Truck Accidents | Lawsuits & Legal Assistance (2025)

Potential Defendants in Truck Accident Lawsuits

The trucker is the first person who may be liable in these accidents. If they were in any way negligent, either by being distracted, speeding or driving while fatigued, you may be able to hold them responsible.

The trucking company could also be liable. If the trucker is an employee, the company is responsible for the actions of their workers, so you can begin a claim against them, too.

Additionally, if the truck malfunctioned and that’s what caused the crash, you can pursue a claim against the manufacturer. If a mechanic should have spotted the problem but didn’t, they can be liable, as well.

Causes of Truck Accidents

Beyond the inherent risks due to their size and handling limitations, various factors contribute to accidents involving commercial vehicles. These factors include truck drivers' insufficient training, compensation models encouraging unsafe driving practices, unrealistic schedules leading to fatigue and poor vehicle maintenance, or even inappropriate clothing such as driving without shoes.

Conversely, car drivers can also elevate crash risks through actions such as unsafe lane changes or merges, making inadequately spaced left turns in front of trucks, or failing to maintain visibility around trucks. Additional risks include driving in a truck's blind spots, abrupt lane changes, and not accounting for a truck's longer stopping distance, among others.

Commercial trucks, including big rigs and delivery vehicles, pose significant risks on the roads, necessitating heightened awareness from both truck operators and other drivers. Missteps in driving near these large vehicles can lead to severe accidents, highlighting the importance of understanding and respecting their operational limitations - including maintaining safe distances, avoiding blind spots, and not cruising in the left lane, which is legally reserved for passing in many states.

Common Types of Truck Accidents

Numerous types of truck accidents can cause injuries and lead to personal injury claims. Rear-end collisions are the most common. Because of the size disparity between trucks and passenger vehicles, these accidents can cause crushing injuries.

Trucks require more stopping distance than smaller vehicles, so any trucker who is speeding or distracted can be at fault for these accidents.

Some of the most disastrous types of crashes that can lead to truck accident injuries are rollover collisions. These tend to occur when there are high speeds involved and the truck loses traction. Along with jackknife accidents, these are the ones that cause the most serious losses.

Head-on collisions, too, are common. Truckers who aren’t paying attention to the road and miss one-way street signs can hit oncoming vehicles. The force on impact will be doubled in these crashes because both vehicles are moving forward, so the injuries are typically catastrophic.

How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?

As with other types of personal injury lawsuits, there are statute of limitations requirements that you must respect. These are deadlines that encourage people to file claims as quickly as they can so that the evidence available will be viable and the courts are not overwhelmed with old claims.

Each state has its own timelines for personal injury claims. In Florida, for example, you usually have two years from the date of the accident to begin a claim. In Michigan, however, you may have up to three years.

There are some exceptions to the timeline that could shorten or extend how long you have to file. To make sure that you don’t miss your chance to begin the claim, it’s essential that you quickly hire an attorney.

Get Help After Truck Accidents

This guide looks at scenarios that frequently result in commercial truck accidents. For comprehensive insights into these causes and sage legal advice on whether to file a truck accident lawsuit, reach out to a ConsumerShield truck accident attorney today.