In 2023, large truck crashes killed 4,807 people in the U.S. That was an 11% drop from the year before but still devastating. When these accidents happen, the fallout can be overwhelming.
Medical bills stack up. Vehicles are totaled. And the question of who’s responsible isn’t always simple.
Truck accident liability isn’t just about who was behind the wheel. It often involves trucking companies, insurance carriers, maintenance contractors, or even parts manufacturers.
One wrong move from any of them can put lives at risk. That’s where liability gets complex fast. That’s also where commercial auto insurance policies come into sharp focus.
If you’ve been hit by a commercial truck, you need to know this: liability in these cases is layered. It’s not a one-party issue. That’s why knowing how fault is determined and how commercial auto coverage plays into it can make a real difference in the outcome of your claim.
Common Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents
Commercial truck crashes happen for many reasons. Some of the most frequent include:
- Driver fatigue: Long hours and tight delivery schedules often push drivers to violate federal hours-of-service rules. Fatigue reduces reaction time and impairs judgment.
- Distracted driving: Texting, using GPS, talking on the phone, or eating while driving can all lead to accidents. Even a few seconds of inattention can have deadly consequences.
- Poor vehicle maintenance: Brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering issues are often the result of skipped inspections or overdue repairs.
- Improperly loaded cargo: Unbalanced or unsecured freight can shift in transit. This can cause rollovers or jackknife accidents, especially during turns or sudden stops.
- Defective parts: Faulty components like brakes, tires, or steering systems can fail unexpectedly. If a manufacturer released a defective part, they may be held liable for the crash.
How Truck Accident Liability Is Determined
Liability in a commercial truck accident hinges on proving negligence. This means showing that someone failed to act with reasonable care, leading to the crash.
However, determining fault isn’t always straightforward. Multiple parties may share responsibility, and each case requires a thorough investigation.
Key Factors in Determining Liability
- Driver Negligence: If the truck driver was speeding, distracted, fatigued, or under the influence, they could be held liable.
- Employer Responsibility: Trucking companies may be liable if they failed to maintain the vehicle properly, pressured drivers to exceed hours-of-service limits, or neglected to train their employees adequately.
- Vehicle Maintenance: Neglecting regular maintenance can lead to equipment failures, making maintenance providers or the trucking company liable.
- Cargo Loaders: Improperly loaded or secured cargo can cause accidents, placing responsibility on the loading company.
- Manufacturers: If a defective part, like faulty brakes, contributed to the accident, the manufacturer could be held accountable.
Manufacturer Liability After a Commercial Truck Accident
Not every truck crash is caused by driver error or poor maintenance. In some cases, the vehicle itself is to blame. When a defective part or system fails and causes a crash, the manufacturer—or other parties involved in the truck’s design, production, or distribution—may be held legally responsible.
This type of liability falls under what’s known as product liability. If a defect in the truck or any of its components contributed to the accident, the manufacturer can be sued for damages. These defects typically fall into one of three categories:
- Design defects: The part was dangerous from the start, even before it was manufactured. An example would be a braking system designed without proper heat resistance, which fails during long downhill driving.
- Manufacturing defects: The design may have been safe, but something went wrong during production. This could include faulty welds, contaminated materials, or incorrect assembly that causes a part to break.
- Marketing defects (failure to warn): If a product has known risks and the manufacturer failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions, they may be liable. For example, if a specific tire has a known failure rate under certain conditions, but no alert or recall was issued, the manufacturer could be responsible for resulting crashes.
Evidence in these cases may include crash reconstruction reports, black box data, expert testimony, and even records from similar incidents or recalls involving the same part. Sometimes, the defect may not become clear until a full forensic inspection of the wrecked truck is completed.
Liability may also extend beyond the original manufacturer. Distributors, suppliers, and third-party repair shops could be brought into the case if they played a role in introducing or failing to detect the defect.
Because these cases are often complex and technical, they usually require input from mechanical engineers or accident reconstruction experts to prove the defect and link it directly to the crash.
If you suspect a part failure caused your truck accident, you need a legal team that can secure and preserve evidence quickly—before vehicles are repaired, scrapped, or key data is lost.
The Role of Federal Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets strict rules on trucking operations. These include limits on driving hours, required rest breaks, vehicle maintenance standards, and driver qualification requirements. If any party involved in a truck’s operation violates FMCSA rules, that can be strong evidence of negligence.
For example, if logs show that a driver exceeded legal drive time, that violation may directly support your case.
Vicarious Liability in Trucking Accidents
Vicarious liability is a legal rule that holds employers responsible for what their employees do while they are working. In truck accidents, this means a trucking company can be held responsible if one of its drivers causes a crash during work hours.
For example, if a truck driver crashes into another vehicle while making a delivery, the trucking company might be legally responsible. This is true even if the company did not do anything wrong. If the driver was speeding or distracted, but still doing their job, the company can still be held liable.
The company does not need to be directly involved in the crash. It only matters that the driver was working for them at the time. That is why many trucking companies carry large commercial auto insurance policies. These policies are meant to cover the costs of accidents caused by employees on the job.
This rule helps injured people get fair compensation. It is often easier to recover money from a company with insurance than from an individual driver who may not have enough coverage.
How Commercial Auto Insurance Affects Your Compensation
Commercial auto insurance plays a significant role in covering damages resulting from truck accidents. These policies are designed to protect businesses from financial losses due to accidents involving company vehicles.
