5 Examples of Commercial Truck Accidents Being More Complex Than Car Accidents

If you have experienced the aftermath of a car accident, you understand that a legal case can get complex quickly. From a lack of physical evidence to confusing insurance jargon, you can get bogged down in a car accident case for months on end. Although car accident cases often turn into complicated legal messes, they do not compare in complexity to the complex issues that arise from a commercial truck accident case.

Why Are Commercial Truck Accidents More Complex Than Car Accidents?

Accidents involving commercial trucks represent some of the most devastating accidents that occur on American roads and highways. Victims of a commercial truck accident frequently develop severe, even life-threatening injuries as a result of colliding with a massively sized commercial truck. In addition, truck accident insurance claims typically introduce many more complex factors than the insurance claims filed for other types of motor vehicle accidents.

Damages and Injuries

The sheer size and weight of a commercial truck cause more property damages and serious injuries than any other type of auto accident. Determining the extent of property damage and serious injuries requires a much more thorough investigation that introduces complex legal and insurance issues.

The more serious the injuries and the higher the value of property damages, the more complex the commercial truck accident case.

Liability

Liability boils down to ownership, which varies among the drivers of commercial trucks. Although most truck drivers are considered owners/operators of their vehicles, a substantial percentage of commercial truck drivers operate big rigs that are owned by a company. Legal and insurance issues concerning liability become even more complex if a truck driver operates an 18-wheeler to haul loads for another party.

Since ownership is often difficult to ascertain, a truck accident case can create issues that make it difficult to determine the liable party. Liability also is problematic because the type of cargo can make a truck driver not liable for causing a collision.

Laws and Regulations

Truck drivers must follow more laws and regulations than the average driver. For example, truck drivers cannot operate a big rig for more than a certain number of hours a day. A truck driver who exceeds the maximum number of operating hours and then causes a commercial truck accident might be guilty of operating a commercial truck while fatigued.

Due to a large number of laws and regulations, discovering fault in a commercial truck accident case generates several complex legal and insurance issues.

State Laws

Although the United States Department of Transportation issues the regulations for operating a commercial truck, each of the 50 states has implemented laws that vary in the types and strength of regulations. The actions taken by a commercial truck driver in one state might produce different legal and insurance ramifications for the same actions taken in another state.

Truck Data

Many truck drivers carry a black box that records a wide variety of data, such as the different speeds traveled throughout the day. The data recovered from a truck’s black box helps investigators determine the cause of a commercial truck crash. However, any discrepancies between the data recovered from a black box and the physical evidence gathered at the scene can turn a relatively easy commercial truck accident case into a difficult case to resolve.