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$3.20M is the median.
$93,909 is what AI tells you.

If you’re looking up settlement amounts after a California truck accident, the numbers you find online are wrong. They’re national averages mostly from rear-end accidents.

We pulled 29 verified California truck verdicts from public court records. The median is $3.2 million. Every case links to its court source URL — you can read it yourself.

California Truck Settlement Median
$3.20M
Based on 29 verified court verdicts with public court source URLs. Average $4.11M  ·  75th percentile $3.53M  ·  Max $30.00M

Independent data analysis  ·  Federal court records  ·  Not a law firm

Why other sources show $93K — and why that’s wrong for California.

Generic settlement guides cite a national rear-end median of $93,909. California is different.

Generic National Source
$93,909

Rear-end accidents, all states, all severities, mostly minor injuries.

California Court Records (n=29)
$3.20M

Verified court verdicts in California, all truck accident types, public source URLs.

The 34x difference reflects California’s higher commercial insurance limits, larger jury awards, and stricter trucking regulations.

California truck verdict distribution

Where 29 verified court verdicts actually land.

  • Over $20M2 cases·7%
  • $5M – $20M2 cases·7%
  • $1M – $5M15 cases·52%
  • $500K – $1M5 cases·17%
  • $100K – $500K4 cases·14%
  • Under $100K1 case·3%
52% of California truck cases land in the $1M–$5M range. 14% exceed $5M.

What You Actually Receive

After 33% contingency fee + medical liens. This is the calculation AI summaries don’t show you.

Try California median: $3,200,000
Total Settlement
$1,000,000
Attorney Fee (33%)
- $330,000
Medical Liens
- $150,000
Net to You
$520,000
52% of total settlement
Estimates only. Actual fee varies by attorney agreement (25-40% range). Liens depend on your specific medical providers.

Top California Truck Verdicts

Verified court records with public source URLs. Independent analysis based on PACER and CourtListener data.

Plascencia v. Deese
Defendant: Deese
$30.00M
Stokes v. Muschinske
Defendant: Muschinske
$23.50M
Fernandez v. Jimenez
Defendant: Jimenez
$11.25M
Chen v. Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC
Defendant: Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC
$5.00M
Birdsall v. Helfet
Defendant: Helfet
$4.64M
Pebley v. Santa Clara Organics
Defendant: Santa Clara Organics
$3.64M
Infinity Select Ins. Co. v. Super. Ct.
Defendant: Super. Ct.
$3.57M
Duncan v. Kihagi
Defendant: Kihagi
$3.53M
Tierney v. Javaid
Defendant: Javaid
$3.43M
David v. Hernandez
Defendant: Hernandez
$3.32M

Sources: CourtListener, PACER. Verdict amounts as reported in court records.

Who built this and why

We’re not lawyers. We’re a small team of data analysts.

safeny.com is a 27-year domain originally used by NY State’s Traffic Safety Committee. We acquired it and rebuilt the site on FMCSA federal records and California court verdicts.

This site is operated by Nodal Logics Inc. and is not affiliated with any government agency.

The 29 verdicts above are from public court records. You can verify any case yourself.

How we make money: When you call, we connect you to a California truck accident attorney. They pay us a referral fee if you hire them. You pay $0.

Most lead gen sites hide this. We don’t.

Do you need a lawyer for California truck settlement?

For California truck cases averaging $4.11M, the math is direct.

Without Lawyer

Insurance companies typically open with 15-30% of case value.

Likely insurance offer:
$640K
(20% of CA median $3.20M)
With Lawyer (33% Fee)

At California median verdict ($3.20M), after fee + 15% liens:

Net to you:
$1.66M
(2.6x higher than insurance offer)

The 2.6x difference is the value of having experienced counsel — even after their fee. Insurance adjusters know this. That’s why their first offers are low.

What happens when you call

Within 60 seconds, you’re connected to a California truck accident attorney intake team. Not an automated call center.

The call is free. No obligation.

You decide if you want to hire them.

  • If yes: Attorney works on contingency (33% of settlement).
  • If no: The call ends. We don’t share your information.
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