Truck claims run the injury-claim road with commercial machinery bolted on: more defendants, federal evidence, layered coverage, and a defense that starts working the day of the crash. Here’s the sequence as it actually runs.
- 1. Preservation first. ELD hours data, engine and camera records, and driver files can lawfully cycle out in weeks — the spoliation letter is act one.
- 2. Defendant mapping. Driver, carrier, broker, shipper, maintenance contractors, and trailer owners — each a duty-holder, each a policy; multi-party allocation rules apply.
- 3. The regulatory case. FMCSA hours-of-service, maintenance, and qualification rules convert violations into negligence evidence — including the carrier’s DOT-recordable history.
- 4. Coverage layering. Primary, excess, and the MCS-90 backstop — mapped before any settlement talk, because catastrophic damages routinely exceed single layers.
- 5. Valuation at maturity, then resolution. Serious injuries (paralysis cases among them) get life-care-plan valuation; negotiation and, where needed, litigation follow the standard lawsuit stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do truck cases take longer than car cases?
More defendants, more evidence systems, higher stakes — and rushing a layered-coverage case is how catastrophic injuries get single-policy settlements. The timeline serves the value.
What should I do first after a truck crash?
Medical care, then counsel before any carrier contact — the preservation demand for electronic logs and camera footage is the most time-sensitive act in these cases, and the carrier’s rapid-response team is already working.
What does hiring you cost?
No attorney’s fee unless we recover; the contingency percentage and cost handling are in the written fee agreement. Consultations are free.
Hurt in a crash like this? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online — free, confidential consultations, contingency-fee representation.