CALIFORNIA COMMERCIAL TRUCK ACCIDENT: Is a California Truck Driver at fault or liable for my injuries if they cause an accident with my vehicle?

Yes.  Both the truck driver AND their company are liable for your injuries if they caused an accident with your vehicle under California law.  Many truck accidents are caused by trucks each day due to congested California freeways.  In San Diego, we have major freeways like Interstate 5 and 8, 805, and the 163 that are usually filled with trucks (especially around rush hour).  To prove a truck driver caused your accident and is liable in a California court, you need to judge the drivers conduct against what a skilled truck driver should do.  This is the "reasonable truck driver test."

As an example, if a truck driver is swinging wide on a turn and does not use a properly engaged turn signal, then he or she will be liable for cutting off a vehicle in the right or correct lane; this is true because a normal prudent truck driver has been trained to know that cars will move into that lane if there is no proper signal engaged by the truck driver.  Also trucks cannot travel too close to you on the road.  It takes a lot longer for a truck to stop then for you to stop your vehicle.  Therefore they should leave more room to slow and stop for traffic ahead of them.   These two examples show what a reasonable truck driver should do and should not do.