Blind Spot Accidents
$1+ Billion Recovered No Fees Until We Win
If a truck changed lanes, merged, or turned into your vehicle and the driver says they never saw you, that statement does not resolve fault. The investigation also examines what the truck driver did before changing lanes, merging, or turning, and whether the evidence supports the driver’s account.
Blind spot accidents involving commercial trucks leave people with serious injuries, overwhelming medical costs, and an adjuster questioning whether the injured person put themselves in the wrong position. That is a heavy burden to carry while you are also trying to recover.
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers represents people across Los Angeles who were hurt in truck blind spot crashes. Our attorneys have recovered over $1 billion for California accident victims, and our former insurance defense background means we understand how adjusters evaluate visibility disputes, lane-position arguments, and fault.
Call M&Y at 866-864-5477 for a free consultation.
Table of Contents
Why Choose M&Y for a Truck Blind Spot Accident Claim?
Blind-spot crash claims hinge on competing versions of what each driver saw and did before the collision. M&Y’s former insurance defense attorneys know what questions adjusters ask about vehicle positioning, mirror checks, and lane-change timing — because we used to work on that side of the table.
That perspective shapes how we build these cases. We review dashcam footage, physical damage patterns, witness statements, and electronic data to test the truck driver’s account rather than accepting it at face value.
That depth of preparation takes resources. M&Y brings more than 100 years of combined legal experience and a team exceeding 100 employees to every case — which matters when a blind spot claim involves competing accounts, multiple parties, and time-sensitive evidence.
The firm has recovered over $1 billion for California injury victims, and our attorneys have earned recognition from The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Over 1,400 former clients have left five-star reviews.
Every case is managed by an attorney from intake through resolution, not handed off to a paralegal or case manager. Our offices on Wilshire Boulevard and South Figueroa Street serve clients throughout Southern California, and consultations are available 24/7. M&Y operates on a contingency fee — you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation.
Contact us or call 866-864-5477 for a free case review.
Our Track Record in Los Angeles Crash Cases
What Happens When a Truck Driver Says They Never Saw Your Vehicle?
A truck driver’s statement that they did not see the vehicle does not resolve fault by itself. A blind spot describes a visibility limitation. It does not excuse an unsafe lane change, merge, or turn.
California law places a clear obligation on every driver, including commercial truck operators, to verify that a lane movement is safe before executing it. Vehicle Code § 22107 prohibits turning or moving right or left on a roadway until the movement can be made with reasonable safety and requires an appropriate signal when another vehicle may be affected.
That means the investigation focuses on what the truck driver did before moving. The questions are practical:
- Did the driver check the mirrors?
- Did the driver signal?
- Did the driver have enough time to identify surrounding traffic before changing lanes?
Does a Blind Spot Remove the Truck Driver’s Responsibility?
A blind spot does not remove the truck driver’s responsibility to check before changing lanes, merging, or turning. Truck drivers operate vehicles with known visibility limitations. The FMCSA identifies significant blind spots around the front, rear, and sides of large commercial trucks — areas the agency calls “No-Zones.”
The front, rear, driver-side, and passenger-side blind spots all hide nearby vehicles from the truck driver’s view. Side blind spots become especially important during lane changes and merges.
FMCSA specifically instructs commercial drivers to monitor their No-Zones and check mirrors before changing lanes, turning, or merging. A driver’s claim that they never saw the smaller vehicle therefore raises an important question about the observations made before the maneuver.
How Do Truck Blind Spot Crashes Happen?
Blind spot collisions follow recognizable patterns. The type of crash affects the core fault question and the evidence needed to resolve it.
|
Blind-Spot Crash Situation |
Core Fault Question |
Evidence That Helps Resolve It |
|
Truck changes lanes into a car |
Did the driver check before moving? |
Video, witnesses, damage pattern, lane position |
|
Truck merges onto a freeway |
Where were both vehicles as the merge began? |
Dashcam, traffic cameras, electronic data, witnesses |
|
Truck makes a wide right turn |
Was a vehicle already beside the truck? |
Video, impact location, turn-signal evidence |
|
Truck sideswipes a motorcycle |
Was the motorcycle reasonably visible before the maneuver? |
Helmet cam, witnesses, vehicle damage, surveillance |
|
Carrier blames the smaller vehicle |
Did both drivers contribute to the crash? |
Full crash reconstruction and comparative-fault analysis |
Each of these situations involves a truck moving into space occupied by another vehicle. The central question is always the same: what did the truck driver know, or have the opportunity to know, about surrounding traffic before beginning the maneuver?
What Makes Wide-Turn Blind Spot Crashes Different?
When a semi-truck makes a wide right turn, the tractor may move left to create enough turning room while the trailer tracks closer to the curb. A vehicle positioned to the right of the truck — at an intersection, in a bike lane, or in an adjacent travel lane — faces the risk of being struck or trapped by the trailer.
Vehicle Code § 22108 requires a continuous signal for the last 100 feet before a turn. Whether the truck driver signaled, checked the right-side mirrors, and identified vehicles beside the trailer before beginning the turn all factor into the investigation.
What Evidence Proves a Truck Blind Spot Accident?
Blind spot cases are visibility disputes. The evidence that matters most shows where each vehicle was positioned before the truck began moving.
Physical damage tells part of the story. The location of impact on both vehicles — side panel, quarter panel, fender, or trailer — helps reconstruct the crash sequence and determine which vehicle moved into the other’s path.
