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Sunset West Legal Group, PC represents people injured in truck and semi-truck accidents across Los Angeles and California, and has recovered over $150 million for injury clients. Founding partner Payton Kashani knows the federal regulations that govern commercial trucking, the electronic evidence that proves fault, and how to preserve it before it disappears. We work on a no win, no fee basis and offer free consultations. Available 24/7. Hablamos Español.
The evidence that wins a truck accident case can be gone within days. That is why the first hours after a crash matter so much, and why Sunset West Legal Group acts immediately to lock down the data the trucking company would rather you never see.
A loaded semi can weigh up to 30 times more than a car. When the two collide, the people in the car always fare worse, and the losses often run to six figures or more. Many victims cannot return to the work they did before.
These cases are not simple, and the trucking company’s insurer will not make them so. We are.
Over $150 million recovered. More than 200 five-star reviews. No fee unless we win. Available 24/7. Hablamos Español.
A truck crash rarely comes down to a single mistake. A negligent driver is one cause, but so are the pressures and failures behind the wheel.
Common causes include trucking company negligence, improper maintenance, driver error, fatigue, distraction, adverse weather and road conditions, overweight trailers, unsafe or unsecured loads, and the transport of hazardous material.
Each of these points to a different responsible party, and often more than one.
Commercial trucking is governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, found at 49 CFR Parts 390–399. When a trucker or carrier breaks one of these rules and a crash results, that violation is evidence of negligence per se under California law, which means the violation itself is treated as proof that a duty was breached.
The most commonly broken rules cover hours of service, driver qualification, and vehicle inspection and maintenance.
Hours-of-service limits exist to keep tired drivers off the road. Federal rules cap driving at 11 hours, limit the on-duty window to 14 hours, and require a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving. A driver who exceeds those limits, or a company that pressures them to, is a driver operating outside the law.
Since 2017, federal law requires most trucks to carry an Electronic Logging Device that records driving hours automatically. Unlike the old paper logs, ELD data is hard to fake, and it often flatly contradicts what a driver wrote by hand.
The truck’s black box, its Event Data Recorder, captures speed, braking, and engine activity in the moments before impact. Dashcam footage can show distraction or drowsiness. The carrier’s own safety record, public at the FMCSA’s database, can reveal a history of violations. Together, this evidence can decide a case.
This evidence is fragile, and the law lets the trucking company destroy much of it. ELD data need only be kept for six months from the trip, dashcam footage can auto-delete within days, and a crashed truck is often repaired and back on the road before anyone downloads it.
The way to stop that is a spoliation letter, a formal demand from your attorney that the carrier preserve the truck, the electronic data, the logs, and the driver’s file. We send these within hours of being retained.
A carrier that destroys evidence after receiving that demand faces sanctions, including an instruction to the jury that the lost evidence would have shown exactly what you claim it did. The sooner we act, the stronger your case.
You can usually pursue both the driver and the trucking company, and often others besides.
A driver is liable for their own negligence, and for negligence per se where they broke a safety rule. The company that employed them is vicariously liable under respondeat superior when the driver was acting within the scope of their job, even if the company itself did nothing wrong.
Separately, the company can be directly liable for its own failures. When a carrier hires a driver with a record of dangerous or drunk driving, keeps such a driver on, or fails to train and supervise properly, it can be held responsible under negligent hiring, negligent supervision, or negligent entrustment. Trucking companies owe the public a duty to make sure their drivers are rested, qualified, and not falsifying their logs.
Cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, and parts manufacturers may share liability too. Our commercial accidents and bus accidents pages cover related claims against company vehicles.
Truck accident victims often carry losses that reshape their lives. Beyond the immediate medical bills come future care, lost income, and, in serious cases, a traumatic brain injury or a fatal outcome giving rise to a wrongful death claim.
We work with medical and economic experts to prove the full extent of what a collision has taken, including the losses that will only be felt in years to come.
Sunset West Legal Group has recovered over $150 million for clients across California. Founding partner Payton Kashani has been licensed in California since 2012 and named to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list every year from 2018 to 2022. Attorney Josh Teller supports the firm’s cases and holds Rising Stars recognition for 2025 and 2026.
We advise you at every step, negotiate hard with the carrier and its insurer, and try cases before a jury when an insurer refuses to pay fair value.
Your consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win. Our team is available 24/7 to review your case and explain your options.
Get your free consultation · Call us any time · Hablamos Español
At Sunset West Legal Group, we understand that every injury case is different. We have recovered millions for our clients by advising them on the next steps, negotiating on their behalf with powerful insurance companies, and even representing clients in court in front of a jury. Your free consultation is the first step in letting us help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
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WHY YOU NEED US NOW
I am very pleased by his work ethic and professionalism.
“I met and became acquainted with Mr. Kashani after my previous attorney was not capable of continuing my case to a trial. Mr. Kashani was able to step in and not only settle my case before trial, but he was able to secure a much larger settlement for me. I would certainly recommend him to my friends and family”
Los Angeles, CA - Car Accident
I am very pleased by his work ethic and professionalism.
“I met and became acquainted with Mr. Kashani after my previous attorney was not capable of continuing my case to a trial. Mr. Kashani was able to step in and not only settle my case before trial, but he was able to secure a much larger settlement for me. I would certainly recommend him to my friends and family”
Los Angeles, CA - Car Accident
I am very pleased by his work ethic and professionalism.
“I met and became acquainted with Mr. Kashani after my previous attorney was not capable of continuing my case to a trial. Mr. Kashani was able to step in and not only settle my case before trial, but he was able to secure a much larger settlement for me. I would certainly recommend him to my friends and family”
Los Angeles, CA - Car Accident
