57/60 Interchange Accident Lawyer

Two miles of shared lanes in Diamond Bar, the worst truck bottleneck in California, and a construction zone until 2028. Crashes at the Confluence involve trucks, multiple cars and a lane configuration that changes month to month. Morales Law Firm is fifteen minutes up the 57 in San Dimas. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.

A crash scene that keeps changing

Caltrans is rebuilding the Confluence in stages: new connector ramps, a bypass for eastbound 60 traffic to the northbound 57, widened Grand Avenue ramps, and temporary barriers and lane shifts along the way. The configuration you crashed in may be gone in a month. That matters because a case at the Confluence often turns on where the lanes were, what the signs said and where the barrier stood on that day. We photograph it immediately and we request the traffic-control plan and closure log for the date from Caltrans through the Public Records Act. If a lane shift or missing signage contributed, a government claim must be filed within six months under Government Code section 911.2.

If a truck was involved, the first 48 hours decide the case

The trucking company’s insurer usually has an investigator at the scene or on the phone the same day, because they know the case turns on evidence they control and can lose: the electronic logging device, the engine control module, the driver’s hours-of-service and qualification records, the maintenance file, and the forward-facing camera most fleets now run. Read more on our truck accident page.

Why the Confluence produces the crashes it does

The 57 runs north-south from Orange County to the 210. The 60 runs east-west from downtown Los Angeles to the Inland Empire. For about two miles in Diamond Bar they share the same pavement, and every vehicle on either freeway has to cross paths with every vehicle on the other to continue. Los Angeles County officials have said the segment’s truck collision rate runs well above the state average. Add a reconstruction project with shifting lanes and the result is a steady flow of sideswipes, lane-change collisions and chain-reaction rear-end crashes, many involving trucks, most involving more than two vehicles.

Multi-vehicle crashes are handled differently from a two-car collision. Fault is divided in percentages among the drivers under California’s comparative negligence rule, and each insurer pays its share. Under joint and several liability, any at-fault driver can be made to pay your medical bills and lost wages in full. Our freeway pileup page explains how the sequence is proved.

Who handles a 57/60 crash

Need	Who
Police report, the 57 and 60	CHP Baldwin Park Area, 14039 Francisquito Ave., Baldwin Park, (626) 517-8500 · chp.ca.gov
Police report, city streets	LASD Walnut/Diamond Bar Station, 21695 Valley Blvd., Walnut, (626) 913-1715 (Diamond Bar line)
Trauma center	Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, 1798 N. Garey Ave., Pomona
Other ERs	Kaiser Baldwin Park; San Antonio Regional, Upland
Civil court	Pomona Courthouse South, 400 Civic Center Plaza · county locator
Construction project	City of Diamond Bar SR-57/SR-60 project page · diamondbarca.gov

What a 57/60 accident claim can recover

The at-fault driver, and their insurer, owe the full cost of the crash under California law: emergency and follow-up care, the months of therapy that follow most collisions, surgery and future treatment, lost wages and earning capacity, the vehicle and the rental, and compensation for pain, suffering and the loss of your ordinary life. On a truck case the available insurance is far larger than a private driver’s $30,000 minimum, which is one reason those cases are fought so hard. When the driver who hit you carried too little insurance, your own underinsured motorist coverage fills the gap.

Deadlines

Two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit.
Six months to file a government claim if Caltrans, a county vehicle or the construction zone contributed.
Ten days for the DMV SR-1.
Hours to days before truck data and camera footage are overwritten.

Why Morales Law Firm

We are fifteen minutes from the Confluence, on Bonita Avenue in San Dimas, and we have driven through every phase of the reconstruction. Francisco Morales grew up in West Covina, graduated from UCLA and Loyola Law School, and worked as a certified automotive service consultant before law school. He handles every case himself, in English or Spanish, and he answers his own phone. More about Francisco, or return to the main car accident page.

57/60 interchange questions

What is the 57/60 Confluence?

The two-mile stretch in Diamond Bar where the 57 and the 60 run together and share lanes, between the Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue area. Officials have called it the worst truck bottleneck in California. Caltrans is rebuilding the interchange in a project scheduled to finish in 2028, so ramps, lanes and barriers change month to month.

Who handles a crash at the 57/60 interchange?

The CHP Baldwin Park Area office, 14039 Francisquito Ave., (626) 517-8500, which covers both freeways in Los Angeles County. Crashes on Diamond Bar Boulevard, Grand Avenue or Golden Springs Drive are handled by the Sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar Station.

Does the construction zone change my case?

It can help or complicate it. If a lane shift, a missing barrier, poor signage or a traffic-control setup contributed, there may be a claim against Caltrans or its contractor, with a six-month government-claim deadline. We obtain the traffic-control plan and closure schedule in effect on the day of your crash through a Public Records Act request, and we photograph the configuration before it changes again.

A truck hit me at the Confluence. What is different?

The trucking company’s insurer usually has an investigator at the scene or on the phone the same day, because the case turns on evidence the carrier controls: the electronic logging device, engine data, the driver’s hours-of-service and qualification file, and the forward-facing camera. That evidence can be overwritten within weeks unless someone demands it be preserved. We send that demand immediately.

Where would a 57/60 accident lawsuit be filed?

In the Los Angeles Superior Court’s East District at the Pomona Courthouse South, 400 Civic Center Plaza. Multi-vehicle and truck cases are more likely than most to be filed, because the insurers point at each other.

Which hospital is closest to the 57/60?

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center on Garey Avenue is the designated trauma center, about eight miles north. Kaiser Baldwin Park and San Antonio Regional in Upland are the other close emergency rooms. Serious injuries from the Confluence are usually transported to Pomona Valley.

How long do I have to file after a 57/60 crash?

Two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Six months for a government claim if Caltrans, a county or a road condition is involved. Truck data must be preserved within days.

What if several cars were involved?

Fault is divided among the drivers in percentages under California’s comparative negligence rule, and each driver’s insurer pays its share. Under joint and several liability, any at-fault driver can be made to pay your full medical bills and lost wages. Our freeway pileup page explains how the sequence is proved.

Do you handle 57/60 cases in Spanish?

Yes. Francisco Morales is fully bilingual and handles the entire case in Spanish when the client prefers.

How much does it cost to hire you?

Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, a percentage of the recovery paid only when the case resolves. No recovery, no attorney’s fee. The consultation is free.