What is the Difference Between a Car Accident and a Truck Accident Case?

Accidents involving large commercial trucks are more complicated to resolve than collisions between two cars. Tractor-trailer accidents typically cause more serious injuries. The truck driver and trucking company may have separate liability insurance coverage. Other individuals and businesses such as cargo shippers may have liability in a truck accident. Multiple insurance companies may be responsible for providing compensation.

Attorney Aaron Gartlan and the team at Gartlan Injury Law have more than 20 years of experience handling cases involving car accidents and commercial truck accidents. As an Alabama motor-vehicle accident lawyer, Gartlan Injury Law knows how to seek the full compensation you need after a crash. Call us today or visit our contact page for a free initial consultation to discuss your claim.

Do cars or trucks get into more accidents?

There are many more car accidents than truck accidents in Alabama, mainly because significantly more cars are on the roads. According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, there were 153,510 passenger cars involved in accidents in 2018, along with 115,784 pickups and SUVs.

Together, these vehicles accounted for almost 91 percent of all the vehicles involved in crashes that year. By comparison, there were 10,982 large trucks involved in crashes in 2018, representing only 3.7 of all vehicles involved in accidents.

What are the main differences between a car and truck accident case?

Here are a few of the key differences between truck accident cases and car accident cases:

• Truck accidents tend to involve more severe injuries — A typical passenger car weighs around 2,000-4,000 pounds, while a pickup or SUV weighs approximately 5,000-6,000 pounds. By contrast, a semi-truck with a trailer weighs approximately 30,000 pounds when the trailer is empty and may weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds if the trailer is loaded. Tractor-trailers sit higher off the ground than most passenger vehicles. This size and weight difference means that a collision involving a large truck and a smaller passenger vehicle may result in severe or fatal injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicle.
• Truck accident claims tend to be more expensive — More severe injuries mean costly medical bills, as well as more time away from work. Many truck accident injuries are disabling and may prevent someone from working at all after the crash. Trucks also tend to cause more property damage in an accident. Together, these factors can substantially increase the value of a personal injury claim.
• There are more potentially liable parties in a truck accident — In a typical car accident claim, the only parties you can sue are the drivers of the other vehicles involved in the accident. Truck drivers are often partly liable for an accident, but there may be other liable parties as well. Trucking companies are responsible for the actions of their drivers in some cases. A maintenance company may be liable if it failed to fulfill its contractual obligations to properly maintain the truck. The truck’s manufacturer may also be partly liable for a crash if a mechanical defect contributed to the accident.
• Different types of evidence — There are certain types of evidence in truck accident claims that simply aren’t available in car accident cases. This includes the truck driver’s logs, maintenance logs, toll receipts, and trucking company records. Finding and sorting all through this evidence can take a lot of time compared to the average car accident claim.

Who can be sued in a truck accident case?

Various parties could potentially be liable for a truck accident. They include:

• The truck driver — In many truck accident claims, the responsibility for the crash lies with the commercial truck driver. Truck drivers are responsible for following federal and state regulations, making sure their vehicles are properly maintained, and getting their cargo to its destination safely. If a truck driver speeds or follows too closely and causes an accident, the driver may be held liable for their negligence.
• The trucking company — Trucking companies have a responsibility to hire, train, and supervise their drivers. If they fail in this duty, or if they do not adequately maintain their vehicle, the company may be liable for an accident.
• The truck’s manufacturer — Trucks are big, heavy vehicles that rely on thousands of moving parts. Even a seemingly trivial mechanical defect can severely affect a truck’s performance and handling. These defects can cause a crash, and truck manufacturers can be liable for design or manufacturing defects.
• Maintenance workers — Commercial trucks require regular maintenance. Some trucking companies contract the maintenance to garages that specialize in fleet maintenance. If the maintenance guidelines are disregarded or maintenance is deferred, parts may wear out or break and cause a crash. maintenance workers can be held liable.
• Cargo loaders — A truck’s cargo should be loaded and secured correctly. Otherwise, the cargo could fall from the truck or shift during transit, causing an accident. Cargo loaders could be held liable if their negligence contributes to an accident.

Who can be sued in a car accident case?

There are usually fewer potentially liable parties in a car accident case than in a truck accident case. Those most commonly identified as liable include:

• The other driver — Drivers who drink, use drugs, drive while fatigued, engage in distracted driving, or are otherwise negligent can be held liable for an accident.
• Vehicle manufacturers — Design or manufacturing defects can make passenger cars unsafe, and the manufacturer can be held liable in these instances. These are complex product liability cases that often involve harm to hundreds or thousands of consumers.
• Local governments — Local governments are responsible for maintaining roads in their jurisdiction. If the roads aren’t properly maintained, or if an adequate warning isn’t given about potential roadway hazards such as a road construction zone, the governments may be held liable for a car accident.

What should you do if you are in a motor vehicle accident?

Here are the key steps to take if you are ever involved in a motor vehicle accident:

• Call 911 and seek immediate medical attention
• Document the scene as best you can by taking photos and getting contact information for eyewitnesses
• Follow your doctor’s instructions
• Don’t talk to any insurance companies until you’ve spoken to a personal injury lawyer
• Refrain from posting any comments on social media
• Talk to an attorney as soon as possible

Contact an Alabama Motor Vehicle Accident Injury Lawyer Today

If you’ve been injured in a collision in Dothan or anywhere in South Alabama, contact Gartlan Injury Law right away for help. Attorney Aaron Gartlan has extensive experience handling car and truck accident cases. Gartlan Injury Law will be ready to stand up for you. Reach out to us today for a free consultation to discuss your crash.

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Aaron Gartlan

Aaron Gartlan is a graduate of Troy University and the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law who focuses his practice exclusively on representing those injured by the wrongdoing of others. He is member of the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition to his legal practice, Aaron teaches Business Law as an adjunct instructor at Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business and serves as a field artillery sergeant in the Alabama National Guard.