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What if the truck driver who hit me in Monterey Park had no insurance?
If a truck driver hits you in Monterey Park and has no insurance, your ability to recover compensation depends on your own insurance policy. Your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can step in to cover your damages up to your policy limits. California law requires insurers to offer UM coverage, though you can reject it in writing.
UM coverage is there to protect you when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage can pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses you suffer due to the crash. Without UM coverage, recovering compensation from an uninsured driver often becomes difficult. Even with UM, disputes about what happened or the extent of your injuries can arise, requiring legal help to resolve.
Where do I file a truck accident lawsuit in Monterey Park?
If you were injured in a truck accident in Monterey Park, your personal injury case generally gets filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Under LASC Local Rule 2.3, a personal injury case in Los Angeles County is filed in the judicial district where the incident occurred. Your case would be assigned to the Pasadena Courthouse, located at 300 E Walnut St, Pasadena, CA 91101, as part of that district's Personal Injury Hub department. This process is governed by the General Order re Assignment and Transfer of Personal Injury Cases, effective May 17, 2024.
What should I do after a truck accident?
After a truck accident, several steps help protect your rights and your health.
Get Medical Attention: Your health is the top priority. See a doctor even if you feel fine; some serious injuries are not immediately obvious.
Report the Accident: Call 911 immediately to report the crash to the police. A police report creates an official record of the incident.
Gather Information: If you can, collect contact and insurance information from everyone involved, and take photos of the scene, vehicle damage, and your injuries.
Do Not Admit Fault: Avoid discussing fault with anyone at the scene or with insurance adjusters. Stick to the facts.
Do Not Sign Anything: Do not sign any documents from the trucking company or their insurance company without speaking to an attorney. This includes medical releases or settlement offers.
Keep Records: Keep all medical bills, receipts for expenses, and records of lost wages related to the accident.
Contact an Attorney: Speak with a lawyer who handles truck accidents. They can explain your rights and options.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Most personal injury claims in California, including those from truck accidents, must be filed within two years (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1) from the date of injury. However, if the truck was owned or operated by a city, county, or public agency, a claim must be presented to that public entity within six months (Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2) before a lawsuit can be filed. The deadline is generally paused while an injured person is a minor under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 352, but Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 352(b) removes that pause for claims against public entities under the Government Claims Act.
The compensation you can recover depends on the specific facts of your case. California law allows recovery for medical costs, lost earnings, and non-economic harm like pain and suffering. If your case falls under medical malpractice, different deadlines apply; medical malpractice claims must generally be filed within three years from injury or one year from discovery, whichever comes first (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.5).
What kinds of truck accidents do we handle in Monterey Park?
We represent individuals injured in many types of truck accidents throughout Monterey Park and the surrounding areas. This includes collisions involving large commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, delivery trucks, and other heavy vehicles. Causes of these accidents often include driver fatigue, improper loading, poor vehicle maintenance, speeding, and distracted driving. Because of their size and weight, truck accidents can cause severe injuries, from broken bones and spinal cord damage to traumatic brain injuries. We also help families in Monterey Park with wrongful death claims if a loved one dies in a truck accident. You can learn more about how we help on our main Los Angeles Truck Accident Injury Attorneys page, or find specific help for those in Pasadena.
What does working with Casa Legal Los Angeles involve?
Working with Casa Legal Los Angeles means we handle the legal complexities of your truck accident claim so you can focus on your recovery. We start by gathering evidence, including police reports, driver logs, vehicle maintenance records, and witness statements. We work with accident reconstruction experts and medical professionals to build a strong case. Our goal is to pursue the full compensation available under California law for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. We communicate with insurance companies on your behalf, protecting you from tactics designed to minimize your payout. We serve clients across Los Angeles County, including in El Segundo and South Gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "comparative negligence" in California?
California follows a "pure comparative negligence" rule, meaning you can still recover damages even if you were partly at fault for the truck accident. Your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20% responsible for the crash, you would receive 80% of your total damages.
What if the truck driver was an independent contractor?
If the truck driver was an independent contractor, the legal responsibility for your injuries can become more complicated. Depending on the specific relationship between the driver and the company they were hauling for, the company may still be held liable. This requires careful investigation into contracts and operational control.
Can I file a claim if the accident happened on a public road in Monterey Park?
Yes, you can file a claim if the truck accident happened on a public road in Monterey Park. However, if a city, county, or other government entity is responsible for the road's dangerous condition that contributed to the accident, you must file a formal claim with that entity within six months of the injury (Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2). This is a strict deadline, and missing it can bar your claim entirely.
What is Prop 213 and how does it affect me?
Proposition 213 (Cal. Civ. Code § 3333.4) can affect your ability to recover certain damages if you were uninsured at the time of the accident. If you were the uninsured owner of a vehicle involved in a crash, Prop 213 generally bars you from recovering non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. It does not bar uninsured passengers from recovering all damages.
If you have been hurt in a truck accident in Monterey Park, call Casa Legal Los Angeles today at 888-585-2529 for a free discussion about your options. No attorney's fees or case costs unless we win.
Serving Monterey Park
Our attorneys represent clients throughout Monterey Park and the greater Los Angeles area.
Where a Monterey Park claim is filed
A personal injury claim arising in Monterey Park is filed in Pasadena Courthouse, Northeast District of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles County a personal injury case is filed in the judicial district where the incident occurred and is assigned to that district's Personal Injury Hub department (LASC Local Rule 2.3; General Order re Assignment and Transfer of Personal Injury Cases, effective May 17, 2024).
Catchment boundaries change. Confirm the filing courthouse on the court's official locator before relying on it.
Source: Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles — Local Rules, Chapter 2 (verified August 23, 2026).
Deadlines that apply in Monterey Park
The California filing deadlines that apply to an incident in Monterey Park (Los Angeles County) come from state statute, not a local rule. These are the deadlines cited most often.
2 years — personal injury lawsuit
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 — two years from the date of injury for most personal injury and wrongful death claims.
6 months — claim against a public entity
Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 — a written claim must be presented to the public entity within six months for claims involving death or injury to person or personal property, before a lawsuit may be filed.
Injured minors
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 352 — the limitations period is generally tolled while the injured person is a minor, but the six-month government claim deadline is not tolled the same way.
This is general information about California law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines change with the facts and with who the defendant is — a claim against a city, county, transit agency, or the state triggers a much shorter deadline, and delayed discovery, tolling, and other exceptions apply. Casa Legal Los Angeles is licensed to practice in California. Confirm any deadline with an attorney.
Sources: California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1; California Government Code § 911.2 (verified August 23, 2026).