Several types of evidence help reconstruct a blind spot collision:
- Dashcam footage from either vehicle or nearby traffic
- Traffic-camera or business surveillance video near the crash site
- Witness accounts from other drivers who saw the lane change or merge
- Damage location on the truck and the smaller vehicle
- Lane markings and the point of impact relative to lane lines
- Truck mirror condition and positioning
- Police or CHP reports documenting driver statements and scene evidence
The strongest blind spot cases combine multiple sources confirming the same account. A witness who saw the truck drift into an occupied lane, combined with damage on the car’s driver-side panel and dashcam footage showing the truck crossing the lane line, creates a consistent picture of what happened.
Call M&Y at 866-864-5477 to discuss the evidence in your truck blind spot accident.
What if the Insurance Company Blames You for Being in the Truck’s Blind Spot?
Adjusters handling truck blind spot claims sometimes argue that the injured driver created the situation by staying beside the truck, passing at the wrong moment, or positioning their vehicle where the truck driver had limited visibility.
That argument treats the blind spot as the injured person’s problem. California law treats it differently.
Vehicle Code § 21658 requires every vehicle on a multilane roadway to stay within its lane and not move from that lane until the movement is safe. The driver making the lane change has an independent duty to make the movement safely. The other driver’s conduct is evaluated separately when comparative fault is disputed.
How Does Comparative Fault Apply in a Blind Spot Crash?
California follows pure comparative negligence, meaning a court or jury allocates fault between parties based on the evidence. An injured person does not lose the right to pursue compensation simply because they share some responsibility for the crash. The recovery reflects the proportional fault allocation.
In a blind spot case, the adjuster’s argument that the injured driver “lingered in the No-Zone” is one version of events. The physical evidence, video, witness accounts, and damage patterns present another. M&Y reviews both sides of that dispute and builds the case around what the evidence actually supports.
What Compensation Do People Pursue After a Truck Blind Spot Crash?
Truck collisions produce serious injuries because of the substantial weight difference between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. The FMCSA notes that large trucks are often 20 to 30 times heavier than the cars around them. That weight disparity increases the risk of severe crash damage and injuries for people in smaller vehicles.
The compensation an injured person pursues after a truck blind spot accident depends on the documented losses the crash caused:
- Medical expenses for emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, and rehabilitation
- Future medical treatment when long-term care is supported by medical evidence
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life
- Permanent disability, scarring, or disfigurement
- Vehicle and property damage
Each category requires supporting documentation. Medical records, employment verification, and treatment projections all contribute to establishing the claim’s value. An insurer’s initial offer does not always reflect the full scope of injuries, especially when long-term treatment is still underway.
Where Do Truck Blind Spot Accidents Happen in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles freeways combine dense traffic, frequent lane changes, and commercial trucks traveling alongside smaller vehicles. Those conditions create the environment where blind spot collisions happen.
A tractor-trailer changing lanes during congested traffic on I-405 has limited visibility into the adjacent lane. A semi merging onto I-10 from an on-ramp moves into traffic while smaller vehicles occupy the merge zone. A truck making a wide right turn at a surface-street intersection in Downtown LA creates a hazard for vehicles and cyclists beside the trailer.
How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Blind Spot Accident Claim in California?
California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 generally provides two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. That deadline applies to most truck accident claims.
Claims against a public entity require a government claim to be presented within six months under California Government Code § 911.2.
M&Y’s Los Angeles offices on Wilshire Boulevard and South Figueroa Street are available to review your claim. A Los Angeles truck accident lawyer who is familiar with commercial-vehicle blind spot disputes helps identify the right evidence and the right parties early in the process.
FAQs for Truck Blind Spot Accidents
A truck blind spot crash involving serious injuries and a disputed version of events benefits from legal review. The truck driver, the carrier, and the insurer control evidence that the injured person does not have direct access to, including dashcam footage, mirror-inspection records, electronic data, and driver statements. An attorney familiar with these disputes helps identify what evidence exists and how to obtain it.
Some commercial trucks carry forward-facing, side, or rear cameras. When that footage exists, it provides direct evidence of what the driver’s cameras captured before the lane change or merge. Not every truck carries camera systems, but when footage is available, it often plays a central role in the investigation.
Yes. Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable in truck blind spot crashes because of their smaller profile. A rider struck during a truck’s lane change or merge has the same right to pursue compensation as the driver of a passenger vehicle. The evidence analysis centers on the truck driver’s conduct before the maneuver.
Many blind spot claims are built without video. Physical damage patterns, lane markings, the point of impact, witness statements, and the truck driver’s own account all contribute to reconstructing what happened. The location of damage on both vehicles is especially useful for establishing which vehicle crossed the lane line.
Mirror condition is part of the investigation. A truck with damaged, misaligned, or missing mirrors has a reduced ability to monitor surrounding traffic. Maintenance and inspection records showing the condition of the truck’s mirrors before the crash may become relevant evidence, particularly when the driver claims limited visibility.
Ready to Discuss Your Truck Blind Spot Accident Claim?
Being told you were “in the blind spot” does not answer whether the truck driver took the steps California law requires before changing lanes, merging, or turning. That answer comes from the evidence, and getting to that evidence starts with a conversation.
M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers has recovered over $1 billion for California accident victims. Our former insurance defense background means we understand the arguments adjusters raise about visibility, lane position, and fault. An attorney handles every case, and you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation.
Contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers or call 866-864-5477 for a free consultation. We are available 24/7.
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Visit our headquarters in LA to get the assistance you need, our law firm is located at 6300 Wilshire Blvd Suite 807, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
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