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Discover how our experienced attorneys at Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, can champion your truck accident case and help you understand the complexity of truck accident claims. With millions of dollars recovered for our clients, we combine extensive legal experience with personalized support.

Contact us today for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we recover for you.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Uncovering the factors that lead to truck accidents requires diligent examination. As dedicated Columbus truck accident attorneys, we investigate every detail to determine liability and secure the compensation you deserve. Some common causes include:

  • Truck drivers exceeding federal hours limits
  • Driver distraction and cell phone use
  • Impaired operators under the influence
  • Negligent trucking companies neglecting vehicle maintenance
  • Improperly secured or shifting cargo
  • Overloaded trucks endangering road safety
  • Reckless truck drivers violating traffic laws
  • Defective trucks or faulty parts
  • Careless or reckless motorists sharing the road
  • Faulty road design or construction
  • Speeding and failure to adjust speed for conditions
  • Improper lane changes without adequate clearance
  • Following too closely, or tailgating
  • Wide-turn accidents involving passenger vehicles in a truck’s blind spot
  • Jackknife accidents caused by sudden braking or slick roads
  • Underride collisions, where a smaller vehicle slides beneath a trailer
  • Tire blowouts from worn, underinflated, or defective tires
  • Brake failures resulting from poor maintenance or overuse on steep grades
  • Poor weather conditions, including rain, ice, and fog
  • Inadequate driver training and qualification

Identifying the Responsible Parties in Truck Accident Cases

When it comes to truck accidents, multiple parties may share liability. At Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, our law firm simplifies the legal process by determining all potential defendants in your case. Parties that could be sued include:

  • Truck driver: As the person in control of the vehicle, the truck driver is typically held liable for the accident.
  • Trucking company: Companies hiring or contracting truck drivers can be liable for various reasons, such as hiring unlicensed drivers or encouraging exhausted driving.
  • Truck part manufacturer: A failed truck part due to defect could make the manufacturer liable for the accident.
  • Product load crew: When cargo mishandling contributes to a crash, the company responsible for the load crew can be sued for compensation.
  • Truck owner: When the owner of the truck is a separate entity from the carrier operating it, that owner may bear independent liability for the vehicle’s condition and fitness for use.
  • Maintenance contractor: Third-party contractors hired to inspect or service commercial trucks can be held responsible when negligent maintenance contributes to a crash.
  • Shipping company: The company that contracted for the shipment may share liability depending on the circumstances of the delivery arrangement.
  • Freight broker (when applicable): Freight brokers who arrange transportation without verifying carrier safety records may face liability in certain cases.
  • Government entities (when applicable): When an unsafe road condition, defective signage, or inadequate design contributed to the crash, the government body responsible for that road may be a proper defendant, subject to applicable notice and filing requirements.

The Differences Between Truck and Car Accidents

Truck accidents differ significantly from car accidents, with distinct characteristics that impact liability, injuries, and damages:

  • Liability: Multiple parties may share liability in a truck accident, complicating the legal process.
  • Injuries: Due to the size disparity between trucks and passenger vehicles, truck accidents often result in more severe injuries.
  • Damages: The larger scale of injuries in truck accidents typically leads to higher claims, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
  • Federal trucking regulations: Unlike ordinary car accident cases, truck accident claims often involve violations of federal safety standards enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These regulations govern driver qualifications, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and cargo securement. Identifying and proving a regulatory violation can be central to establishing liability.
  • Multiple insurance policies: Commercial trucking operations commonly involve several layers of insurance coverage, including the carrier’s primary liability policy, cargo insurance, and umbrella policies. Navigating these overlapping policies requires experience with commercial insurance claims and an understanding of how coverage disputes between insurers can affect your recovery.
  • Corporate investigations: Trucking companies and their insurers typically deploy accident reconstruction specialists and legal teams to the scene quickly. Protecting your interests means acting with equal urgency to preserve evidence and conduct an independent investigation.
  • Greater damages: Because the injuries sustained in commercial truck crashes are often catastrophic, the total value of a claim, including future medical care, lost earning capacity, and long-term disability, is frequently far greater than in a typical car accident case.
  • Evidence preservation: Critical evidence in truck accident cases, such as electronic logging device (ELD) data, onboard camera footage, driver qualification files, and maintenance records, can be overwritten or destroyed quickly. Prompt legal action and formal preservation demands are essential.
  • Commercial insurance coverage: Commercial carriers are required to carry substantially higher liability limits than private motorists. However, insurers representing large trucking companies are experienced at minimizing payouts. Having an experienced lawyer who understands the commercial insurance landscape is critical to securing full compensation.

