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Truck Accidents
Truck Accident Lawyer in Arizona
A collision with a commercial truck often means multiple defendants, federal safety regulations, and a trucking company’s insurer working the case within hours. You need representation working just as fast, on your side.
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Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident?
Quick answer: It is often more than just the driver. The trucking company, a cargo loading company, a vehicle maintenance contractor, or even the truck or parts manufacturer can share liability, depending on what caused the crash. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations create additional standards that ordinary drivers do not have to meet, and violating them can support a negligence claim.
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Multiple Potentially Liable Parties
Truck accidents frequently involve more than one at-fault party: the driver, the trucking company (for hiring, training, or scheduling failures), a maintenance contractor, a cargo loading company (for improperly secured loads), or a parts manufacturer for a defective component. Identifying every liable party matters because it can mean multiple insurance policies available to cover your damages.
Awards & Recognition
Founding Partners Michael Tamou and Simon Touma’s personal injury litigation work has been independently recognized, earned, never purchased.
Federal Trucking Regulations Matter
Commercial truck drivers and carriers must follow FMCSA regulations covering hours-of-service limits, vehicle maintenance and inspection, driver qualification, and drug and alcohol testing. A violation of these regulations, driving beyond legal hours, a known maintenance defect, an unqualified driver, can be strong evidence of negligence.
Evidence Disappears Fast
Trucking companies often have insurance investigators and defense counsel at the scene within hours. Electronic logging device (ELD) data, dash cam footage, and black box data can be overwritten or lost if not preserved quickly. A spoliation letter demanding preservation of this evidence should go out as early as possible.
Why These Cases Often Involve Higher Damages
Commercial trucks cause more severe injuries due to their size and weight, and trucking companies typically carry much higher insurance policy limits than individual drivers, often required by federal law to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and significantly more for certain cargo types.
Hurt in a truck accident in Arizona? Talk to our litigation team before you respond.
Call 602-932-6010What You Can Recover
Remedies & Damages
Truck accident injuries are often severe, and multiple liable parties can mean multiple sources of recovery.
Economic Damages
Medical billsPast & future
Lost wages & earning capacityPast & future
Vehicle & property damageRepair/replacement
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and sufferingCase-specific
Permanent disabilityCase-specific
Loss of enjoyment of lifeCase-specific
In Egregious Cases
Punitive damagesReckless hiring, safety violations
Wrongful death damagesIf a fatality occurs
Evidence Preservation Is Time-Sensitive
Trucking companies can lawfully overwrite electronic logs and dash cam footage on a routine schedule. A preservation demand needs to go out immediately after the crash.
How These Disputes Get Resolved
Litigation Strategy
How Trucking Companies Defend These Claims
Independent contractor arguments: claiming the driver was not their employee to avoid liability.
Sudden emergency claims: arguing an unavoidable hazard caused the crash.
Comparative fault claims: shifting blame onto the other driver to reduce payout.
Common Questions
Truck Accident Lawyer in Arizona FAQs
Can I sue the trucking company, not just the driver?
Often yes. Trucking companies can be liable for negligent hiring, training, scheduling, or maintenance, separate from the driver’s own negligence.
What are FMCSA hours-of-service rules?
Federal regulations limiting how long a commercial driver can drive without rest. Violations are strong evidence of negligence in a truck accident claim.
How much insurance do trucking companies carry?
Federal law generally requires a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage for most commercial trucks, and more for certain cargo, which is why these cases can involve substantial damages.
How quickly should I contact a lawyer after a truck accident?
As soon as possible. Electronic logs, dash cam footage, and black box data can be lost or overwritten within days if not preserved.
What if the truck driver was working for a company as an independent contractor?
The trucking company may still be liable depending on the level of control it exercised over the driver, this is a common area of dispute in truck accident cases.
Key Takeaways
- More than one party, driver, carrier, maintenance contractor, cargo loader, may share liability.
- FMCSA regulation violations are strong evidence of negligence.
- Evidence like ELD and dash cam data can be lost quickly without an early preservation demand.
- Higher insurance policy limits mean truck accident cases often involve larger claims than typical car accidents.
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The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this page or submitting a contact form. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
