More companies may be involved
After a wreck with a commercial motor vehicle, the company's name on the side of the truck may be only the beginning. The driver may work for a motor carrier. A separate company may own the tractor, trailer, or cargo. Maintenance, loading, leasing, or dispatch decisions may involve others. Each company can have its own records and insurer.
That does not mean every company is responsible. It means the relationships must be identified before the claim can be properly evaluated. Contracts, ownership records, employment information, dispatch records, and insurance policies can help show who controlled the work and who may answer for a decision that caused the wreck.
Justin represents people injured in trucking wrecks across Georgia. You speak with him directly. He examines the facts, explains the issues, and handles the communication with the insurers involved.
Tell Justin about the truck wreck →
Commercial drivers and carriers follow federal rules
Commercial motor vehicles operate under federal safety rules that address subjects such as driver qualifications, hours of service, vehicle inspection, maintenance, and recordkeeping. Many companies do a great job complying with these rules, but some do not.
A violation without more is not conclusive. A violation must be connected to what happened. But the records that are required to be maintained by federal law can help answer many questions. How long had the driver been working? Was the truck inspected? Was a known problem repaired? What did the carrier require before the trip began?
Most trucking claims turn on what records the trucking company maintained or failed to maintain.
Evidence can change or disappear
Commercial motor vehicles generate records that an ordinary passenger car does not. Depending on the vehicle and the event, that may include electronic logging information, vehicle data, inspection and maintenance records, dispatch communications, driver qualification materials, photographs, videos, and cargo documents.
Different records have different retention periods. Vehicles return to service. Repairs are made. Electronic systems continue recording. A written preservation request can identify relevant materials and ask the company to maintain them while the claim is investigated.
The goal is to preserve all evidence related to a wreck. Doing so affords everyone an opportunity to understand what happened and prevent it from happening again.
Several insurers may be asking different questions
A motor carrier, vehicle owner, trailer owner, broker, or other business may have separate insurance. Policies can differ in what they cover, who qualifies as an insured, and how they relate to one another.
Before a settlement can be evaluated, the available coverage and the potentially responsible parties should be identified. That is especially important when one truck injures several people. Multiple competing claims may be presented against the same coverage.
For example, Justin represented a person whose vehicle was among fourteen struck by one tractor trailer. The claim settled for his client at a pre-suit mediation with all parties. The total number of competing claims created the risk that the liability coverage would be insufficient.
Drivers, passengers, and people outside a vehicle
Trucking wrecks often involve more than two vehicles, especially if the wreck occurred on the interstate. A multi-vehicle collision can involve several drivers and passengers, and even pedestrians. Each person's position, injuries, and claim must be evaluated from the facts that apply to that person.
The firm handles trucking claims as part of its statewide motor vehicle practice. The starting point is the same: identify what happened, preserve the evidence, document the injury, and find the coverage. But the investigation is broader because commercial motor vehicles create many more places to look for evidence.
What to bring to the first call
You do not need the trucking company's records before contacting a lawyer. Share the police report number if you have it, photographs, videos, witness information, medical paperwork, insurance correspondence, and any messages from a carrier or company.
Do not guess about details you do not know. A truck may display several business names and numbers. A clear photograph can be more useful than trying to remember which company owned which part.
Justin has represented injured Georgians since 2007. He reads every message sent through the site and calls you back himself. The consultation is free and by phone.