Commercial Vehicle
& Truck Accidents
Collisions involving an at fault driver operating a commercial vehicle are legally more complex than car accidents.
When a passenger vehicle or motorcycle is involved in a semi-truck or commercial vehicle collision (i.e. contractor vehicles, commercial delivery vehicles, etc.) the damage inflicted can be significantly more severe than a passenger vehicle collision, due to the weight and mass of the commercial vehicle at speed.
For this reason, commercial vehicles do carry greater and more extensive vehicle insurance coverage to protect the owner of that commercial vehicle, and to insure that owner against the potential liability that arises from the potential for harm that heavy commercial vehicles pose to other vehicles and their occupants in a collision.
When the employee driver of a trucking or other logistics company causes harm to another person while in the operation of a commercial vehicle, there may well be multiple entities other than the driver, that are in whole or in part responsible for the injuries, damages, and losses incurred on the operator of a vehicle by the at fault commercial vehicle driver. There are many potentially liable actors involved in the mix when assigning fault in a commercial vehicle collision. Depending on the shipment of goods there are the shipper, broker, the owner of the semi tractor (cab) and trailer, the driver of the semi-truck, the maintenance shop that maintains and repairs the truck, the warehouse or yard dispatcher, and the retailer or wholesaler that is the receiver of the goods. Each case is different, and the various parties listed herein may or may not share some liability for the collision in whole or in part.
Unlike collisions where both vehicles are passenger vehicles, collisions involving an at fault driver operating a commercial vehicle are significantly more complex from a legal standpoint. Commercial vehicles may be subject to both federal as well as state regulations regarding, vehicle maintenance and safety requirements, logbook records, and hours of operation for both the driver and vehicle, gross vehicle load bearing and weight requirements, vehicle inspections, as well as driver training and licensure.
A fully loaded, 48 or 52 foot long semi-truck trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, that’s 40 tons. A commercial vehicle’s load affects its stopping distance. A fully loaded semi-truck in ideal, perfect weather conditions requires approximately 200 yards (two football fields) to come to a complete stop. In snowy weather or in rainy conditions even more stopping distance is required.
Large commercial insurance policies come with experienced defense counsel armed with esoteric strategies, and more aggressive defense tactics. At Accident Injury Attorneys, we have experience litigating complex trucking and commercial vehicle collisions. Put our specialized knowledge and experience to work for you to maximize your recovery in your trucking or commercial vehicle collision injury case.
