Sierra Avenue, Foothill, Cherry, Valley and Citrus. The 10, the 15 and the 210. And a steady stream of big rigs headed to and from the warehouses. If someone hit you in Fontana, you can talk directly with attorney Francisco Morales today, in English or Spanish. Free consultation, and no fee unless we win.
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Fontana grew up around the Kaiser steel mill. Today it grows around distribution centers, and those buildings are fed by trucks that run on the same streets you take to work, school and Kaiser.
That shapes the crashes we see from Fontana. A lot of them involve a semi, a box truck or a delivery van, not just another car. Many happen at freeway ramps where traffic backs up onto the street. And plenty happen on wide, fast arterials like Sierra, Cherry and Valley, where a left turn across four lanes goes wrong in a second.
It also shapes the case. When a commercial vehicle is involved, there is usually a company, a bigger insurance policy and an investigator who shows up early. When it is two cars on Foothill, the fight is usually about fault and about whether your treatment was “reasonable.”
These are the roads that come up again and again when Fontana drivers call us. Where you were hit often tells us how it happened and who else may be responsible.
The San Bernardino Freeway carries commuters and port-bound trucks past the Cherry, Citrus and Sierra exits. Sudden slowdowns cause chain-reaction rear-end crashes, and lane changes next to trailers cause sideswipes.
Watch for: multi-vehicle claims, more than one insurer, truck blind spots.Heavy truck traffic heading to and from the Cajon Pass. Merges near the 10 and 210 interchanges and the Duncan Canyon exit produce high-speed lane-change and rear-end crashes.
Watch for: speed, following distance, truck data that can be overwritten.The Foothill Freeway is the north-side commuter route. Morning and evening backups at the Sierra and Citrus ramps lead to rear-end collisions at speed, plus trucks merging from north Fontana warehouses.
Watch for: phone-distracted drivers in stop-and-go traffic.
Sierra runs from the 210 through downtown, past City Hall and Kaiser, to the 10 and beyond. Big intersections at Baseline, Foothill, Arrow and Valley mean left-turn crashes, red-light runners and pedestrians in crosswalks. Near the Kaiser campus, drivers are often distracted looking for an entrance.
Watch for: left-turn disputes, signal timing, nearby business cameras.Old Route 66 crosses the north side with shopping centers, driveways and bus stops every few hundred feet. Cars pulling out of parking lots and turning across traffic cause broadside crashes.
Watch for: driveway exits, left turns, Omnitrans stops.A main truck route between the 10, the 210 and the industrial areas. Wide turns by tractor-trailers, trucks entering from distribution-center gates, and fast through traffic all meet here.
Watch for: wide-turn squeeze crashes, underride risk.Valley runs alongside the 10, and Slover and Jurupa feed the south-side logistics corridor. These streets mix big rigs, yard trucks and passenger cars on the same lanes all day.
Watch for: the motor carrier, its broker and its insurer.Citrus connects the 10 and the 210 and is a busy north-south commuter route, with heavy turning traffic at its shopping centers and side streets. Rear-end and turning crashes are the common pattern.
Watch for: ramp backups, turning traffic.The land around the former Auto Club Speedway site, near Cherry Avenue and the 10, has filled with warehouses. That means steady truck traffic on roads where drivers still expect open space.
Watch for: trucks entering and leaving gated yards.Etiwanda, Slover, Santa Ana, Jurupa and the streets around them carry trucks to the distribution centers that line the south and west sides. Many of these drivers work for contractors, which makes the question of who is responsible more complicated.
Watch for: logbooks, dash cameras, the carrier’s DOT record.Hurt in a crash with a semi or a delivery truck? Read about our Fontana truck accident cases. Riders can see our Fontana motorcycle accident page.
You don’t need to do everything perfectly. These are the steps that matter most to your health and to your claim.
California is a fault state. The driver who caused the crash, through their insurance, owes the losses it caused. A few rules decide how much actually gets paid.
California uses pure comparative fault, a rule from the state Supreme Court’s 1975 decision in Li v. Yellow Cab. If you were 20% at fault, your recovery is reduced by 20%, not wiped out. Insurers often push a bigger share on you than the facts support. That’s a fight worth having.
Since January 1, 2025, the minimum liability policy in California is $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage. A serious injury can cost far more, so we look for every other policy that applies: an employer’s commercial coverage, a trucking company’s policy, rideshare coverage and your own.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage pays when the other driver has no insurance, not enough, or drove off. Medical payments coverage (MedPay) can pay medical bills regardless of fault. Using them does not mean you were at fault. See our uninsured motorist page.
Under Proposition 213 (Civil Code section 3333.4), a driver who had no insurance on their own car at the time of the crash generally can’t recover pain and suffering damages, only economic losses like medical bills and lost wages. There are exceptions, such as when the at-fault driver was convicted of DUI.
