California Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer Near You

Garbage and refuse trucks in California are a routine service that frequently operate throughout San Bernardino and other California communities. Still, their size, weight, frequent stops, and operation in residential and commercial areas can pose serious risks to nearby motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and sanitation workers. When a garbage truck accident occurs, determining who is responsible may involve a private waste company, a truck driver, a maintenance provider, a government agency, or another third party.

Our California garbage truck accident lawyers near you at Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm represents garbage truck accident victims in San Bernardino and nearby injured due to another party’s negligence. A garbage truck accident claim in California may involve significant medical expenses, lost income, long-term physical limitations, and other major losses. Our garbage truck accident attorneys can investigate the circumstances of the accident, identify potentially liable parties, document damages, and pursue compensation through an insurance claim or, when appropriate, a personal injury lawsuit.

Recent California Garbage Truck Accident Statistics

Recent federal crash data demonstrate that garbage and refuse trucks continue to be involved in serious traffic accidents. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Motor Carrier Management Information System, 222 garbage/refuse truck crashes were recorded in California during 2023. The FMCSA’s data covers federally reportable large-truck crashes and should not be interpreted as a count of every garbage truck accident that occurred in California.

The FMCSA’s 2024 data identified 235 garbage/refuse large trucks involved in reportable crashes in California. Because the 2023 data measure crashes, while the 2024 figure measures vehicles involved, the two figures should not be treated as a direct year-over-year comparison of garbage truck accidents in California.

The risks of being in a garbage truck accident extend to the people who collect and transport waste. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 41 fatal occupational injuries in the waste collection industry nationwide during 2024, which included 32 fatalities in solid waste collection. Of the 41 waste collection fatalities in 2024, 30 resulted from transportation accidents. In 2023, the BLS also recorded 39 fatalities in waste collection, including 35 in solid waste collection.

These waste management-related statistics show why garbage truck accidents need to be examined from two perspectives. Members of the public may have personal injury claims against negligent garbage truck drivers. At the same time, sanitation employees may be injured while performing their jobs and can begin seeking compensation through California’s workers’ compensation system.

California Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer for Injured Motorists

A California garbage truck accident lawyer from our team can investigate accidents involving passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and other road users. Garbage trucks frequently make maneuvers while driving along their route that may catch other motorists off guard. Their dimensions can also create substantial blind areas around the truck, which can cause accidents. Motor vehicle accidents may occur when a garbage truck driver:

Reverses without adequately checking the surrounding area
Changes lanes when another vehicle is beside the truck
Makes a wide turn into an occupied lane
Fails to yield the right of way
Drives while distracted
Travels too fast for traffic or road conditions
Fails to maintain sufficient stopping distance
Operates a truck with unsafe brakes, tires, lights, or other equipment

The driver is not necessarily the only potentially responsible party in these cases, as many employers in California are required to assume responsibility for any negligent acts their drivers engage in while on the clock. Maintenance contractors, equipment manufacturers, and other motorists on the roadway can also become relevant to an investigation when determining liability.

Evidence our garbage truck accident lawyers use to determine and prove liability often includes, but is not limited to:

Photographs
Video footage
Witness statements
Police accident reports
Maintenance records
Driver records
Electronic information
Employment records
Other documentation showing what happened before the accident

Pedestrians and Bicyclists Injured by Garbage Trucks and Refuse Vehicles

Garbage trucks regularly operate near intersections, sidewalks, and residential areas with pedestrians and bicyclists due to their collection routes. Garbage truck routes routinely run directly through neighborhoods, business districts, alleys, parking areas, and streets lined with homes.

Pedestrians – A pedestrian may be struck by a garbage truck while crossing a driveway or street as a truck reverses, pulls away from a collection point, or makes a turn.
Bicyclists – A bicyclist may be injured when a truck passes too closely, turns across the cyclist’s path, enters a bike lane, or moves from a stopped position without detecting the rider.

