Underride Truck Accident Lawyer in Northern California

Pursuing Every Liable Party From Trucking Companies to Trailer Manufacturers

When a passenger vehicle slides beneath a commercial truck, the results are often catastrophic injuries. At Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley, we’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars for injury victims across Northern California since 1999, including cases against major trucking companies, auto manufacturers, and government entities. Larry S. Buckley is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and is recognized among America’s Top 100 High-Stakes Litigators, with more than 25 years of personal injury experience and over a thousand cases handled. We pursue underride truck accident claims in both state and federal courts throughout California from our offices in Redding, Chico, Sacramento, and Rocklin.

What Is an Underride Truck Accident?

An underride crash occurs when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the body of a large commercial truck, such as a tractor-trailer, crushing the passenger compartment. The point of impact sits at or above the roofline of a typical car, bypassing the crumple zones and safety systems designed to protect occupants. Three distinct crash types fall into this category.

• Rear underride: A car strikes the back of a truck and slides beneath it, most often when a truck stops suddenly or sits on a roadway without adequate warning
• Side underride: A vehicle strikes the side of a truck and becomes lodged underneath, commonly during a wide turn or lane change
• Front underride: A truck rear-ends a smaller vehicle and drives it beneath the truck’s front end

Why These Crashes Cause Such Severe Injuries

Underride crashes are among the most destructive collision types on the road. Because the trailer rides above the hood of a passenger vehicle, standard crash structures offer little protection. Severe head, brain, and upper-body trauma are common outcomes rather than the lower-extremity injuries typical of front-end collisions.

Federal data recorded an average of roughly 219 underride fatalities annually from 2008 through 2017, and researchers have told government investigators these crashes are likely undercounted.

Federal Guard Standards and the Regulatory Gap

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 223 and 224 require rear underride guards meeting a specified strength test on trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more, for trailers manufactured on or after January 24, 1998. Since 2017, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has tested rear guards to a more demanding voluntary standard, requiring them to prevent underride in full-width, 50 percent overlap, and 30 percent overlap crash tests at 35 mph.

There is currently no federal requirement for side or front underride guards. The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended all three guard types on commercial motor vehicles for more than a decade, and that gap remains open. When a guard is missing, improperly maintained, or substandard, the consequences for occupants of a smaller vehicle can be fatal. That failure can also form the basis of a product liability claim against the trailer or guard manufacturer, separate from any negligence claim against the driver or carrier.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Northern California Underride Case

Liability in an underride truck accident often extends well beyond the driver. Depending on the facts, responsible parties can include the trucking company through employer liability, the trailer or guard manufacturer through a product liability theory, cargo loaders or shippers, and government entities responsible for roadway design or maintenance. Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley has successfully filed claims against major trucking companies, auto and vehicle manufacturers, and state and local government entities. We know how to investigate these cases across multiple defendants and multiple courts.

California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning an injured person’s recovery is reduced by their own percentage of fault but is never eliminated entirely. Even if an insurer argues you were partially at fault, you may still be able to recover compensation.

How We Investigate Underride Cases

We take a comprehensive, analytical, and scientific approach to building every case. For underride crashes, that means reviewing guard inspection and maintenance records, cargo documentation, and data from the truck’s electronic control module to reconstruct the sequence of events. We work with accident reconstruction professionals, biomechanical engineers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, medical professionals, and economists to establish the full scope of liability and damages.

Our under-ride truck accident lawyers also understand that a serious crash creates urgent needs beyond the courtroom. If you don’t have a family physician or health insurance, we can connect you with qualified healthcare providers and may be able to arrange for medical bills to be paid after settlement or verdict.

California Filing Deadlines for Truck Accident Claims

Most personal injury and wrongful death claims in California must be filed within two years of the incident under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a government entity is involved, a shorter deadline applies: a written government claim is generally required within six months under Government Code section 911.2, with a separate deadline to file suit after a claim is rejected under Government Code section 945.6.

These deadlines turn on the specific facts of your case, and exceptions can shorten or extend them. The sooner you contact us, the more time we have to investigate, preserve evidence, and identify every party who may share responsibility. Recoverable damages can include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Wrongful death claims are available to eligible survivors under California law.

Talk to Our Underride Truck Accident Lawyer in Northern California

Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley has the resources to investigate your underride truck accident claim from every angle, including potential product liability claims against trailer and guard manufacturers. You don’t need to sort out liability theories or regulatory standards on your own.