related truck traffic, connecting the ports to rail yards, distribution centers, and freeway interchanges across eastern Los Angeles County. This freeway has some of the highest truck-involved collision rates in California. The I-110 (Harbor Freeway) serves as another primary north-south route from the ports. Surface streets including Alameda Street, Pacific Coast Highway, Anaheim Street, and Sepulveda Boulevard through the Wilmington, Carson, and Compton areas see constant heavy truck traffic.
Port truck drivers face unique pressures that contribute to accidents: long wait times at port terminals followed by pressure to complete deliveries on tight schedules, congested roads shared with passenger vehicles and pedestrians in industrial and residential mixed-use areas, aging truck fleets (many port drayage trucks are older vehicles with higher maintenance failure rates), and navigating unfamiliar surface streets between the ports and distribution facilities. These factors, combined with FMCSA regulatory violations, create a dangerous environment that our firm is experienced in litigating.
Truck accident cases require immediate action to preserve critical evidence that trucking companies and their insurers may otherwise destroy. Federal regulations require motor carriers to preserve certain records — including ELD data, driver qualification files, drug testing records, and maintenance logs — but the practical reality is that evidence disappears quickly if not formally preserved through a litigation hold demand.
Within hours of a truck accident, we send spoliation preservation letters to the trucking company, their insurer, the driver, and any other identified parties, demanding that they preserve all relevant evidence including ELD and hours-of-service data, GPS and telematics records, dashcam and in-cab camera footage, driver cell phone records, vehicle inspection and maintenance records, the driver's qualification file, drug and alcohol testing records, dispatch communications, and the truck's event data recorder (EDR or "black box") data.
The truck's EDR records critical data including speed, braking, throttle position, and engine RPM in the seconds before impact. ELD data reveals whether the driver was in compliance with hours-of-service regulations or was driving while fatigued. Dashcam footage can show exactly what happened before the collision. If this evidence is destroyed — whether intentionally or through routine data overwriting — we pursue spoliation sanctions and adverse inference instructions that can dramatically strengthen our client's case. This is why contacting us immediately after a truck accident is essential.
Truck accident lawsuits in Los Angeles are filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The primary courthouse for civil cases in the City of Los Angeles is the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N Hill St in downtown LA. Depending on the specific location of the accident and the parties involved, cases may also be assigned to district courthouses including the Burbank, Pasadena, or Pomona courthouses.
The litigation process in truck accident cases is more complex and adversarial than standard auto accident cases. Trucking companies and their commercial insurers retain experienced defense firms that specialize in defending truck accident claims. These firms deploy aggressive tactics including rapid evidence collection to build their defense, early depositions of the injured party, extensive discovery demands, and medical examinations by defense-hired physicians. Our firm matches their resources and intensity at every stage.
California's two-year statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 applies to truck accident personal injury claims. Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death. Government tort claims against Caltrans or local agencies for road defects that contributed to the accident must be filed within six months under Government Code Section 911.2. The complexity of truck accident litigation — including multiple parties, extensive discovery, expert depositions, and potential federal regulatory issues — means that these cases benefit from the longest possible preparation time. Contact Anand Desai Law at (833) 270-7800 immediately after a truck accident. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Truck accidents involve significantly larger vehicles (up to 80,000 lbs vs. 4,000 lbs for a car), producing far more severe injuries. They are governed by federal FMCSA regulations in addition to state law, creating additional avenues to prove negligence. Multiple parties may be liable — the driver, trucking company, shipper, broker, and maintenance provider — each with separate insurance coverage. Commercial trucking insurance starts at $750,000 to $1 million or more. These factors make truck cases more complex but also more valuable than standard car accident claims.
Federal regulations require motor carriers to maintain minimum insurance based on cargo type: $750,000 for general freight, $1 million for oil transport, and $5 million for certain hazardous materials. Most major trucking companies carry $1 million to $5 million in primary liability coverage, with additional excess or umbrella policies. These policy limits are significantly higher than personal auto insurance, which is why truck accident cases often result in substantially higher compensation. Our firm ensures that all available coverage is identified and accessed.
