Fighting for Truck Accident Victims and Their Families
When an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer collides with a passenger vehicle, the results are often catastrophic. Truck accidents cause some of the most devastating injuries we see—traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, crushed limbs, and far too often, death. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, you’re facing an uphill battle against powerful trucking companies and their insurers who will do everything possible to minimize what they pay.
You need an attorney who understands the complexities of trucking litigation—someone who knows the federal regulations, can identify all liable parties, and has the resources to take on well-funded corporate defendants. At DJC Law, our truck accident lawyers have the experience and determination to fight for the compensation you deserve.
We handle truck accident cases on contingency, which means you pay nothing unless we win. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Truck Accidents Are Different
Truck accident cases are fundamentally different from typical car accident claims. The stakes are higher, the injuries are more severe, the regulations are more complex, and the opposition is better funded. Here’s what makes these cases unique:
Catastrophic injuries. The sheer size and weight disparity between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles means truck accidents frequently cause life-altering or fatal injuries. A fully loaded semi can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a typical car.
Multiple liable parties. Unlike car accidents where you’re typically dealing with one at-fault driver, truck accidents may involve the truck driver, the trucking company, cargo loaders, maintenance providers, equipment manufacturers, and others.
Federal regulations. The trucking industry is heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Violations of these regulations can be powerful evidence of negligence.
Corporate defendants. You’re not just dealing with an individual driver’s insurance company. Trucking companies have legal teams and insurance adjusters who respond immediately to accidents, often arriving at the scene before victims have even left the hospital.
Evidence preservation. Critical evidence like electronic logging device data, onboard camera footage, and inspection records can be lost or destroyed if not preserved quickly.
These complexities are why you need an attorney experienced in truck accident litigation—not just personal injury law in general.
Why Choose DJC Law for Your Truck Accident Case
Truck accident cases require specific knowledge, resources, and experience. Here’s what sets DJC Law apart.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win
We handle all truck accident cases on contingency. You don’t pay any upfront fees, and you owe us nothing unless we successfully recover compensation for you. This arrangement means we’re fully invested in your success.
We Know Trucking Regulations
Our attorneys understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that govern the trucking industry. We know how to identify violations and use them to prove negligence—from hours-of-service violations to improper maintenance to inadequate driver training.
We Act Fast to Preserve Evidence
Trucking companies start protecting themselves immediately after an accident. We move quickly to send preservation letters, obtain electronic data before it’s overwritten, and secure physical evidence before it disappears.
We Have the Resources to Fight
Truck accident cases often require accident reconstruction experts, trucking industry experts, medical specialists, and economists. We have the resources to retain top experts and build the strongest possible case.
Trial-Ready Representation
Trucking companies know which firms are willing to take cases to trial. Our willingness to fight in court often motivates defendants to offer fair settlements rather than risk a jury verdict.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents happen for many reasons, but most involve some form of negligence—by the driver, the trucking company, or another party. Common causes include:
Driver fatigue. Despite federal hours-of-service regulations, fatigued driving remains a leading cause of truck accidents. Drivers face pressure to meet tight deadlines, leading some to falsify logs or push through exhaustion. A drowsy truck driver has reaction times comparable to a drunk driver.
Distracted driving. Texting, using GPS systems, eating, or other distractions are dangerous for any driver but catastrophic when the distracted driver is operating an 80,000-pound vehicle.
Speeding. Trucks require significantly more distance to stop than passenger vehicles. A speeding truck may be unable to stop in time to avoid a collision, and higher speeds dramatically increase crash severity.
Impaired driving. Alcohol and drug use, including abuse of stimulants to stay awake on long hauls, impair judgment and reaction time.
Improper loading. Cargo that’s overweight, unbalanced, or improperly secured can cause a truck to tip over, jackknife, or lose its load onto the roadway.
Inadequate maintenance. Trucking companies are required to maintain their vehicles properly. Brake failures, tire blowouts, steering problems, and other mechanical failures often result from deferred maintenance.
Inadequate training. Operating a commercial truck requires specialized skills. Drivers who are inadequately trained may not know how to handle emergency situations, adverse weather, or the specific characteristics of their vehicle.
Aggressive driving. Tailgating, unsafe lane changes, and failure to yield are dangerous behaviors that are amplified when the aggressive driver is operating a large truck.
Blind spot accidents. Trucks have massive blind spots—sometimes called “no-zones”—on all four sides. Drivers who fail to properly check these areas before changing lanes or turning cause serious accidents.
Hours-of-service violations. Federal law limits how long truck drivers can operate without rest. Companies and drivers who violate these rules put exhausted drivers behind the wheel.
Defective equipment. Faulty brakes, defective tires, malfunctioning coupling devices, and other equipment defects can cause or contribute to accidents.
