A truck crash and a car crash might look the same on a police report. Both have two vehicles, a crash, and people getting hurt. But the laws and the money for a truck crash are much more difficult. It is important to know why these cases are different.

How Big Is The Problem?

Accidents with large trucks cause much more damage. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that in 2022, big trucks were in about 168,000 crashes that hurt people in the USA. One of the biggest reasons for this is the weight. A big truck can weigh 80,000 pounds, but a normal car only weighs 4,000 pounds.

Because the trucks are so big, people get hurt very badly. When injuries are that bad, the claims are for a lot of money, and that is why insurance companies try even harder not pay.

Multiple Parties Can Be Responsible

This is why truck accidents are so hard to deal with. In a normal car crash, usually only two drivers are involved. In a truck crash, many different people or companies might be responsible for the accident:

  • The truck driver- They might be tired, not paying attention, or using drugs.
  • The trucking company- They might hire bad drivers, not train them well, or force them to drive too much.
  • The cargo loader- If the heavy things inside the truck are not put in right place, the truck can fall over.
  • The truck manufacturer- Some parts of the truck might be broken or bad.
  • The maintenance provider- They might not fix the truck correctly.

Knowing who the potentially liable parties are and how to get them to pay you can be difficult. A normal car accident claim does not need this much work.

How Federal Rules Make It Harder

Large trucks must follow many strict government rules. These rules talk about:

  • How long a driver can drive before they must sleep.
  • How often must the truck be checked and fixed.
  • The special license and training a driver needs.
  • How heavy the truck is allowed to be.

If a company breaks these rules, it proves they were wrong. But you must find the proof fast. Truck companies only have to keep some papers for six months. After that, the evidence can legally be destroyed if a lawyer does not ask for it.

The Black Box Factor

Most big trucks have a special machine inside called an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) or an “event data recorder.” It is like a black box in an airplane. This machine writes down the speed, the brakes, how long the driver worked, and where the truck was during the crash.

This information is very strong evidence. It can show if the driver is telling the truth or lying. It can prove whether the driver was speeding or too tired to drive.

The truck companies know this data is important. If you do not send a legal letter, called a “spoliation letter,” soon, the company can delete the data or write over it. This can happen only a few days after the crash.

Big Insurance Means Big Fights

Truck companies have much more insurance than normal drivers. According to the laws, they must have at least $750,000. For trucks carrying dangerous things, it can be $5 million. Because the amount is so high, the insurance companies retain very good lawyers. Their only job is to pay you as little as possible.

If you try to talk to them alone without a lawyer, you are fighting against professionals. Their job is to make your claim worth less money.

Truck accident claims are hard because many people are involved, and there are many laws to keep up with. If you were injured in a truck accident, consult with a personal injury attorney who specializes in the area.