An 80,000-pound truck hits a 4,000-pound car. The car loses. Every time. That is why these cases are not like regular car crash cases — and why the wrong lawyer can cost your family millions.

Here is what actually happens in a truck accident case, and what to look for in the lawyer who handles it.

Why Truck Accidents Are Different

A regular car crash has one defendant — the other driver. A truck crash has five or six. That is not an exaggeration.

• The driver.
• The trucking company that employed the driver.
• The broker that booked the load.
• The company that owned the trailer.
• The mechanic or shop that serviced the rig.
• The manufacturer if a part failed.

Every one of them has insurance. Every one of them has a reason to point at the other. A good truck lawyer sues them all and lets the evidence sort it out.

The Evidence Disappears Fast

Truck companies have a 30-day window before they can legally overwrite hours-of-service logs, ELD data, and onboard camera footage. We file a preservation letter the same day we sign the case. Miss that window and the case is half the value it should have been.

The first thing we do on a truck case is send the spoliation letter before lunch. The second thing is put a private investigator on the driver.

— Frank Mangiaracina

Key Qualities of the Best Truck Accident Lawyers

1. They know the FMCSA regulations cold — hours of service, medical qualifications, drug testing, maintenance.
2. They have deposed trucking-company executives and safety directors before.
3. They can read ELD data and black-box downloads.
4. They retain accident reconstructionists and industry experts on day one.
5. They front the case costs — and these cases are expensive.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

• Driver fatigue (still the number-one cause, federal rules notwithstanding).
• Distracted driving, including in-cab texting and dispatch messaging.
• Unsafe maintenance practices and missed inspections.
• Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo.
• Drug and alcohol impairment.
• Pressure from dispatchers to exceed legal driving limits.

Compensation in Truck Accident Cases

Because the injuries are usually catastrophic and the policies usually large, truck verdicts run high. Typical categories include:

1. All past and future medical expenses.
2. Permanent disability and lost earning capacity.
3. Home modifications and long-term attendant care.
4. Pain, suffering, and loss of life's enjoyment.
5. Punitive damages when the company's conduct is egregious.

Our Truck Accident Experience

We move on day one. We preserve the evidence. We take the depositions ourselves. We try these cases when they need to be tried. Free consultation, no fee unless we win.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney Advertising.