What Does Commercial Auto Insurance Cover?
- Bodily Injury Liability: Covers medical expenses, lost wages, and legal fees if the driver is at fault.
- Property Damage Liability: Pays for damages to another person’s property caused by the company’s vehicle.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Protects against damages caused by a driver who lacks sufficient insurance.
- Medical Payments Coverage: Covers medical expenses for the driver and passengers, regardless of fault.
Importance of Adequate Coverage
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires most interstate trucking companies to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance. This amount is meant to cover bodily injury and property damage if the truck is involved in a crash where the driver is at fault. However, in serious accidents, especially those involving multiple vehicles or fatalities, this minimum amount may not be enough.
Medical expenses, lost wages, long-term care needs, and property damage can quickly add up. It is not uncommon for the total cost of a major truck accident to exceed one million dollars. If a company only carries the legal minimum and the damages go beyond that, the injured party may try to sue the company directly for the remaining amount.
That is why many companies choose to carry higher policy limits. Some also purchase umbrella insurance policies, which provide extra protection beyond the regular commercial auto policy. These extra layers of coverage help shield businesses from large financial losses that could threaten their operations or force them into bankruptcy.
For accident victims, adequate insurance coverage means there is a better chance of receiving full compensation for medical costs, vehicle repairs, and other damages. For businesses, it is a way to manage risk and protect their financial future in case of a major claim.
In short, the more coverage a company has, the more protection it offers for everyone involved.
Key Types of Evidence Used to Prove Truck Accident Liability
If you were injured in a truck accident, strong evidence can make or break your case. You need proof to show who was at fault and how the crash happened. Several types of evidence are commonly used in these cases:
- Police Reports: These documents include details from the responding officers, such as what they observed at the scene, who they believe was at fault, and whether any traffic laws were violated.
- Witness Statements: Statements from people who saw the crash can support your version of events and provide an unbiased perspective.
- Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs): These are used to track a truck driver’s hours. They can show if the driver was overworked or violated hours-of-service rules, which may indicate fatigue.
- Maintenance Records: These logs reveal how often the truck was inspected and repaired. If a mechanical failure contributed to the crash, poor maintenance could point to negligence.
- Black Box Data: Many trucks have event data recorders that capture important information like speed, brake use, and steering in the moments before the crash. This data helps reconstruct what happened and who was likely at fault.
The Difference Between Truck and Car Accident Claims
Truck accident claims are much more complex than standard car accident cases for several reasons.
First, the injuries and damage are usually more severe. A fully loaded commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which means a collision often results in serious or fatal injuries, even at lower speeds. This increases the medical costs, lost wages, and other damages that need to be covered.
Second, there are often more parties involved. In a car accident, the liable party is usually just one driver. But in a truck crash, responsibility could lie with the truck driver, the trucking company, the maintenance provider, the cargo loading company, or even the manufacturer of a faulty part. Each party may have its own insurance company and legal team, making the case harder to manage.
Third, truck accident cases are affected by federal regulations. The trucking industry must follow strict safety rules set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules cover driving limits, vehicle inspections, licensing, and more. Violations of these rules can be used as evidence of negligence, but proving that requires access to detailed records and a deep understanding of the regulations.
Finally, the legal process for truck accident claims tends to take longer and requires more investigation. Insurance companies may try to delay, deny, or minimize payouts. That is why having an experienced attorney is so important—they know how to handle these challenges and fight for fair compensation.
Steps to Take After a Truck Accident
Knowing what to do after a truck accident can protect your health and your legal rights. Here are the most important steps:
- Call 911 and get medical help immediately: Even if you feel okay, you might have injuries that are not obvious right away. Emergency responders will also create an official report that can support your case later.
- Document the scene: Take clear photos of all vehicles involved, any visible injuries, road conditions, and any skid marks or debris. Try to get names and contact information for any witnesses.
- Do not speak to insurance adjusters without legal advice: Insurance companies often look for ways to avoid paying full compensation. What you say can be used against you. Speak to an attorney before giving any statements.
- Contact a truck accident attorney as soon as possible: An experienced lawyer can start gathering important evidence right away, including truck maintenance logs, black box data, and driver logs. The sooner they get involved, the better your chances of a strong claim.
Injured in a Truck Accident? Get Legal Help That Fights Back
If you were hurt in a crash with a commercial truck, you’re not just dealing with a driver—you’re up against a business, its insurer, and a legal team trained to protect their bottom line.
At Mike Slocumb Law Firm, we’ve taken on trucking companies and their insurers in thousands of complex accident claims. We know how they try to shift blame or downplay your injuries. And we know how to respond—with evidence, strategy, and experience.
We’ll review your case for free and give you clear, honest answers about what to do next. If they owe you compensation, we’ll fight to make sure you get it.
Call us now or contact us online. We’re ready to help you hold them accountable.
Final Thoughts
Commercial truck accidents are serious. The injuries are often life-changing, the legal issues are complicated, and the stakes are high. Knowing how liability is determined, what evidence matters, and how commercial auto insurance works can make a big difference in what happens next.
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, take action. The right legal help can mean the difference between walking away with a denied claim and securing the compensation you deserve.
Reach out to Mike Slocumb Law Firm today. Let us help you move forward.