Hit by a Company Vehicle or Delivery Truck: Can You Sue the Company?

You may be able to. In California, an employer is generally responsible for an employee’s negligence while the employee is doing the employer’s work. Civil Code section 2338 sets out the broader rule that a principal is responsible for an agent’s negligence in the principal’s business. The Law Offices of J. Chrisp represents people injured in truck and other vehicle crashes, including in Vallejo and Solano County.

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When the company is responsible for its driver

The rule is called respondeat superior. If a company’s employee hits you while driving a delivery truck or utility truck on the job, the company can be responsible along with the driver.

The key question is whether the driver was working. A driver making deliveries or driving between job sites usually is. A driver using a company car for a personal errand after hours may not be.

Trucking rules and the evidence to preserve

Interstate truck drivers and carriers must follow federal safety rules. 49 CFR Part 395 limits how long drivers can drive and requires records of duty status, usually kept on an electronic logging device (ELD). 49 CFR Part 396 requires inspection and maintenance of trucks. Records kept under these rules can show what the driver and carrier did before the crash.

Much of the key evidence is in the company’s hands and can be lost if no one asks for it:

ELD and hours-of-service records
Dashcam and forward-facing camera video
GPS and telematics data showing speed and braking
Inspection and maintenance records
Driver hiring, training and discipline files
Dispatch and delivery records showing the driver’s route and schedule

A lawyer can send the company a letter asking it to preserve this evidence soon after the crash.

If a government vehicle hit you

Crashes with city buses, county trucks, Caltrans vehicles and other public vehicles follow different rules. A written claim generally must be filed with the public entity within six months (Government Code section 911.2). If the claim is rejected, the lawsuit is generally due within six months after the written rejection notice is delivered or mailed (Government Code section 945.6). For crashes with a private company’s vehicle, most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1).

Commercial vehicle case results

Results the firm has obtained in commercial and public vehicle cases include the following (see the case results page):

$3,000,000 in a semi-truck crash case
$2,350,000 in a transport van crash case
$2,350,000 in an airport shuttle-versus-car crash
$2,300,000 in a crash involving a county vehicle

Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Serving people hit on I-80 in Vallejo and Solano County

The firm serves people injured in Vallejo and Solano County, including people hurt in crashes on I-80 and Highway 37. The California Highway Patrol generally takes reports on state highways such as I-80 and Highway 37, and city police take reports on city streets. Lawsuits from crashes in the county are generally filed in Solano County Superior Court.

You are not required to have a lawyer after a semi-truck crash. Truck cases usually involve a motor carrier, its insurer and records required by federal rules that the company holds. Getting legal advice early can help preserve that evidence.

The firm does not have an office in Vallejo. Its offices are:

Lower Lake (main office): 9667 Highway 29, Lower Lake, CA 95457
Santa Rosa: 3558 Round Barn Blvd, Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
San Francisco: 1330 Bush Street, Suite 9D, San Francisco, CA 94109

Frequently asked questions

Can I sue the company if its employee hit me?

You may be able to. In California, an employer is generally responsible for an employee’s negligence while the employee is doing the employer’s work. Civil Code section 2338 sets out the broader rule that a principal is responsible for an agent’s negligence in the principal’s business. A claim may be brought against the company as well as the driver.

What evidence matters in a truck accident case?

Electronic logging device records, dashcam video, GPS and telematics data, inspection and maintenance records and the driver’s file are often key. Much of it is held by the trucking company, so a lawyer should ask for it to be preserved quickly.

What if a city or county vehicle hit me?

A written claim generally must be filed with the public entity within six months under Government Code section 911.2. If the claim is rejected, the lawsuit is generally due within six months after the written rejection notice is delivered or mailed.

Does the Law Offices of J. Chrisp help people hurt in Vallejo?

The firm serves people injured in Vallejo and Solano County. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win. The phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477).

If you were hit by a company vehicle, delivery truck or semi, call the Law Offices of J. Chrisp 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477) for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.

About the Law Offices of J. Chrisp

The Law Offices of J. Chrisp is a Northern California personal injury law firm founded by attorney Jesse Chrisp, who was raised in Lake County. The firm represents injured people, with offices in Lower Lake (main office), Santa Rosa and San Francisco, and serves Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. Consultations are free, the firm works on a contingency fee with no fee unless the firm wins, and the phone is answered 24/7 at 877-J-CHRISP (877-524-7477). The firm was named to Best Law Firms 2026 (Tier 1, Santa Rosa, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs). Jesse Chrisp has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2024 and selected to Super Lawyers from 2023 to 2026.