Debris on Freeway

I'm in California and I was driving my wife's car on the freeway on the third lane from the left. A truck carrying a sofa was on the fourth lane from the left. I was about 2 cars length from the truck, on a different lane. It was really windy and both traffic & myself were going about 65 mph, the speed limit. The sofa was blown out of the truck towards my car, I swerved to the left to try and avoid it, but it struck my car on the right side top of the hood, top of the right fender, smashed my windshield and sunroof, and dented the roof. Fortunately, we're alive but suffered some back & neck injuries, and I didn't hit any other vehicle.

1. Does it matter if my name is not on the insurance policy?
2. Am I entitled to a car rental that is comparable to my vehicle and will the trucks insurance pay for it, my car is 9 months old and is worth $35,000? We don't have rental car insurance on our policy.
3. After the insurance thing is settled, our car is fixed, medical bills are paid, can I continue to sue the idiot in the truck for negligence of some kind, in a civil suit? For loss hours at work related to the accident. For pain & sufferings, emotional distress.

I'm not into suing and I'm not one of those that sue for everything, I just want to make a point to this idiot that for his laziness to tie down the sofa, we could have died and it caused us a lot of time and headaches to deal with it.

Thanks