When we investigate your accident, we look at all potential causes and all parties whose negligence may have contributed.
Types of Truck Accidents
Commercial truck accidents take many forms, each with distinct causes and injury patterns.
Rear-end collisions occur when a truck strikes the vehicle in front of it. Given a truck’s weight and stopping distance, these crashes often cause severe injuries or fatalities to occupants of the smaller vehicle.
Jackknife accidents happen when a truck’s trailer swings out to form a 90-degree angle with the cab, often sweeping across multiple lanes and striking other vehicles. These typically occur during hard braking or on slippery roads.
Underride accidents are among the most deadly. They occur when a smaller vehicle slides underneath a truck’s trailer, often shearing off the top of the passenger vehicle. Underride crashes frequently cause decapitation or fatal head injuries.
Override accidents happen when a truck runs over a smaller vehicle, crushing it beneath the truck’s wheels or cab.
Rollover accidents occur when a truck tips onto its side or roof. Rollovers can be caused by speeding around curves, improper loading, sudden maneuvers, or equipment failures.
Wide turn accidents happen when trucks swing wide to make turns and strike vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists in adjacent lanes or crosswalks. Truck drivers must account for their vehicle’s turning radius, but many fail to do so safely.
Blind spot accidents occur when truck drivers change lanes or merge without seeing vehicles in their extensive blind spots.
T-bone collisions at intersections happen when trucks run red lights or stop signs, or when they fail to yield while making turns.
Lost load accidents occur when improperly secured cargo falls from a truck, striking other vehicles or creating hazards that cause crashes.
Tire blowout accidents can cause a driver to lose control, and the debris from a blown tire can strike other vehicles or cause them to swerve.
Runaway truck accidents happen when brakes fail on steep grades, leaving the driver unable to slow or stop the vehicle.
Types of Commercial Trucks
We handle accidents involving all types of commercial vehicles, including:
- Tractor-trailers (semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, big rigs)
- Tanker trucks carrying fuel, chemicals, or other liquids
- Flatbed trucks
- Dump trucks
- Garbage and recycling trucks
- Concrete mixers
- Delivery trucks (box trucks, straight trucks)
- Moving trucks
- Tow trucks
- Logging trucks
- Car carriers (auto transporters)
- Refrigerated trucks (reefers)
- Oversized load vehicles
Different types of trucks present different hazards and may be subject to different regulations. Our attorneys understand these distinctions.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Due to the massive forces involved, truck accidents often cause severe, life-changing injuries:
Traumatic brain injuries range from concussions to severe brain damage causing permanent cognitive impairment, personality changes, or vegetative states.
Spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis—paraplegia or quadriplegia—requiring lifelong care and dramatically altering every aspect of the victim’s life.
Crush injuries occur when victims are trapped in wreckage. These can cause severe tissue damage, compartment syndrome, and may require amputation.
Amputations may occur at the scene or become necessary due to the severity of crush injuries or infections.
Internal injuries to organs like the spleen, liver, kidneys, and lungs may not be immediately apparent but can be life-threatening.
Multiple fractures are common, including compound fractures requiring surgery, external fixation, or multiple procedures.
Severe burns can result from fires following truck accidents, particularly those involving tanker trucks carrying flammable materials.
Back and neck injuries including herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and severe soft tissue damage often cause chronic pain and permanent limitations.
Disfigurement and scarring from lacerations, burns, or surgical interventions can cause lasting physical and psychological trauma.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological injuries are common among truck accident survivors, who may experience flashbacks, anxiety, and difficulty riding in vehicles.
Wrongful death is tragically common in truck accidents. When a family loses a loved one, surviving members may pursue a wrongful death claim.
Federal Trucking Regulations
The trucking industry is governed by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) enforced by the FMCSA. Violations of these regulations are strong evidence of negligence. Key regulations include:
Hours of Service Rules
Drivers are limited in how long they can drive without rest. Generally, drivers may not drive more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and cannot drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty. Drivers must also take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving. These rules exist because fatigued driving is extremely dangerous.
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
Most commercial trucks are now required to use electronic logging devices that automatically record driving time. These devices make it harder for drivers and companies to falsify logs, though some still try. ELD data can be crucial evidence in truck accident cases.
Driver Qualification Requirements
Trucking companies must ensure drivers have valid commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), meet medical requirements, and are properly trained. Companies must maintain driver qualification files documenting compliance.
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Drivers must undergo pre-employment drug testing and are subject to random testing, post-accident testing, and testing based on reasonable suspicion. Companies that fail to test properly or that allow drivers with positive results to continue driving can be held liable.
Vehicle Maintenance Requirements
Trucking companies must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain all vehicles under their control. Drivers must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections and report any defects. Maintenance records must be kept for at least one year.
