Semi-truck crashes are categorically different from car accidents in their physical consequences and legal complexity. An 80,000-pound truck at highway speed produces forces a passenger car simply cannot survive intact. And the legal landscape that follows — multiple potentially liable parties, federal regulations, electronic evidence that gets overwritten — requires a different approach from the first day.
Who can be liable
The truck driver is the starting point. Beyond the driver, the trucking company is vicariously liable for negligence committed in the course of employment. Cargo loading companies are liable if improperly secured freight caused or contributed to the crash. The maintenance company or truck owner is liable for mechanical failures — brake failures, blown tires, steering defects — when inadequate maintenance is the cause. The truck or component manufacturer may be liable in product liability if a design defect was involved. Federal motor carrier regulations (FMCSA rules) impose duties on both drivers and carriers around hours of service, driver qualification, and inspection — violations of those regulations are evidence of negligence.
Evidence must be preserved immediately
Black box data recording speed, brake application, and driver inputs at the time of impact, hours-of-service logs, driver qualification files, inspection and maintenance records, and cargo loading documentation all become critical. Trucking companies have an obligation to preserve this — but that obligation only activates when they receive notice. Preservation letters should go out within the first day or two. Some electronic records get overwritten within 30 days by default.
What a truck accident claim can recover
Medical expenses past and future, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life are all recoverable. Because truck crashes frequently cause catastrophic injuries — spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, amputations — future medical costs are often the largest component of the claim.
The filing deadline
Arizona gives most personal injury victims two years from the accident date (A.R.S. § 12-542). Cases involving government vehicles require a Notice of Claim within 180 days. See our post on the Arizona personal injury statute of limitations.
Our truck accident attorneys handle claims throughout Arizona on a contingency fee basis. No fee unless we win. Call (480) 418-SHER (7437) or reach out online.