Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck accident cases and car accident cases can both be life-changing but are not the same. Truck accidents involve unique challenges that set them apart:

• The major size disparity between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle often results in catastrophic injury. A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, while the average passenger vehicle weighs only 4,000 pounds.
• Commercial vehicles and their drivers have a much stricter set of laws to follow than other vehicle types. This means that crashes involving commercial vehicles are also more legally complex when it comes to establishing fault and getting compensation.

There’s so much complexity beyond the physical damage caused by truck crashes. These cases require specialized legal help because they often involve multiple insurance policies, federal regulations, and corporate entities. All these factors make them a significantly more complex process than accidents involving other types of vehicles.

Victims should get a thorough medical check-up immediately after a crash to identify and address their injuries. Proper medical attention provides necessary care and officially records the injuries, which is vital for any legal action.

Typical injuries seen in truck accident cases include:

• Head Injuries: These can range from a slight concussion to severe brain damage, affecting your ability to think, move, or control your emotions.
• Spinal Injuries: These injuries can lead to partial or full paralysis, requiring ongoing care and equipment for mobility and daily activities.
• Broken Bones: Breaks can vary in severity but often need a long time to heal, sometimes with the help of surgery or physical therapy.
• Internal Injuries: These are injuries to your organs that can be immediately life-threatening and may lead to long-term health issues.
• Cuts and Burns: These injuries can leave scars and may require surgery to repair. They can also be emotionally traumatic and impact your self-confidence.
• Neck and Back Injuries: Injuries like whiplash or herniated discs can cause ongoing pain and limit your ability to work or enjoy life as before.

Truck accidents are often caused by the carelessness of the driver, their employer, or another involved party. Common causes of these semi-truck crashes include:

• Inadequate Training: Sometimes, truck drivers don’t get enough training before getting behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer, which can lead to serious mistakes.
• Driver Fatigue: Truck drivers often work long hours, making them tired and less alert, increasing the risk of accidents.
• Improperly Secured Loads: If cargo isn’t tied down correctly, it can shift or fall off, resulting in debris on the road.
• Oversized Loads: Trucks carrying too much cargo can be hard to control and might not fit properly on the road or under bridges.
• Poorly Maintained Equipment: When a truck isn’t properly maintained, issues like brake or tire failure can cause accidents. Similarly, manufacturing defects or faulty products can increase the likelihood of a collision on the road.

Truck accident cases often involve multiple liable parties beyond just the driver. Understanding all possible defendants is key to maximizing your compensation:

• Trucking Companies: May be liable for negligent hiring practices, inadequate driver training, or pushing fatigued drivers to exceed their regulatory hours-of-service
• Vehicle Maintenance Providers: Can be held responsible for improper maintenance or inspection failures that lead to mechanical issues
• Parts Manufacturers: May be liable for defective components that contributed to the accident
• Cargo Loading Companies: Can be responsible for not properly securing loads that cause accidents
• Brokers and Shippers: May share liability for setting unrealistic delivery schedules or doing business with unsafe carriers

Every truck accident is dangerous, but how the crash unfolds can affect everything from the severity of the injuries to how fault is assigned. Below are five common types of truck accidents that often lead to serious injury or death:

• Rear-End Collisions: When a truck hits another vehicle from behind, the smaller car usually takes the brunt of the damage. These crashes often involve distracted driving, brake failure, or following too closely.
• Jackknife Accidents: A jackknife happens when a truck’s trailer swings out sideways, forming a sharp angle with the cab. This can block several lanes and trap cars underneath. Sudden braking, slick roads, or shifting cargo are often to blame.
• Underride Accidents: These occur when a car slides under the back or side of a trailer. They are often fatal. Federal law requires rear underride guards, but many trailers lack side protection.
• Tire Blowouts: A blown tire can send debris flying or cause the driver to lose control. Poor tire maintenance, overloading, and manufacturing defects are leading causes.
• Cargo Spills: Unsecured or overloaded freight can shift during transport or fall onto the road. When this happens, it can cause secondary crashes or force other drivers to swerve. In these cases, the loading company, driver, or carrier may be responsible.

