While people commonly refer to any vehicle collision as a “car accident,” there are significant legal and practical differences between car and truck crashes. Truck accident cases tend to be much more complex due to the severity of injuries, multiple liable parties, higher insurance coverage limits, and federal regulations governing the trucking industry.
Unlike standard car accidents, where fault is typically assigned to individual drivers, truck wrecks often involve trucking companies, cargo loaders, and even vehicle manufacturers. These factors make pursuing compensation in a truck accident case more challenging, often leading to lengthy legal battles.
Why Truck Accidents Cause More Severe Injuries Than Car Crashes
Due to the size and weight of commercial vehicles, truck accidents are more likely to cause serious injuries or fatalities than car crashes. While most passenger vehicles max out at 4,000 pounds, a fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, the legal weight limit in Oregon. This massive weight difference means truck collisions involve greater force, increasing the risk of severe injuries. The height difference also makes crashes more dangerous. Smaller passenger cars can slide under a semi-truck’s trailer in underride accidents, often leading to fatal injuries.
Additionally, trucks take longer to stop and are more challenging to maneuver, making multi-vehicle pileups more likely. If a truck carries hazardous materials, a crash can also result in fires, toxic exposure, or environmental hazards.
Because of these factors, truck accidents tend to be far more destructive, leaving victims with severe, life-altering injuries – or worse.
Understanding Liability in Truck vs. Car Accidents
When considering truck accident liability vs. car accident liability, it’s clear there are more potentially liable parties in truck accidents. This contributes to the greater legal complexities of truck crashes.
Liability for car wrecks is usually pretty straightforward. Fault is most often assigned to one or more drivers based on negligence, such as speeding, texting while driving, or running a red light. On the other hand, commercial trucks are a part of a larger business operation. Multiple parties may be responsible beyond just the driver.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces strict safety rules for commercial trucking, including hours-of-service limits to prevent driver fatigue, mandatory drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance requirements, and cargo securement rules to avoid shifting loads. When anyone involved in the trucking process violates these regulations, they may be found at fault for a resulting truck accident.
Depending on the circumstances of a collision involving a commercial truck, potentially liable parties may include:
- The truck driver may be liable if they were speeding, distracted, impaired, or violating hours-of-service limits. Many times, drivers push themselves further than they should to meet tight deadlines.
- The trucking company may be held liable if it failed to properly train the driver, hired an unqualified trucker, pressured employees to meet unrealistic schedules, or neglected routine vehicle maintenance. Under vicarious liability laws, a company is often also responsible for its drivers’ actions while they are on duty.
- The manufacturer of the truck or its parts may be responsible if a mechanical failure, such as faulty brakes, defective tires, or a steering malfunction, contributed to the crash. If a truck was not properly maintained or inspected, the company responsible for maintenance may also share liability.
- A cargo loader may be at fault if the truck’s cargo was improperly loaded or secured. Unbalanced or shifting cargo can cause a truck to overturn, jackknife, or lose control. If the truck was carrying hazardous materials that spilled or ignited during the crash, the party responsible for loading the cargo could also be liable.
An experienced Portland personal injury lawyer with extensive knowledge of trucking regulations and accident claims can help ensure you identify all liable parties and maximize your financial recovery.
Insurance Differences Between Truck and Car Accidents
In Oregon, drivers must carry minimum insurance coverage of $25,000 for injuries per person, $50,000 for injuries per crash, and $20,000 for property damage. Trucking companies are required to have higher insurance coverage limits, often between $750,000 and $5 million.
These larger insurance policies mean truck accident victims may pursue more significant settlement amounts. However, they may also experience more insurance challenges than in car accident claims. Insurance companies for commercial trucks have legal teams focused on reducing payouts, making it difficult for victims to get the compensation they deserve.
Why Truck Accident Claims Take Longer to Settle Than Car Accidents
Truck accident claims generally take more time due to additional complications, including:
- Multiple liable parties beyond just the driver, such as trucking companies or cargo loaders
- Severe injuries and higher compensation demands, leading insurers to fight harder to reduce payouts
- Extensive investigations involving black box data, driver logs, and compliance with federal trucking regulations
- Corporate insurance defense tactics used to delay claims and dispute liability
- More cases going to court, as trucking companies are more likely to push for litigation rather than settle quickly
Regardless of whether you were injured in a car or truck accident, insurance companies do not have your best interests in mind. A Portland truck injury lawyer can help you fight for the compensation you need to cover medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses.
How an Oregon Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
With these major differences between a truck and car accident, the stakes are objectively higher after a serious truck crash in Oregon. That’s why you need a skilled legal team on your side. At Rizk Law, we fight for truck accident victims using our insider knowledge, aggressive advocacy, and compassionate support. Founding attorney Richard Rizk previously worked for insurance companies, giving us an edge in anticipating their tactics and helping clients maximize their compensation.
We have recovered millions for injured clients, including a recent $900,000 settlement for a client T-boned by a commercial delivery truck. Our legal team builds strong cases using accident reconstruction experts, medical specialists, and financial analysts to prove the financial impact on our clients’ lives. Our supportive staff provides clear communication and guidance throughout the process, and our clients praise our dedication in their heartfelt testimonials, such as this one:
“Richard and the Rizk Law team made the whole process seamless and as easy as possible. I really appreciate how communicative they were and their knowledge of the law was astounding. These guys are the best and I recommend them to anyone.”
If you need an experienced legal advocate to help you fight, contact Rizk Law for a free consultation today.