The I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) connects the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to inland distribution centers and is the heaviest truck corridor in the United States, carrying approximately 35,000+ trucks daily. The combination of massive truck volumes, aging infrastructure, mixed traffic with passenger vehicles, and the pressure on port drayage drivers to meet tight delivery schedules creates extremely hazardous conditions. Truck-involved collisions on the I-710 are among the most severe in California, and our firm has extensive experience handling cases arising from this corridor.
FMCSA Hours of Service regulations limit how long truck drivers can operate without rest — 11 hours of driving after 10 hours off duty, with a 14-hour on-duty window and mandatory 30-minute breaks. When drivers or carriers violate these limits and the fatigued driver causes an accident, the violation is strong evidence of negligence. We obtain Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data to identify HOS violations. Falsified logs or ELD tampering can support punitive damage claims against both the driver and the carrier.
Yes, and you should. Under respondeat superior, the trucking company is vicariously liable for its driver's negligence during the course of employment. The company may also be independently liable for negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision, negligent maintenance, or violating FMCSA regulations. The trucking company's commercial insurance policy provides far greater coverage than the driver's personal assets. Our firm always pursues claims against the motor carrier and investigates additional parties including shippers, brokers, and maintenance providers.
If safe, photograph the truck from all angles (capturing the company name, DOT number, license plate, and any visible damage or defects), photograph all vehicles involved, document the road conditions, and photograph your injuries. Get the truck driver's name, CDL number, and the trucking company's name. Get witness contact information. Note the truck's DOT number (usually on the cab door). Then call Anand Desai Law at (833) 270-7800 immediately — we will send evidence preservation demands to the trucking company before critical data is destroyed.
Trucking companies frequently classify drivers as independent contractors to avoid vicarious liability. However, California's ABC test (from AB-5) makes this classification difficult to sustain when the company controls the driver's routes, schedules, and operational details. Even if independent contractor status holds, the motor carrier remains responsible for ensuring the driver meets FMCSA qualification standards, and the carrier's insurance policy covers accidents involving contracted drivers. We investigate the true nature of the employment relationship to maximize liability.
Truck accident cases typically take 12 to 24 months to resolve, though complex cases with severe injuries, multiple defendants, or contested liability may take longer. The discovery process in truck cases is extensive — we obtain ELD data, driver qualification files, maintenance records, dispatch logs, and more. We wait until our clients reach maximum medical improvement before valuing the case. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we are fully prepared to take the case to trial at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse or the appropriate LA County Superior Court location.
You may recover economic damages (medical expenses, lost wages, future care costs, property damage, diminished earning capacity), non-economic damages (pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement), and potentially punitive damages if the driver or carrier engaged in egregious conduct (falsified logs, known HOS violations, impaired driving). The availability of $1M+ commercial insurance policies and multiple liable parties means truck accident victims can often recover the full value of even catastrophic injury claims. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
The statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of the accident under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death. Government tort claims against Caltrans or local agencies for road defects contributing to the accident must be filed within six months under Government Code Section 911.2. Given the complexity of truck accident investigations and the need to preserve evidence quickly, we strongly recommend contacting our firm immediately after a truck accident.
Anand Desai is a dedicated personal injury attorney serving Glendale and the greater Los Angeles area. A graduate of Loyola Law School with an undergraduate degree from USC, Anand has been a member of the California State Bar (#249768) since 2007, bringing 20+ years of legal experience to every case he handles.
Anand specializes in personal injury law, with particular expertise in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and catastrophic injury cases. His deep understanding of California personal injury law, combined with his tenacious negotiation skills, has helped him secure millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients.
What truly sets Anand apart is his commitment to his community. His firm is one of the only law offices in Glendale that offers services in 11 languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Hindi, Gujarati, Korean, Tagalog, Farsi, Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese, and English — reflecting the rich diversity of the communities he serves.
“I fight for every client like they’re family. When you hire me, you’re not just getting a lawyer — you’re getting someone who genuinely cares about your recovery and your future.”
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