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At this point, you probably have many, many questions about truck accidents. This section answers some of the most common questions about truck accident cases:

Q: How common are truck accidents, compared to automobile accidents?

Car accidents are more than 10 times more likely to occur than large truck accidents.

In 2018, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported there were about 531,000 crashes involving large trucks, defined as trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds. These statistics do not include buses or recreational vehicles (RVs).

In contrast, in 2018 there were 6.73 million motor vehicle accidents nationwide, so there were about 12-13 auto accidents for every large truck crash.

Q: So why are large truck accidents so dangerous?

The U.S. Department of Transportation identifies several aspects of large trucks that make them prone to accidents, including:

Large blind spots
Longer stopping distances—a large truck traveling 65 mph needs two football fields to stop!
Wide turns
Size differences. Large trucks have a higher center of gravity, so they roll over more easily than smaller vehicles. Also, smaller vehicles can be pushed or pulled under a commercial vehicle with high ground clearance, like a large truck.

Q: What should I watch out for when I’m driving around large trucks?

The U.S. Department of Transportation identifies several aspects of large trucks that make them prone to accidents, including:

Q: Where and when do most large truck accidents occur?

Seeing large trucks whiz by on the interstate suggests most large truck accidents happen there, but that isn’t the case. Only about one-quarter of large truck accidents in 2018 happened on interstate highways. So, most crashes occurred on state highways, rural roads or city streets.

The state with the highest percentage of fatal truck crashes is Texas, with 13.5 percent in 2018—a rate nearly double that of the next-highest state, California.

More than three-fourths (77 percent) of all fatal truck crashes occurred during the week; two-thirds of all fatal truck crashes occurred in the daytime.

Q: Do truck drivers have special laws they have to follow?

Yes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has enacted a set of regulations for the trucking industry, found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. States also have their own regulations for large trucks.

Q: What do those special laws look like?

In terms of regulation, for example, truck drivers must have a commercial driver’s license, or CDL. For work hours, drivers are limited to 11 hours consecutively when hauling property, and 14 hours in a day. To help enforce these time rules, large trucks are equipped with Electronic Logging Devices attached to the engine.

Other laws concern drivers’ blood-alcohol limitations—which are more stringent than for “regular” drivers—and properly securing cargo.

Q: If I’m involved in a large truck accident, whom can I sue?

A truck accident often involves more people, and thus more potential liability, than a typical auto accident. For example, a truck accident victim may sue one or more of the following:

the truck driver individually
the owner of the trucking company
the company that provided the driver
the shipper of the truck’s cargo
the truck manufacturer
The truck mechanic
the city or town that controls the roads

Because there are so many potential defendants, and strategic reasons about which ones to sue and on what basis, many victims often turn to a truck accident attorney for help.

Q: If I decide to sue, what can I be compensated for?

You can recover for things including, but not limited to, pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning potential, and property and vehicle damage. There is no comprehensive list—it all depends on the specific facts of your case.

Q: How much can I expect to recover in a lawsuit?

The short answer is, there is no average dollar figure. Each case has different facts and circumstances, not to mention different states, different defendants, and the fact that some cases get settled before trial while others end in jury verdicts.

Some attorneys will tout past jury verdicts their firm has achieved, and those large numbers might look appealing. However, those huge numbers can be misleading. Past results are no guarantee of what will happen in your case. Your attorney will explain the unique aspects of your case and help you understand what to expect.

Q: What other factors can affect my lawsuit?

Keep in mind that in a truck accident lawsuit, time is very important. Truck accidents often result in personal injury lawsuits, which are a type of civil lawsuit.

Every state has a statute of limitations for civil lawsuits, which sets a time limit after which a lawsuit can’t be filed. Most states’ statutes range from 1-6 years, so if you sue after that time, your suit will be barred.

Also, evidence degrades and disappears over time. Memories fail, and details become fuzzy.

Finally, in some states, if you are even 1 percent at fault for an accident, you can’t recover damages for negligence. An attorney can help you understand the laws in your state.

The main thing to remember if you’re involved in a truck accident is, you have to act quickly.

Contact a Truck Accident Attorney Today

If you have been involved in a large truck crash, it’s normal to be disoriented, dazed, and not know what to do. Your safety is most important, so if you need medical attention and you can call 911, do that right away.