What makes a truck case different
A tractor-trailer crash is not just a bigger car crash. The trucking company, the driver, the cargo loader, the maintenance shop, and sometimes the broker all have potential liability. Each one is governed by federal rules you can use to build your case.
Drivers have to keep logs. Companies have to maintain their fleet. Brokers have to vet their carriers. We look at every link.
What's at stake
Truck wrecks produce catastrophic injuries. They also carry larger insurance policies (often one million dollars or more) because federal law requires it.
- Multi-level medical treatment, often including ICU
- Traumatic brain and spinal injuries
- Permanent disability and future care planning
- Loss of earning capacity
- Wrongful death claims for surviving family
- Punitive damages where safety violations are egregious
How we handle truck cases
1. Spoliation letter within days
We send a preservation letter ordering the trucking company to retain the electronic logging device data, dashcam footage, driver qualification file, maintenance records, and post-crash drug test results.
2. Scene investigation
Reconstructionists, drone photography, and federal crash report (MCMIS) pulls. We get out there fast.
3. Regulatory analysis
Hours of service violations. Weight limit issues. Driver qualification problems. Every federal violation becomes an argument for liability and often for punitive damages.
4. Litigation
Trucking companies have national defense firms on retainer. We prepare accordingly and do not settle for nuisance value.
Common defense tactics
Trucking companies try to deflect to the driver as an independent actor. They try to argue federal regulations do not apply. They try to move cases to friendlier venues.
We counter with direct-negligence theories against the company itself: negligent hiring, negligent retention, and negligent entrustment. That strategy raises the exposure and unlocks punitive damages in the right case.
Time matters more here than almost anywhere
Electronic logging device data can be overwritten within weeks. Dashcam footage can be deleted. Driver qualification files can be quietly updated. The difference between a calling us the day of the crash and calling us two months later is often the difference between a winning case and a tough one.