Anyone who has sat on the 710 at 6 a.m. knows what California freight looks like: container after container rolling out of Long Beach and San Pedro toward the warehouses in Ontario and Fontana. If one of those rigs, or a Caltrans truck, or a transit bus changed your life, the clock is already running.
The truck accident statute of limitations in California appears to be 2 years from the date of the crash (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). Wrongful death generally runs 2 years from the date of death. If a government vehicle or entity was involved, formal written notice is generally required first, on its own clock: 6 months. The evidence clock is shorter than all of them.
How current these numbers are
A licensed attorney checked these California figures against the cited statutes on 2026-09-20. Statutes still change (Florida cut its injury period in half in 2023; Louisiana doubled its own in 2024), so confirm with a California lawyer before you rely on them.
What makes California different
California's two-year deadline is not the trap. The six-month government claim is. With Caltrans, county transportation authorities, transit districts and school districts operating enormous vehicle fleets, a California truck crash has a realistic chance of involving a public entity — and California's tolling statute for minors does not extend that six-month claim the way it extends the ordinary period. A child's claim against a public entity can expire while their ordinary clock is still paused.
What driving I-5 from the border to Oregon is really like
California truck driving is traffic first, terrain second. The I-5 Grapevine over Tejon Pass hits 4,000 feet with steep grades and winter closures when snow falls on the summit, and truck brake fires on the downhill toward Castaic are common. The Central Valley's SR-99 and I-5 get tule fog so thick in winter that chain-reaction pileups happen almost every year. In the Inland Empire, I-10 and I-15 carry a staggering number of trucks between warehouses, and heat pushes tires and brakes. Trucks in California are held to a 55 mph limit, while cars around them often drive much faster. That speed gap produces a steady run of rear-end crashes and cut-ins.
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach put more container freight on American roads than any other gateway. Drayage tractors leaving the terminals fill I-710 and the Inland Empire warehouse belt, and SR-99 carries agricultural freight the length of the Central Valley. Crashes pile up on I-5 from the border to Oregon, I-10 and I-15 through the Inland Empire, SR-99 through the Central Valley, I-710 out of the San Pedro Bay ports and I-80 and I-580 into the Bay Area.
Picture this on SR-99
Say your teenage daughter is driving to school in Stockton when a Caltrans sweeper truck backs out onto SR-99 in heavy fog. She's hurt, and your family figures her own claim can wait because she's a minor. But the table below shows that claims against public entities in California run on their own short notice clock, and the page explains how that interacts with a child's age. Families lose claims this way every year. If a public vehicle might be involved, that question comes first.
The four California deadlines that matter
| Deadline | Period | Runs from | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | 2 years | the date of the crash | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 |
| Wrongful death claim | 2 years | the date of death | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 |
| Notice — state entity | 6 months | the date of the crash | Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 |
| Notice — city, county or district | 6 months | the date of the crash | Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 |
If a government vehicle was involved in California
Shortest government notice window found for California: 6 months (Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2). It comes due long before the ordinary deadline, it's a precondition to suing, and missing it usually bars the claim entirely. After the claim is rejected, suit must generally be filed within six months of the rejection notice under Gov. Code § 945.6. The same six-month claim applies to cities, counties, transit districts and school districts.
Public fleets you could realistically be hit by here: Caltrans maintenance and sweeper trucks, county public works fleets, LA Metro and other transit district vehicles, municipal refuse fleets, and school district buses. Not sure the vehicle was one of these? Work to the shorter deadline until someone confirms otherwise.
If the injured person was a minor
Tolled to age 18 in California under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 352. The clock generally doesn't start until the injured person turns 18. Critically, the six-month government claim deadline is NOT tolled for minors in the same way. A minor's claim against a public entity can expire while the ordinary clock is still paused. That pause covers the court deadline, not the evidence: a carrier may destroy a driver's logs six months after the crash no matter the injured person's age, and in many states a government notice deadline isn't tolled for a child either.
When the California clock starts
Applies. The clock runs from when the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably should discover, the injury and its negligent cause.
Your California dates, calculated
Enter your crash date. California is preselected, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
The evidence clock runs faster than 2 years
- Dashcam and telematics video: often 30 days or less (No federal retention requirement — vendor and carrier policy only).
- ECM / black box data: overwritten as the tractor runs; often lost on repair or resale.
- Driver logs: six months (49 CFR § 395.8(k)(1)).
- Maintenance records: one year while the vehicle is in the carrier's control (49 CFR § 396.3(c)).
- Annual inspection report: 14 months (49 CFR § 396.21(b)(1)).
Until a written preservation letter reaches the carrier, destroying records at the end of a retention period is routine and lawful. The FMCSA regulations and evidence guide explains each record.
Three things to do now in California
- The California Highway Patrol handles freeway crashes. Request the Traffic Collision Report (form 555), which usually lists the carrier and its USDOT and CA numbers.
- Drayage trucks from the ports often pull chassis owned by a pool or leasing company. Note the chassis number, not just the container number.
- If the crash was on a construction zone or near a Caltrans work crew, photograph the signage and cones. Caltrans or a contractor may share responsibility.
Fault rules and damages caps are covered on the California truck accident lawyer page.
Crashed near the California line?
A crash a few miles over a border can fall under a different deadline. If you're not sure which state you were in, check both.
Compare any state with the filing deadline calculator, or see the full state index.
Next steps
- Get a preservation letter to the carrier. It's the most time-critical step.
- Confirm whether a government entity was involved. If so, your 2 years deadline may give way to 6 months.
- Don't give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer.
- Get the California crash report; it names the carrier, DOT number and insurer.
- Have a lawyer licensed in California confirm these dates against the current statute.
Sources
- Hours of Service — records of duty status retention — 49 CFR § 395.8 (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)
- Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance — record retention — 49 CFR Part 396 (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)
- Accident register requirements — 49 CFR § 390.15 (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)
- Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Federal regulations and crash statistics are updated periodically. Figures cited on this page reflect the referenced publications at the time of writing; check the source for the current edition.