When the at-fault driver was working, their employer is usually responsible too. Trucking companies, delivery contractors and their insurers move fast to lock down their version. We send a preservation letter early so the logbook, engine data and camera footage aren’t lost.
If a city, county, Caltrans or Omnitrans vehicle was involved, or a defect in the road caused the crash, a written government claim is usually due within six months under Government Code section 911.2. Miss it and the case may be gone.
Nobody can honestly put a number on your case before knowing your injuries, your treatment and the insurance available. What we can tell you is what goes into it. California law lets you recover two kinds of damages.
Before law school, Francisco worked as a certified automotive service consultant. He knows what a fair repair estimate looks like, when a shop is being told to cut corners, and when a car is being totaled at too low a value. Against the at-fault driver, California law can also cover the loss in resale value a car suffers even after a proper repair, in the right case. Property damage claims have a three-year deadline (Code of Civil Procedure section 338), but the rental and repair fight happens in the first few weeks.
Punitive damages are rare. They require proof of malice, oppression or fraud, and they sometimes come up in drunk-driving cases. For a closer look at valuation, see what’s my case worth.
These deadlines are set by state law. Some have exceptions, for example for minors, so call us if you are close to any of them.
If anyone was hurt or killed, or damage topped $1,000. Missing it can put your license at risk.
City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, Caltrans or Omnitrans involved (Gov. Code § 911.2).
Two years from the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1).
Three years for a lawsuit over damage to your car (Code Civ. Proc. § 338).
Fontana is in San Bernardino County, so an injury lawsuit goes to the San Bernardino County Superior Court. The court’s civil cases are heard at two main courthouses: the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse at 8303 Haven Avenue, which serves the West Valley, and the San Bernardino Justice Center at 247 W. Third Street.
Fontana does have its own courthouse on Arrow Boulevard, but it handles small claims, traffic tickets and similar matters, not injury lawsuits.
The law itself doesn’t change when you cross the county line. Fault, damages and deadlines are the same as in Los Angeles County. What changes is the courthouse, the local rules, and the defense lawyers you’ll see. Most cases settle before trial, usually once the insurer can see the file is complete and we are ready to try it.
If you want to read about the court process on your own, the California Courts Self-Help Guide is a good free resource.
Francisco grew up in West Covina and opened Morales Law Firm in San Dimas, about 20 miles west of Fontana on the 210 or the 10. A lot of the firms that advertise for Fontana are big operations based in Los Angeles. When you call them, you get an intake center. When you call us, you get the attorney.
Send a few details and Francisco will call you back. No cost, no obligation, and your information stays private.
Straight answers to what Fontana drivers ask us most. Don’t see yours? Call or text (626) 521-5402 and ask Francisco.
The Fontana Police Department, at 17005 Upland Ave., handles crashes on city streets. Crashes on the 10, the 15 and the 210 are handled by the California Highway Patrol. The report header tells you which agency wrote it. We request the report on every case and check it for mistakes.
In San Bernardino County Superior Court. Its civil cases are heard at the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse on Haven Avenue and the San Bernardino Justice Center on Third Street. The Fontana courthouse on Arrow Boulevard handles small claims and traffic, not injury lawsuits.
Usually the driver’s employer or the motor carrier, and their commercial insurance. Brokers, shippers and maintenance companies can also share responsibility. Trucks often carry engine data, electronic logs and cameras that can be overwritten, so we send a preservation letter right away.
Two years from the crash for an injury lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1) and three years for property damage (section 338). If a city, county, Caltrans or Omnitrans vehicle or a dangerous road was involved, a government claim is usually due within six months.
California’s minimum is $30,000 per person. If your losses are higher, we look for other coverage: the driver’s employer, a commercial or rideshare policy, and your own underinsured motorist coverage. We check your declarations page on the first call.
Yes. Under California’s pure comparative fault rule, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, not barred. Insurers often overstate your share, so the evidence matters.
Possibly, but with a limit. Under Proposition 213, an uninsured driver usually can’t recover pain and suffering, only economic losses like medical bills, lost wages and vehicle damage. There are exceptions, including when the other driver was convicted of DUI. Passengers are not affected by this rule.
Yes. Francisco worked as a certified automotive service consultant before law school. We review the estimate, the total-loss valuation, the rental and, against the at-fault driver, the loss in your car’s value after repair.
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center on Sierra Avenue has an emergency room in the city. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton treats serious trauma for the area. San Antonio Regional Hospital in Upland is another nearby option. If it’s an emergency, go to the closest ER or call 911.
Yes. We are about 20 miles west, and for most Fontana clients we come to you for the first meeting and handle the rest by phone, text and email. The consultation is free, in English or Spanish, and there is no fee unless we win.
Free consultation, in English or Spanish. No fee unless we win. Call, text, or send your case for a free review, and Francisco will get back to you.