Long Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

Injured by a port truck or big rig in Long Beach? Trucks hauling containers out of the Port of Long Beach crowd the 710, the 405 and the streets around the harbor every day. We take on trucking companies and their insurers for people who were seriously hurt and for families who lost someone.

On this page: Port trucks · Truck routes · Who is responsible · Evidence · Courts · Compensation · FAQ

The Port of Long Beach moved a record 9.88 million TEUs (twenty-foot container units) in 2025. Nearly every one of those containers leaves the docks on a truck, headed for rail yards, warehouses in Carson and the Inland Empire, or distribution centers across Southern California. That traffic shares the road with Long Beach commuters, beachgoers and pedestrians downtown, and when a loaded rig hits a passenger car, the injuries are usually severe.

Smith Trial Group represents people hurt in truck crashes in Long Beach and throughout Los Angeles County. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, because that is what moves trucking insurers.

Port of Long Beach Truck Crashes

Drayage trucks are the short-haul rigs that move containers between the terminals and nearby rail yards and warehouses. Port truck crashes raise issues most car accidents do not:

• Several companies, several policies. The driver may work for a small motor carrier, pull a chassis owned by a leasing pool and haul a container loaded by a shipper overseas. Each can share responsibility.
• Driver classification disputes. Many port drivers are labeled independent contractors. The label does not decide who is responsible: under federal motor carrier rules, the carrier whose operating authority the truck runs under is generally responsible for it.
• Overweight or poorly loaded containers that cause rollovers or brake failure on grades.
• Chassis defects. Worn tires, bad brakes and broken lights on pooled chassis are common, and the chassis provider can be responsible.
• Fatigue and turn-time pressure. Drivers paid by the load have an incentive to rush, and long terminal waits stretch their hours.

High-Risk Truck Routes in Long Beach

• I-710 (Long Beach Freeway), the main truck route from the port north to the rail yards of Commerce and East Los Angeles, and one of the most truck-heavy freeways in California.
• The Long Beach International Gateway, the bridge that replaced the Gerald Desmond Bridge in 2020. It carries I-710 across the Back Channel to Terminal Island, where heavy trucks share a high, fast span with passenger cars.
• SR-103 (Terminal Island Freeway) and SR-47, linking the terminals with West Long Beach, Wilmington and the Port of Los Angeles.
• I-405 (San Diego Freeway), carrying trucks between the ports, the South Bay and Orange County. The 405/710 interchange is a frequent crash point.
• Ocean Boulevard, Anaheim Street, Pacific Coast Highway, Pico Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue, where trucks make wide turns, queue for terminals and share space with cyclists and pedestrians.

Who May Be Responsible

A truck crash claim usually reaches beyond the driver. Depending on the facts, responsibility can extend to:

• the motor carrier whose authority the truck operated under;
• the truck owner or leasing company;
• the chassis provider or maintenance company;
• the shipper or loader of the container;
• a broker that chose an unsafe carrier;
• a public agency, if road design or maintenance contributed (see suing a government agency; a six-month claim deadline applies).

Interstate motor carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance, and many carry far more. Finding every policy early is one of the most important things we do.

Building the Case

Evidence in truck cases disappears quickly, so we move fast:

• preservation letters for the truck’s electronic control module and electronic logging device (ELD) data;
• dashcam and telematics data, and video from terminals, businesses and Caltrans cameras;
• driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing and hours-of-service records;
• maintenance and inspection records for the tractor and the chassis;
• the CHP or Long Beach Police Department report and witness statements;
• accident reconstruction by independent experts.

Long Beach Courts

Most Long Beach truck injury lawsuits are filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, either at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in downtown Long Beach or at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Cases against interstate carriers are sometimes moved to federal court in the Central District of California. We handle cases in both.

Compensation

An injured person may recover medical bills, past and future; lost wages and lost earning capacity; the cost of long-term care, home modification and rehabilitation; and pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Families who lose someone may bring a wrongful death claim for lost financial support and companionship. Catastrophic injuries are covered on our catastrophic injury page.

Our vehicle results include a $450,000 settlement for a semi-truck collision, a $1.9 million settlement for a pedestrian struck by a bus and a $10 million verdict in an auto case. Results depend on the facts of each case. See our case results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible for a crash with a Port of Long Beach truck?

Often more than one company. Depending on the facts, it can be the driver, the motor carrier, the chassis owner, the company that loaded the container or a broker. Each may have its own insurance, so a full investigation matters.

The truck driver says he is an independent contractor. Can I still recover?

Yes, in many cases. Federal motor carrier rules generally make the carrier responsible for trucks operating under its authority whatever the driver is called, and the companies involved can also be responsible for their own negligence.

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Long Beach?

Generally two years from the date of injury (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If a city, county or state vehicle or road was involved, a government claim must usually be filed within six months (Government Code section 911.2). Video and truck data can be lost within days, so call early.

How much insurance do trucking companies carry?

Interstate carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and more for hazardous materials. Many carriers have additional excess policies. We look for every one.

What evidence matters most after a truck crash?

The truck’s electronic data (ECM and ELD), dashcam footage, the driver’s logs and qualification file, maintenance records and the police report. We send preservation demands right away.

What does it cost to hire you?

Nothing up front. We work on contingency and you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation.