Truck & 18-Wheeler Accidents

The heaviest trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times as much as a passenger car1, so the people in the smaller vehicle usually take the worst of a collision. Trucking is also a regulated business. Carriers and drivers may have to follow federal rules on driving hours, logbooks, vehicle inspections, cargo and insurance, and those rules create records that can help show what happened. A rule broken is not, on its own, proof that it caused a crash. A truck accident attorney looks at the whole picture: the driving, the truck, the company behind it and the evidence that ties them to your injuries.

How truck and 18-wheeler crashes happen

IIHS counts as a large truck anything with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds, from delivery box trucks to 18-wheelers. In 2024, 5,340 people died in crashes involving large trucks in the United States, and 62% of them were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles1. Another 19% were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists1. Crashes take many forms, including:

• Wide right turns, where a car or cyclist ends up beside the trailer as it swings into the turn
• Left turns across traffic, where a long rig cannot clear the intersection in time
• Underride crashes, where a smaller vehicle slides under the rear or side of a trailer
• Rear-end collisions, where a heavy truck cannot stop in the distance left
• Rollovers on ramps, curves or during sudden steering
• Cargo events, such as a shifting load, a spill or objects falling onto the road
• Jackknife and lane-change crashes on highways and in work zones

The physics explain part of why these crashes are so serious. Loaded tractor-trailers need 20% to 40% more distance than cars to stop, and the gap grows on wet roads or with poorly maintained brakes1. Trucks also sit higher off the ground, which can let a smaller vehicle underride the trailer1. Rollovers are a risk for the truck driver too: 47% of large truck occupant deaths in 2024 happened in crashes where the truck rolled over1.

Injuries in commercial truck collisions

In two-vehicle crashes between a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2024, 96% of the occupants who died were in the passenger vehicle1. People who survive may face long recovery. Injuries often include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Multiple fractures
• Internal injuries
• Burns from fire or fuel
• Neck and back injuries

MedlinePlus lists motor vehicle crashes as the most common cause of closed head injuries in young adults, and says anyone with a head injury that may have caused brain damage should get medical care as soon as possible14. More severe brain injury can lead to serious physical and psychological symptoms14. Our pages on traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury and paralysis cover those injuries in more depth. When a crash takes a life, the family's options are described on our wrongful death page.

Questions a truck accident lawyer asks about the crash

Truck crashes can come from many causes, and more than one can be present. None of these should be assumed. Each needs evidence:

• Driver conduct: speed, following distance, distraction, impairment or an unsafe turn
• Fatigue: whether the driver was within allowed hours and fit to drive
• Maintenance: whether brakes, tires, lights and steering were inspected and repaired
• Loading: whether cargo was secured and balanced so it would not shift
• Hiring and training: whether the carrier checked the driver's record and qualifications
• Vehicle or part defects: whether a component failed because of how it was designed or made
• Road and work zone conditions that may have played a part

Arizona uses comparative fault. If a jury finds the injured person partly at fault, the damages are reduced by that share, but the claim is not barred13. Other states use different rules, and some bar recovery once a person's share of fault reaches a set level.

Federal trucking rules and how they apply

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations apply to employers, employees and commercial motor vehicles that carry property or passengers in interstate commerce2. For these rules, a commercial motor vehicle includes a vehicle with a gross weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, and certain passenger and hazardous materials vehicles2. Whether a rule applies to a given crash depends on the vehicle, the cargo, the type of operation and whether the trip crossed state lines. For trucks that stay within one state, state rules matter too. In Arizona, the Department of Transportation adopts motor carrier safety rules and the Department of Public Safety enforces them15.

Key federal rules (as of October 2026)

Hours of service

Property-carrying drivers generally may drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window after 10 hours off duty, must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and face 60-hour and 70-hour weekly limits3.

Fatigue

A driver may not operate, and a carrier may not require or permit a driver to operate, while alertness is impaired by fatigue or illness in a way that makes driving unsafe6.

Electronic logging devices

Carriers covered by the hours rules generally must use ELDs to record duty status, with exceptions such as drivers who keep logs on no more than 8 days in 30 and trucks built before model year 20003. Some short-haul drivers within 150 air miles use time records instead3.

Inspection and maintenance

Carriers must systematically inspect, repair and maintain the vehicles they control, and each commercial motor vehicle must pass a periodic inspection at least once every 12 months4.

Cargo securement

Cargo must be secured to prevent it from spilling or falling and from shifting in a way that affects the truck's stability or handling7.

Insurance minimums

Federal minimum financial responsibility starts at $750,000 for for-hire interstate carriers of general freight and rises to $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for certain hazardous materials5.

These are federal minimums for specific types of carriers, not a promise of the coverage behind any truck. The insurance rules in Part 387 apply to for-hire carriers hauling property across state lines and to carriers of hazardous materials, and they generally exclude vehicles under 10,001 pounds5. A private fleet, a local delivery truck or a rental box truck may be under different requirements. The policies in force are a matter of evidence.

The rules also change over time. FMCSA has also described two upcoming pilot programs, and in 2026 it sought drivers to help test their design. They would let participating drivers use more flexible sleeper-berth splits and pause the 14-hour window for a break of up to 3 hours9. Any review checks the rule that was in effect on the date of the crash.

Who may be responsible for a truck crash

Trucking involves many businesses, and responsibility depends on what the evidence shows. Possible parties include:

• The truck driver
• The motor carrier that operated the truck or employed the driver
• The owner or lessor of the tractor or trailer, if different
• A maintenance or repair shop that worked on the brakes, tires or other systems
• A shipper or loader responsible for how cargo was packed or secured
• A manufacturer of the truck, trailer or a failed part
• Another motorist whose actions set off the crash
• A public agency, in limited cases involving road design or work zones

Every truck crash claim should rest on what the records and the physical evidence show, not on assumptions about the size of the truck or the company.

Evidence in a truck accident lawsuit

Trucking companies generate records that ordinary drivers do not, but many are kept only for a limited time. Carriers must keep duty status records and supporting documents for at least 6 months3. Maintenance records must be kept for 1 year, and for 6 months after a vehicle leaves the carrier's control4. Carriers must also keep a qualification file for each driver, including the application, motor vehicle records, road test certificate and medical certificate8. A prompt written request to preserve evidence can help keep records from being lost.

Not every truck records the same data. Federal rules on event data recorders apply only to lighter vehicles of 8,500 pounds or less that are equipped with one10. A heavy truck may have engine control data, telematics, GPS tracking or cameras, or it may have little of that. What exists depends on the make, model, year and the carrier's own systems.

Records that may matter

Driver and hours

• ELD data or paper logs and supporting documents
• Dispatch messages, delivery schedules and trip records
• Driver qualification file and training records
• Phone records, if distraction is in question

Truck and cargo

• Inspection, repair and maintenance records
• Driver vehicle inspection reports
• Engine, telematics or camera data, if the truck has it
• Bills of lading, load and weight records

Scene and injuries

• Police crash report and any commercial vehicle inspection
• Photos, video and witness contact details
• Crash reconstruction measurements and analysis
• Medical records, bills and proof of lost income

Crash reconstruction pulls these pieces together. Specialists may use scene measurements, vehicle damage, data downloads and video to estimate speeds, positions and timing. Their work is only as good as the evidence that survives, which is another reason to move early.

When to call a truck accident attorney

A legal review may help if someone was seriously injured or killed, if the carrier's insurer contacts you quickly, or if you are unsure who owned and operated the truck. A claim review usually looks at:

• The truck's company name and USDOT number, if you have them
• Whether the trip was interstate or local, and what the truck was carrying
• Which records exist and whether preservation requests have been sent
• How the crash happened, from the evidence rather than labels
• Your injuries, treatment and how daily life has changed
• Every insurance policy that might apply, including your own
• Which state's law governs and how much time remains

Many of the steps overlap with a car accident claim, but the number of parties and records makes truck cases more involved. For an overview of the injury claims we review, see our Arizona personal injury page.

Filing deadlines for a truck accident claim in Arizona

In Arizona, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years after the claim accrues, and wrongful death claims within two years of the death11. If a public entity or public employee may share responsibility, such as a city truck or a dangerous road, a notice of claim generally must be filed within 180 days, with a specific settlement amount and supporting facts12. Missing that notice can bar the claim12.

Truck crashes often cross state lines, and other states set different deadlines, notice rules and exceptions. The state where the crash happened, where the carrier is based and where a lawsuit is filed can all affect the answer. Asking early protects your options and the evidence.

Tell Us Your Story →

What happens after you contact CBW Law

How a review works

1. You tell us what happened

   Share the date, the place and what you know about the truck and the company. Photos and the crash report number help.

2. We identify the carrier and records

   We look up the carrier and work out which records may exist, then consider whether preservation requests should go out.

3. We review the evidence

   With your permission, we gather the crash report, medical records and available vehicle and driver records.

4. We tell you what we found

   We explain whether we see a claim we can help with, who may be responsible and which deadlines apply.