Each of these scenarios requires a different approach. At Fieger Law, we investigate the full chain of events, starting from the initial impact to the conditions that led up to it. Our team holds every liable party accountable.

Commercial drivers operate the largest, heaviest vehicles on the road. The law holds them to a higher standard for a reason. When they violate that duty, either through recklessness, carelessness, or outright disregard for safety, people get hurt.

Truck driver negligence is one of the leading causes of crashes in Michigan. Some of the most common behaviors we see in these cases include:

• Texting or using a phone while driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other substances
• Exceeding federal hours-of-service limits, leading to fatigue
• Failing to check blind spots before merging
• Speeding through construction zones or on local roads
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Aggressive driving, including tailgating or weaving through traffic

But negligence doesn’t stop with the driver. In many cases, the trucking company is also at fault. That might mean hiring unqualified drivers, ignoring past safety violations, or pressuring employees to violate rest break rules to meet delivery quotas.

Our legal team reviews driving records, onboard data, phone logs, and company safety policies to determine exactly how the crash happened, and who allowed it to happen in the first place.

Truck crashes are often deadly. When a loved one is killed in a collision involving a commercial vehicle, the impact on the family is immediate and permanent. Beyond the grief, there’s also a real question of accountability. Who caused the crash? What could have been done to prevent it?

At Fieger Law, we help families across Michigan file wrongful death claims after fatal truck accidents. These claims can cover:

• Medical bills from emergency care prior to death
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Lost future income and support
• Loss of companionship, parental guidance, or spousal care
• Mental anguish and emotional trauma
• Additional damages in cases of extreme negligence or corporate misconduct

These are never easy cases. They require quick action, deep investigation, and a legal team willing to push past surface-level explanations. Evidence may be concealed. Responsibility may be denied. Multiple companies may be involved. That’s why families turn to us.

Our attorneys work with crash reconstruction experts, industry specialists, and medical professionals to build a case that holds up in court. We find what went wrong, who’s responsible, and what your family needs to move forward.

If you’ve lost someone in a fatal truck accident and believe the crash could have been prevented, contact our team. We’ll listen. We’ll investigate. And if you have a case, we’ll fight like hell to win it.

Truck accident cases can be complex, especially when they involve multiple parties and states. With many state and federal laws that can often overlap or conflict, knowing who to file your truck accident claim against can be confusing.

Our firm can determine whether negligent hiring, operation, or maintenance practices contributed to your accident. For instance, we can examine hours of service rules and driver’s logs to prove the driver was distracted or fatigued at the time of the accident.

If the collision was due to cargo issues, we can review the cargo securement requirements and compare them to procedures by the trucking company or loaders to identify and prove fault. We can also refer to federal maintenance standards for discrepancies between the truck’s condition and maintenance performed to establish liability.

In the event of a successful lawsuit, survivors of truck accidents may receive compensation to address:

• Medical Expenses: Past, present, and future, encompassing doctor’s visits, medications, surgeries, and rehabilitation
• Wage Losses: Both past and present, along with reduced future earning potential due to disability
• Out-of-Pocket Costs: Including home modifications and assistive technology for disability
• Pain and Suffering: Evaluated by courts based on injury impact and the loss of enjoyment in life
• Exemplary Damages: Awarded in cases of egregious negligence to deter similar actions in the future

Our attorneys have won multi-million-dollar verdicts for truck crash victims. Our list of victories for car accident victims and their families is long, but highlights include two $30 million verdicts, two $15 million verdicts, one $14 million verdict, and many more.

Our lawyers have earned national recognition for their success in the courtroom and trial experience representing victims of trucking accidents. We can find out what caused your accident and help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a confidential, free consultation and begin your recovery.