Legal Differences Between Truck Accidents and Car Accidents 

Although truck and car accidents are similar, they are also very different as well. Below are just a few examples of differences between these types of cases from a legal perspective.

1. Injuries and Damages

Semi-trucks are much larger than the average passenger vehicle. That means that they can also cause much more damage too. The money damages involved in a truck accident case are often much larger as a result.

Truck accidents are much more likely to result in severe, life-altering injuries. That means more medical treatment and more long-term effects that you should consider as part of any settlement or trial.

2. Parties Involved

In a typical car accident, you and the other driver are the only parties involved. In a truck accident, you might need to bring in the driver, the trucking company, anyone who did maintenance on the truck, or anyone who loaded the truck. There is often more than one defendant involved in a trucking accident case.

3. Laws and Regulations

There are different state and federal laws that apply to truck drivers and trucking companies. A violation of some of these laws can result in legal liability. For example, drivers have specific rules about how long they can drive and how often they must take breaks. If those rules are not followed, it could mean that the driver or the trucking company is negligent.

4. Evidence and Investigations

Truck drivers often have unique evidence on their trucks because their semi is tracked as part of their job. This additional evidence can be very helpful to determine facts like when breaks occurred and how fast the truck was traveling before the crash.

Evidence about the cargo and vehicle history records about repairs and maintenance can be very helpful as well. The average passenger vehicle crash does not have all of this additional vital information.

Get Help with Your Truck Accident Case

Truck accidents have significantly more moving parts, making them much more complicated and confusing. If you have been involved in a truck accident, contact our team to walk through your legal options with you.