Truck / 18-Wheeler Accident Statistics in San Diego
2,400+
Annual Large Truck Crashes (San Diego Co.)
32
Fatal Truck Crashes (2024)
3,200+ daily
Cross-Border Trucks (Otay Mesa)
$2.1M+
Avg Serious Truck Injury Settlement
Courts in San Diego, California
San Diego County Superior Court — Hall of Justice
330 W Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101
U.S. District Court — Southern District of California
333 W Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101
Hospitals & Trauma Centers in San Diego
UC San Diego Medical Center — Level I Trauma Center
200 W Arbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92103
Scripps Mercy Hospital — Level I Trauma Center
4077 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Liability Considerations in San Diego
Cross-Border Trucking Liability in San Diego
San Diego's border crossings at Otay Mesa and Tecate generate substantial cross-border commercial vehicle traffic, creating FMCSA cross-border trucking enforcement challenges. Mexican motor carriers operating FMCSA authority face the same federal regulation requirements as domestic carriers, but their vehicles frequently have poorer maintenance histories and their drivers' qualification files may be incomplete or inconsistent with FMCSA standards. Cross-border truck accident cases require specialized legal expertise to navigate the intersection of U.S. federal trucking regulations and the practical challenges of enforcing judgments against foreign carriers.
California's AB5 law affects San Diego's drayage sector at the Port of San Diego and at Miramar industrial parks. The reclassification of drayage drivers from independent contractors to employees significantly expands motor carrier liability for port-area truck accidents and provides access to the carrier's commercial insurance policies rather than the individual driver's often-inadequate coverage.
Your Legal Team
Jennifer Kowalski
Partner
Los Angeles, CA
Jennifer Kowalski is one of California's premier truck accident attorneys, focusing on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial carriers on California's dense freeway network. Over 18 years, she has developed deep expertise in the electronic evidence that defines modern truck litigation — ELD records, GPS tracking data, EDR analysis, and dashcam footage — and has pioneered spoliation strategies that have resulted in adverse inference sanctions against multiple major carriers. Jennifer has recovered over $180 million for truck accident victims and is a frequent lecturer on commercial vehicle litigation at the Consumer Attorneys of California annual conference.
Education
- J.D., USC Gould School of Law (2008)
- B.A., Economics, UCLA (2005)