Absolutely. The biggest and most obvious difference between semi accidents and car accident is that the impact can be much more severe because of the size and weight of a semi-truck (3,700 pounds of car vs. 80,000+ pounds of truck). The weight of the truck means that it takes a semi-truck longer to stop. The length of stop time combined with the high speed of highway travel can lead to deadly disasters.
Another important difference is that semi-trucks are required to carry greater amounts of insurance coverage, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. For that reason, semi-truck insurance companies will defend their claims aggressively to protect the large amount of money on the line.
Unique Regulations Governing Commercial Trucking Require Unique Legal Experience
Trucking companies also have to abide by safety standards and federal regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation Act requires driver background checks, periodic evaluation of existing employees, regulation of hours driven in a day, drug and alcohol testing, and other strict standards. Violations of these regulations can provide the basis for establishing liability on the part of the company and its driver.
Types of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can be caused by driver negligence, truck malfunction, negligent maintenance of the truck, or a combination of these issues. Again, because of their sheer size, there are many different types of accidents that can result, including:
- Rear-end collisions
- T-Bone/side impact collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Rollover accidents
- No-Zone accidents
For more information about what to do after a truck accident, download our free book, Free Truck Accident Guide Book.
The Bottom Line: Truck Accidents Are Complex
The bottom line is that truck accidents are complicated and far more complex than other auto accidents. The likelihood of severe injury combined with large insurance policies and federal regulations often results in intense legal battles that require an experienced Indianapolis truck accident attorney team. Keller & Keller is recognized as one of the state’s top rated personal injury firms and our attorneys have represented hundreds of semi-truck accident victims. Contact us today for a free analysis of your semi-truck accident claim.