Truck Accidents Involving Large Commercial Vehicles

More Severe Injuries and Higher Medical Costs

Due to the size and force of an 18-wheeler crash, injuries are often much more severe than in a typical car accident. Common injuries include:

• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Multiple fractures and crushed limbs
• Severe burns or amputations

These injuries often require long-term medical treatment, leading to extensive medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages.

Complex Liability Issues

Unlike regular car accidents, where fault is usually between two drivers, semi-truck crashes can involve multiple liable parties, including:

• The truck driver: If they were fatigued, distracted, or reckless behind the wheel.
• The trucking company: If they failed to train drivers, enforce safety policies, or overloaded the truck.
• Cargo loaders: If improperly secured cargo contributed to the accident.
• Truck manufacturers: If a mechanical failure, such as brake failure or a tire blowout, played a role.

Because of these complex liability issues, victims need strong legal representation to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Higher Insurance Coverage & Fierce Legal Battles

Trucking companies carry high-value insurance policies, often in the millions of dollars, because of the damage these vehicles can cause. However, this also means their insurance providers fight aggressively to limit payouts. Insurance adjusters may:

• Try to shift blame onto the victim.
• Offer lowball settlements that don’t cover the full extent of damages.
• Delay claims or deny liability to protect their bottom line.

Unlike typical car accident claims, semi-truck cases require skilled negotiation and strong legal strategies to ensure victims receive fair compensation.

Semi-truck and 18-wheeler accidents are far more complex than regular car crashes due to their size, federal regulations, severe injuries, and multiple liable parties. If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, working with an experienced attorney who understands these complexities and can fight for the full compensation you deserve is essential.

Liability in Large Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Determining liability in large commercial vehicle accidents is more complex than in standard car crashes. These cases often involve multiple responsible parties, strict federal and state regulations, and high-value insurance policies. Identifying who is at fault is critical for securing compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.

Who Can Be Held Liable?

Unlike typical car accidents, commercial truck accidents may involve multiple parties who share responsibility. Potentially liable parties include:

• The Truck Driver: If the driver was speeding, fatigued, distracted, or under the influence, they may be held personally responsible.
• The Trucking Company: If the company failed to train drivers properly, forced them to exceed hours-of-service limits, or ignored maintenance issues, they can be held liable.
• The Cargo Loader: If improperly secured or overloaded cargo contributed to the accident, the company that loaded the truck may be responsible.
• The Truck Manufacturer or Maintenance Provider: If a mechanical failure (such as faulty brakes or defective tires) caused the accident, the manufacturer or maintenance provider could be at fault.

Proving Negligence in a Commercial Vehicle Accident

To establish liability, a victim must prove negligence, which involves four key elements:

• Duty of Care: The truck driver, company, or other involved parties had a legal responsibility to ensure safety.
• Breach of Duty: The responsible party violated safety regulations or acted negligently.
• Causation: Their actions directly caused the accident.
• Damages: The victim suffered financial, physical, or emotional harm as a result.

Evidence such as black box data, driver logs, vehicle inspection reports, and eyewitness statements can help establish negligence.

Common Liability Disputes

Because truck accidents often result in high-dollar claims, trucking companies and their insurers frequently dispute liability. Common defenses include:

• Blaming the victim: Claiming the other driver was speeding, distracted, or otherwise responsible for the crash.
• Shifting blame to a third party: Arguing that mechanical failure, road conditions, or another vehicle caused the accident.
• Disputing injury severity: Suggesting that the victim’s injuries were pre-existing or not as serious as claimed.

Because of these challenges, having an experienced truck accident lawyer is crucial to countering these tactics and proving fault.

Liability in large commercial vehicle accidents can be difficult to determine due to multiple responsible parties and aggressive insurance companies. Proving negligence requires thorough investigation and assertive legal representation. 

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, working with an experienced attorney can help ensure that all liable parties are held accountable and that you receive the full compensation you deserve.

Importance of Black Box Data & Maintenance Records in Trucking Cases

When a truck accident occurs, determining liability and negligence is often complex. Unlike regular car accidents, where witness statements and police reports play a significant role, trucking accidents require specialized evidence to prove fault. 

Two of the most critical pieces of evidence in these cases are black box data and maintenance records. These records provide crucial insights into driver behavior, vehicle condition, and potential violations of federal trucking regulations, all of which can strengthen a victim’s claim.

What is Black Box Data and Why Does It Matter?

Most commercial trucks are outfitted with Electronic Control Modules or Event Data Recorders, commonly referred to as black boxes. These devices automatically record real-time data about the truck’s performance and driver actions before and during a crash.

Black box data can reveal:

• Speed and braking activity leading up to the accident.
• Steering inputs and lane changes.
• Hours of service violations, which can indicate driver fatigue.
• Acceleration and deceleration patterns.

This data is critical for proving negligence. For example, if a truck is involved in an accident on I-15 near Salt Lake City, the black box data could reveal that the driver exceeded the speed limit or failed to brake before impact, strengthening the victim’s claim. 

Additionally, if critical data is missing or appears to have been altered, it could suggest that the trucking company is attempting to conceal evidence, which may further support the case for negligence and liability.

How Maintenance Records Help Prove Negligence

Trucking companies are required by federal and state laws to keep their vehicles in safe operating condition. Regular maintenance and inspections are essential to prevent mechanical failures that could lead to accidents. Maintenance records can help identify the following:

• Brake, tire, and engine inspections and whether the company neglected necessary repairs.
• Previous mechanical failures that contributed to the crash.
• Safety recalls or defective parts that were never replaced.

Suppose maintenance records show a truck had known mechanical issues that were ignored or improperly repaired. In that case, the trucking company can be held liable for failing to maintain a safe vehicle.