These types of garbage truck accidents may result in:

Traumatic brain injuries
Spinal injuries
Severe fractures
Internal injuries
Severe soft-tissue damage
Permanent disabilities
Death

The size difference between a garbage truck and an unprotected pedestrian or cyclist can make even a relatively low-speed collision devastating.

A garbage truck accident claim built by our team can pursue compensation for losses such as medical expenses, future medical needs, lost earnings, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other damages supported by the circumstances.

San Bernardino Trash Truck Accident Lawyer and Claims Involving Government Vehicles

A San Bernardino trash truck accident lawyer near you at Personal Injury & Car Accident Gold Firm must also determine who owned and operated the vehicle. Private businesses provide some waste collection services, while government entities may operate vehicles or employ workers who operate garbage trucks that may be involved in an accident.

That distinction can affect the time that accident victims have available to act. California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 typically provides victims with two years to bring an action for injury or death caused by another person’s wrongful act or neglect.

Different procedures can apply when a public entity is involved. Under California Government Code § 911.2, a claim relating to personal injury or death generally must be presented to the appropriate public entity within six months after the cause of action accrues. Because the deadlines and procedures can differ substantially, identifying the truck’s owner and operator early in an investigation can be particularly important.

What Happens When Garbage Truck Workers Are Injured on the Job?

The legal process is different when the injured person in an accident is the garbage truck driver, sanitation worker, loader, or another employee who was hurt while performing job duties.

California’s workers’ compensation system typically provides benefits to those injured while performing work duties. Workers’ compensation is only for qualifying injuries arising out of and occurring in the course of employment without requiring the worker to establish that the employer negligently caused the accident. Under California Labor Code § 3602, workers’ compensation is typically the employee’s sole and exclusive remedy against the employer when the statutory conditions for compensation apply, subject to specific exceptions.

Workers’ compensation benefits in California can include medical treatment and disability benefits, depending on the circumstances of the accident and injuries. This differs from an ordinary personal injury lawsuit, in which an injured person typically seeks damages from the party whose wrongful conduct caused the injury.

A garbage truck employee in California can face risks beyond roadway accidents. Workers may be:

Struck by vehicles while outside the truck
Injured by mechanical collection equipment
Hurt while lifting or moving materials
Struck by objects
Injured getting on or off the vehicle

Compensation Available After a California Garbage Truck Accident

The amount that a garbage truck accident victim can recover after a garbage truck accident depends on the:

Sustained injuries
Financial losses
Available insurance coverage
Responsible parties
Other facts

A personal injury claim may also account for compensation for:

Past and future medical care
Lost wages
Reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Disability
Other accident-related losses

Serious accident cases, such as garbage truck accidents, can require extensive evidence regarding future medical treatment and the effect an injury will have on a person’s ability to return to work and perform everyday living activities. Fatal garbage truck accidents may also give surviving family members grounds to investigate and pursue compensation through a wrongful death claim.

Our team at Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm can examine the evidence available after the accident, communicate with insurers, determine which parties may be legally responsible, and calculate the losses that are associated with the injuries. Once we have done this, we will aggressively pursue fair and just compensation on behalf of our clients, including litigation if necessary.

Contact a San Bernardino Trash Truck Accident Lawyer Near You

Garbage truck cases in San Bernardino can involve commercial transportation issues, employer liability, government claim requirements, workers’ compensation rules, and third-party negligence. Establishing exactly what happened to cause the accident and who controlled the truck can shape the options that are available for an injured victim to pursue compensation.

A garbage truck accident lawyer on our team at Personal Injury Lawyer & Car Accident Gold Firm can help an accident victim pursue compensation after serious injuries caused by a garbage truck’s negligence. Whether the injured person was driving a vehicle, riding a bicycle, walking near the roadway, or working on a garbage truck when a third party caused the accident, our attorneys can review the circumstances and determine which claims may be available to the injured person.

Contact our garbage truck accident lawyers today to receive full compensation for your damages.