Cargo Securement Rules
Detailed regulations govern how cargo must be secured to prevent shifting or falling during transport. Different rules apply to different types of cargo.
Weight Limits
Federal law limits gross vehicle weight to 80,000 pounds on interstate highways, with specific limits for individual axles. Overweight trucks are harder to control and take longer to stop.
Our attorneys thoroughly investigate whether any regulatory violations contributed to your accident.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
One of the most important differences between truck accidents and car accidents is the number of potentially liable parties. Depending on the circumstances, claims may be brought against:
The truck driver may be liable for negligent driving, including speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, or hours-of-service violations.
The trucking company can be liable for the driver’s actions under respondeat superior (employer liability), as well as for its own negligence in hiring, training, supervising, or retaining the driver. Companies may also be liable for pressuring drivers to violate safety rules or for inadequate maintenance.
The cargo loading company may be liable if improper loading caused or contributed to the accident—whether from overloading, unbalanced loads, or unsecured cargo.
Maintenance providers who performed inadequate repairs or inspections may be liable if mechanical failures caused the accident.
Truck or parts manufacturers may be liable under product liability theories if defective equipment—brakes, tires, coupling devices, or other components—caused or contributed to the crash.
The truck owner (if different from the driver or trucking company) may be liable under negligent entrustment theories or for failure to maintain the vehicle.
Brokers and shippers who hired unqualified carriers or created unrealistic delivery schedules may share liability in some circumstances.
Government entities may be liable if dangerous road conditions, inadequate signage, or defective road design contributed to the accident.
Identifying all liable parties is crucial because it increases the available insurance coverage and improves your chances of full compensation.
Evidence in Truck Accident Cases
Truck accident cases often involve evidence that doesn’t exist in typical car accident claims. Critical evidence includes:
Electronic logging device (ELD) data shows hours driven, rest periods, and can reveal hours-of-service violations.
Event data recorder (“black box”) information captures speed, braking, steering inputs, and other data from the moments before and during the crash.
Onboard camera footage from forward-facing, cab-facing, or other cameras can show exactly what happened.
Driver logs and trip records document the driver’s activities leading up to the accident.
Driver qualification files reveal training, licensing, medical certifications, and employment history.
Drug and alcohol testing records show whether required tests were performed and their results.
Maintenance and inspection records document vehicle condition and whether required maintenance was performed.
Dispatch records and communications may show pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines or instructions to violate safety rules.
Cargo documentation including bills of lading and weight tickets can reveal loading violations.
Cell phone records can prove distracted driving.
GPS and telematics data tracks the truck’s location, speed, and movements.
Much of this evidence is controlled by the trucking company and can be lost, overwritten, or destroyed quickly. We act fast to send spoliation letters and obtain this evidence before it disappears.
Compensation in Truck Accident Cases
Given the severity of truck accident injuries, compensation in these cases is often substantial. You may be entitled to:
Economic Damages
- Medical expenses: Emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, medication, rehabilitation, and all other treatment costs
- Future medical costs: Ongoing care, future surgeries, long-term rehabilitation, home health care, and medical equipment
- Lost wages: Income lost during recovery
- Loss of earning capacity: Reduced ability to work in the future due to permanent disabilities
- Property damage: Repair or replacement of your vehicle and belongings
- Home modifications: Wheelchair ramps, accessible bathrooms, and other modifications needed due to disabilities
- Attendant care: Costs of in-home caregivers for severely injured victims
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain from injuries and treatment
- Mental anguish: Emotional distress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and psychological trauma
- Disfigurement: Permanent scarring, burns, or physical changes
- Disability: Limitations on physical abilities and activities
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Inability to participate in activities you once enjoyed
- Loss of consortium: Impact on your relationship with your spouse
In cases involving egregious conduct—such as falsified logs, knowing hours-of-service violations, or allowing impaired drivers to operate—punitive damages may be available to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct.
If a loved one was killed in a truck accident, surviving family members may pursue wrongful death damages including funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship.
Dealing with Trucking Companies and Their Insurers
Trucking companies respond to accidents very differently than individual drivers. Within hours of a serious accident, they often dispatch rapid response teams including investigators, adjusters, and sometimes attorneys to the scene. Their goal is to protect the company, not to help you.
Tactics you may encounter include:
- Investigators attempting to get recorded statements from you while you’re still in the hospital
- Attempts to access your medical records to find pre-existing conditions
- Quick settlement offers designed to close your claim before you understand its value
- Evidence destruction or claims that relevant data wasn’t preserved
- Shifting blame onto you or other drivers
- Delaying tactics hoping you’ll accept less due to financial pressure
- Claims that the driver was an independent contractor to avoid company liability
Commercial trucks are required to carry significantly more insurance than passenger vehicles—often $750,000 to $1 million or more. While this means more potential compensation, it also means you’re facing well-funded opposition determined to pay as little as possible.
