Truck accidents are more complex than other types of motor vehicle accidents due to the severity of the injuries they cause, the multiple liable parties, and the role state and federal trucking regulations play in determining fault. However, an experienced and knowledgeable truck accident lawyer can help you seek compensation for severe injuries if you were in a collision with a commercial vehicle.
Contact Maring Williams Law Office for a free consultation with a highly qualified and compassionate member of our legal team. We’ll treat you like an individual, not a case number, and make sure you leave your initial consultation feeling confident that our firm is the right choice to handle your case.
Premises liability is a subset of personal injury law that deals with injuries caused by property hazards. Premises liability lawsuits hold property owners and managers financially liable for harm caused by these hazards if they knew or should have known about them and didn’t take reasonable steps to remedy them.
For example, an apartment complex owner could be liable if a tenant or guest falls in a poorly lit stairwell, and a store owner could be liable if a customer slips and falls on a wet floor. However, you must provide evidence that the owner or manager acted unreasonably.
Many types of truck accidents may have caused your injuries. Understanding what type of accident you were involved in is essential for determining the parties that could be liable:
These accidents can have many causes, which are also important for determining liability. Some of the most common truck accident causes include:
Identifying the liable parties after a truck accident is vital for maximizing your compensation. The more liable parties your lawyers identify, the more compensation you may be able to recover, as insurance policy limits will have less of an impact. Parties commonly found liable are:
Our personal injury lawyers gather various types of evidence to prove fault in truck accident cases. This evidence may include:
One of the most important aspects of a truck accident case is determining how state and federal trucking regulations apply. If we can prove the at-fault parties violated these regulations, it can make demonstrating liability for your injuries easier.
Federal Trucking Regulations
Two of the primary federal trucking regulations that may apply to your case are the hours-of-service and cargo securement regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The hours-of-service regulations limit how long truck drivers can be on the road at a time. These regulations serve to prevent drivers from becoming fatigued, which can reduce their ability to react to road hazards and increase their chances of falling asleep behind the wheel.
The cargo securement regulations dictate the types and number of tiedowns required for different kinds of cargo. When cargo isn’t secured properly, it can shift in transit, causing rollover accidents, or fall from the back of flatbed trailers.
State Trucking Regulations
Each state has its own set of trucking regulations for things like maximum vehicle weight, width, length, and height. There are also exceptions to these regulations, for which truck drivers and trucking companies can obtain permits, such as wide or oversized loads.
Trucks exceeding the maximum allowable dimensions are more likely to collide with other vehicles. And trucks exceeding the maximum weight limits may be more likely to get into rear-end collisions due to brake failure.
The compensation available after a truck accident is also known as damages. You can seek damages for your losses, which are the negative consequences of your injuries, including:
To maximize the compensation you could receive for these losses, it’s crucial that you work with a knowledgeable and caring truck accident lawyer. Calculating the value of these losses can be challenging, especially for things with intangible value, like pain and suffering. However, lawyers have extensive experience calculating compensation, and they’ll work with you to determine a fair value you feel good about.
The time limit for filing a truck accident lawsuit depends on the state where the collision occurred. If the accident happened in North Dakota or Minnesota, you have six years to file lawsuits against the parties responsible for your injuries. However, if it happened in Montana, you only have three years to file lawsuits. The time limit may be shorter if the accident results in a death.
Our truck accident lawyers can file your lawsuit before the deadline, preserving your right to seek the compensation you need through the legal system.
If you were injured in a truck accident in North Dakota, eastern Montana, or northwestern Minnesota, contact Maring Williams Law Office for a free consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer. During your initial consultation, one of our lawyers will review your case and walk you through your options for seeking compensation. We’ll then answer your questions and make sure you understand the next steps in your case.
Trucking accidents involve a complex web of federal and state regulations overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Unlike standard car crashes, a truck accident lawyer must investigate specialized evidence like Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data, driver qualification files, and trucking company maintenance records to prove negligence.
Liability in trucking accidents often extends beyond just the driver. Depending on the cause of the crash, our legal team may pursue compensation from:
Most commercial trucks are equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR), often called a “black box.” This device records critical data at the time of impact, including the truck’s speed, steering input, and whether the driver applied the brakes. Because this data can be overwritten or destroyed, it is vital to have a truck accident lawyer send a spoliation letter immediately to preserve this evidence.
The “statute of limitations” varies significantly by state:
Our region is a major corridor for international freight, and collisions with Canadian carriers involve unique insurance and jurisdictional hurdles. Maring Williams Law Office has extensive experience navigating these cross-border trucking claims, ensuring that foreign insurance complexities do not prevent you from seeking full and fair compensation.