Plain English

Medical, Health & Insurance

Truck crash claims bring together medical records, trucking terms and insurance language. These are some you may see.

Injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Sudden damage to the brain from a blow, bump or jolt to the head, or from an object entering the skull14.

Glasgow coma scale

A tool doctors may use to judge how severe a brain injury is14.

Trucking terms

Commercial motor vehicle (CMV)

Under federal rules, includes interstate vehicles rated at 10,001 pounds or more, and certain passenger and hazardous materials vehicles2.

Electronic logging device (ELD)

A device that records a driver's duty status, required for many carriers under the hours of service rules3.

Record of duty status

A driver's log showing off duty, sleeper berth, driving and on-duty time for each day3.

Driver vehicle inspection report

A written report a driver prepares listing defects found in brakes, tires, lights, steering and other parts4.

Underride

When a smaller vehicle slides under the body of a truck or trailer1.

Rear impact guard

A bar across the back of many trailers and semitrailers; federal rules set its height and width7.

Insurance and legal terms

Minimum financial responsibility

The minimum liability insurance or bond certain motor carriers must keep under federal rules5.

Comparative fault

Arizona's rule that reduces damages by the injured person's share of fault without barring the claim13.

Preservation letter

A written request asking a company to keep evidence, such as logs and data, that may matter to a claim.

Notice of claim

A written claim that must be filed with an Arizona public entity within 180 days12.

Questions

Frequently asked truck accident questions

Short answers to questions people ask after a crash with a commercial truck.

Is a truck accident claim different from a car accident claim?

The basic negligence questions are the same, but truck cases often involve more parties and more records. Federal rules on hours, logbooks, maintenance and insurance may apply, depending on the vehicle and the operation2. Those rules can produce evidence that a car crash would not.

If the truck driver broke a federal rule, does that prove the case?

No. A violation can be important evidence, but it does not automatically establish civil liability. The question is whether the violation, or other careless conduct, actually caused the crash and the injuries. That depends on the evidence and the law that applies.

How many hours can a truck driver legally drive?

For property-carrying drivers covered by the federal rules, the general limit is 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window after 10 hours off duty, with a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving3. Exceptions exist, and FMCSA has described upcoming pilot programs that would test more flexible schedules for participating drivers9.

Do all trucks have a black box?

Not necessarily. Federal event data recorder rules cover only lighter vehicles of 8,500 pounds or less that have a recorder10. Many heavy trucks have engine, telematics or camera systems, but what is recorded varies by truck and carrier. A lawyer can find out what data exists and ask that it be kept.

Who can be held responsible besides the driver?

Depending on the facts, the motor carrier, the owner of the truck or trailer, a maintenance shop, a cargo loader, a manufacturer or another motorist may share responsibility. No party is responsible just because it is connected to the truck. The evidence has to show how each one's conduct contributed.

How much insurance does a trucking company have to carry?

It depends on the carrier and the cargo. Federal minimums start at $750,000 for for-hire interstate carriers of general freight and are higher for some hazardous materials5. Those minimums do not apply to every truck, and actual policies may differ. The coverage in your case has to be confirmed.

How long does a trucking company keep driver logs?

Under federal rules, carriers must keep records of duty status and supporting documents for at least 6 months3. Maintenance records have their own retention period4. Because these windows are short, sending a preservation request early can matter. Other data, such as camera footage or telematics, may follow the carrier's own retention settings.

What if I was partly at fault for the truck crash?

In Arizona, your damages would be reduced by your share of fault, but the claim would not be barred13. Other states use different rules. Fault is decided on the evidence, not on an insurer's first impression, and a truck driver's statement at the scene is only one piece of that evidence.

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Arizona?

Most personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in Arizona must be filed within two years11. A claim involving a public entity needs a notice of claim within 180 days12. Other states have different deadlines, so it is best to ask early.

Should I talk to the trucking company's insurer?

You can, but be careful. The insurer represents the carrier, and early statements can be used in ways you do not expect. It often helps to speak with a truck accident lawyer first so you know which questions you must answer and which can wait.

Tell Us Your Story

Truck crashes are serious, and the rules and records behind them can help show what happened, but only if they are found and kept in time. Responsibility depends on the evidence, not on the size of the truck.

If you or someone close to you was hurt in a crash with a commercial truck, tell us what happened. We will listen, look at the facts with you and explain what a claim review could involve.

Tell Us Your Story →Call (800) 476-2416

This page is general information about truck and 18-wheeler accidents. It is not legal or medical advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. An accident, an injury or a loss does not, by itself, establish that anyone was negligent or legally responsible, and the law differs from state to state. No outcome can be promised in any case.