Why Truck Accidents Often Cause More Serious Injuries

The physical forces involved in a collision between a fully loaded commercial truck and a passenger vehicle are fundamentally different from those in a crash between two cars. Understanding why these accidents are so destructive helps explain why the resulting claims are often so significant.

  • Weight differences: A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds under federal limits, while the average passenger car weighs roughly 4,000 pounds. That weight disparity means the occupants of the smaller vehicle absorb a disproportionate share of the collision forces.
  • Longer stopping distances: A loaded commercial truck traveling at highway speed requires significantly more distance to stop than a passenger vehicle. When a truck driver is fatigued, distracted, or operating with defective brakes, that stopping distance increases further, leaving little margin for avoiding a collision.
  • Greater impact forces: The combination of mass and speed produces impact forces that can overwhelm the safety systems of a passenger vehicle, leading to structural collapse, roof crush, and intrusion into the occupant compartment.
  • Permanent disabilities: Survivors of serious truck accidents frequently sustain traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and other conditions that require ongoing medical care and may permanently limit their ability to work and enjoy daily life. Accurately valuing these long-term losses requires careful analysis and, in many cases, input from medical and vocational experts.

What Should You Do After a Truck Accident?

The steps you take in the hours and days following a truck accident can significantly affect your ability to recover fair compensation. If you are able to do so safely, consider the following:

  • Call 911: Report the accident to law enforcement immediately. A police report creates an official record of the crash and is an important piece of evidence in your case.
  • Obtain medical treatment: Seek evaluation and treatment promptly, even if you do not feel seriously injured. Some injuries, including internal trauma and concussions, may not produce obvious symptoms right away. A documented course of medical care also connects your injuries to the accident.
  • Preserve evidence: Do not discard damaged clothing, vehicle parts, or any other physical evidence from the accident. If your vehicle is towed, ask where it is being taken and avoid authorizing its repair or disposal before an attorney can inspect it.
  • Photograph the scene: If it is safe to do so, photograph the vehicles, road conditions, skid marks, debris, traffic signs, and any visible injuries before the scene is cleared.
  • Avoid recorded insurance statements: Insurance adjusters representing the trucking company or its carrier may contact you quickly and request a recorded statement. You are generally not required to provide one, and doing so before consulting an attorney can harm your claim.
  • Contact an attorney promptly: Time is a critical factor in truck accident cases. Key evidence, including ELD data, dashcam footage, and driver logs, can be lost or overwritten quickly. The sooner you have legal representation from a lawyer, the sooner your attorney can issue formal preservation demands and begin building your case.

How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Ohio?

Ohio law generally imposes a two-year deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit arising from a truck accident, measured from the date of the collision. Missing that deadline can result in losing your right to pursue compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your case may be. Limited exceptions exist in certain circumstances, such as cases involving injured minors, but those exceptions are narrow and should never be assumed to apply without consulting an attorney.

Beyond the filing deadline itself, the practical reality of truck accident litigation makes early action essential. Evidence that could be decisive in your case, such as electronic logging records, onboard camera footage, maintenance histories, and driver qualification files, may be overwritten, lost, or destroyed in the ordinary course of business if a formal legal hold is not issued promptly. The sooner you contact our law office, the sooner we can take steps to protect that evidence on your behalf.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident in Ohio, do not wait. Contact Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, today for a free consultation to discuss your situation and your options.

Experience and Reputation to Protect Your Interests

Trust our dedicated team of Columbus truck accident lawyers to guide you through every step of your case. From skilled negotiation to aggressive litigation, we relentlessly pursue your best interests.

  • Trial readiness: We prepare every case as though it will be decided by a jury. That commitment to thorough preparation strengthens our negotiating position and ensures we are ready to take your case to trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached.
  • Personalized representation: You will work directly with our attorneys, not be passed off to a case manager or paralegal. We take the time to understand your situation, answer your questions, and keep you informed at every stage of your case.
  • Local experience: We are Columbus-based attorneys with deep familiarity with Ohio courts, local judges, and the specific challenges that arise in truck accident cases throughout the state.
  • No fee unless we recover for you: Our law firm handles truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we obtain a recovery on your behalf.
  • Free consultation: We offer a no-obligation consultation so you can understand your rights and options before making any decisions.
  • 24/7 availability: Truck accidents do not happen on a schedule. Our team is available around the clock to take your call and begin evaluating your case.

Contact Ross, Midian & Breitmayer, LLC, today to speak with a Columbus truck accident attorney. We are here to help.

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