Don’t talk to trucking company representatives or their insurers without consulting an attorney first. We handle all communications and level the playing field.
What to Do After a Truck Accident
The steps you take after a truck accident can significantly impact your case. If you’re able:
At the scene:
- Call 911 and request medical attention for anyone injured
- Move to safety if possible, but don’t leave the scene
- Get information from the truck driver including name, license number, trucking company, and insurance information
- Note the truck’s DOT number and any other identifying information on the vehicle
- Get contact information from witnesses
- Take photos of the vehicles, damage, accident scene, skid marks, road conditions, and any visible injuries
- Don’t admit fault or discuss the accident beyond basic information exchange
- Don’t give statements to trucking company representatives at the scene
After leaving the scene:
- Seek medical attention immediately, even if injuries seem minor
- Follow all medical advice and attend all appointments
- Keep records of all medical treatment, expenses, and missed work
- Don’t give recorded statements to any insurance company
- Don’t sign anything from the trucking company or its insurer
- Don’t post about the accident on social media
- Contact a truck accident attorney as soon as possible
Time is critical in truck accident cases. Evidence can disappear quickly, and trucking companies start building their defense immediately. The sooner you have an attorney working on your case, the better.
Statute of Limitations
Every state has a deadline for filing truck accident lawsuits. Most states allow between two and four years, though some have shorter deadlines.
Claims against government entities—such as those involving municipal garbage trucks or other government vehicles—typically have much shorter notice requirements, sometimes as little as 30 to 180 days.
Even if you have years to file, don’t wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses’ memories fade, and trucking companies may destroy records after certain retention periods. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights.
How Our Truck Accident Lawyers Help
Truck accident cases require specialized knowledge and aggressive representation. Here’s how we help:
We preserve critical evidence, sending spoliation letters immediately to prevent destruction of ELD data, camera footage, maintenance records, and other evidence controlled by the trucking company.
We investigate thoroughly, obtaining the truck’s black box data, driver logs, qualification files, maintenance records, and all other relevant evidence. We work with accident reconstruction experts to determine exactly what happened.
We identify all liable parties, ensuring that everyone who contributed to your accident is held accountable and that maximum insurance coverage is available.
We know the regulations, identifying FMCSA violations and using them to prove negligence.
We calculate full damages, working with medical and economic experts to determine the true cost of your injuries—including future expenses that are easy to underestimate.
We handle all communications, protecting you from trucking company tactics and allowing you to focus on recovery.
We fight for maximum compensation, negotiating aggressively and preparing every case for trial if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a truck accident lawyer?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, meaning we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Given the complexity of truck accident cases and the resources required, having an experienced attorney working on contingency is especially valuable.
How long will my truck accident case take?
Truck accident cases are typically more complex than car accidents and often take longer to resolve. Cases may settle in several months to a year, while those requiring litigation can take two years or more. We work to resolve your case as efficiently as possible while never settling for less than you deserve.
Should I accept the trucking company’s settlement offer?
Never accept any settlement offer without consulting an attorney first. Trucking companies often make early offers hoping you’ll accept before understanding the true value of your claim—especially before you know the full extent of your injuries. These offers are almost always far below what your case is worth.
What if the trucking company says the driver was an independent contractor?
Trucking companies often claim drivers are independent contractors to avoid liability. However, the legal reality is more complex. We investigate the actual relationship between the driver and company, and often find that the company still bears responsibility regardless of how they classified the driver.
How much is my truck accident case worth?
Truck accident cases often involve significant compensation due to the severity of injuries. Value depends on your injuries, medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and the strength of evidence. We can give you a better estimate after reviewing your case.
What if I was partially at fault?
You may still recover compensation in most states even if you were partially at fault. Your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies often try to shift blame to victims, so don’t accept their assessment without consulting an attorney.
Why do I need a lawyer for a truck accident instead of handling it myself?
Truck accident cases are far more complex than typical car accidents. They involve federal regulations, multiple liable parties, corporate defendants with substantial legal resources, and critical evidence that can disappear quickly. Going up against trucking companies without experienced legal representation puts you at a serious disadvantage.
Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys Today
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, time is critical. Evidence is disappearing, the trucking company is building its defense, and critical deadlines may be approaching. You need an experienced truck accident attorney fighting for you.
At DJC Law, we have the knowledge, resources, and determination to take on trucking companies and their insurers. We’ve helped countless truck accident victims recover the compensation they need to rebuild their lives.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain your options, and get to work protecting your rights. There’s no obligation, and you’ll pay nothing unless we win.
