Truck Accident Lawyer — IA
Iowa Truck Accident Lawyer.
Catastrophically injured in a semi-truck or 18-wheeler crash in Iowa? Cross & York represents victims under Iowa's modified comparative (51% bar) rule. No fee unless we win.
Quick answer
How long do you have to file a truck accident claim in Iowa?
In Iowa, most truck accident injury claims must be filed within 2 years of the crash, and wrongful death claims within 2 years. Iowa follows a modified comparative (51% bar) rule, which controls how shared fault reduces compensation. Exceptions apply, and evidence such as ELD logs and ECM data can disappear far sooner, so act early.
Cross & York represents people across Iowa who have been catastrophically injured in collisions with tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, and commercial vehicles. I-80 across Iowa is a primary east-west freight artery linking the Midwest to the West Coast and is regularly hit by severe weather affecting commercial drivers. We pursue every responsible party — the driver, the motor carrier, the trailer owner, the shipper, and the maintenance provider — to recover the full value of medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and where the conduct is reckless, punitive damages.
Statute of Limitations
2 years
2 years wrongful death
Fault Rule
Modified Comparative (51% bar)
Damages Cap
Noneconomic damages capped in some cases (recent tort reform).
How Iowa's laws shape your truck accident case
Recovery is barred if you are more than 50% at fault. That single rule does more to determine the value of a Iowa truck accident case than any other variable except the severity of injury. Carriers and their insurers know it — and they exploit it.
We frequently see defense lawyers try to push fault percentages onto injured drivers — alleging the victim was speeding, distracted, or following too closely — because shifting even a few percentage points can dramatically change the value of the case in Iowa.
Iowa's major freight corridors
I-80 across Iowa is a primary east-west freight artery linking the Midwest to the West Coast and is regularly hit by severe weather affecting commercial drivers. Most catastrophic crashes we see in Iowa happen on these high-volume routes:
What every Iowa truck accident victim should do first
- Get full medical care. Hospital, not urgent care. Many serious truck-crash injuries (brain, spinal, internal) do not present symptoms for 24–48 hours.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company — including your own — before talking to a lawyer.
- Preserve evidence. Photographs of the truck, DOT/MC numbers, the scene, your injuries, and your clothes.
- Call a truck-injury lawyer within days, not weeks. A spoliation letter has to reach the carrier before ELD logs, ECM data and dashcam footage are gone.
Truck crash types we handle in Iowa
- 18-wheeler accidents
- Jackknife truck accidents
- Truck driver fatigue crashes
- Underride accidents
- Brake failure truck accidents
- Truck accident wrongful death
Frequently asked questions — Iowa
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Iowa?
Iowa generally requires personal injury claims to be filed within 2 years of the crash, with a 2-year deadline for wrongful death. Exceptions exist for minors, government defendants, and the discovery rule. Acting fast preserves evidence — ELD logs and dashcam footage often disappear within months.
What is Iowa's comparative-fault rule?
Recovery is barred if you are more than 50% at fault.
Are damages capped in Iowa truck accident cases?
Noneconomic damages capped in some cases (recent tort reform).
Does Cross & York handle Iowa truck accident cases?
Yes. Cross & York represents catastrophically injured truck accident victims throughout Iowa and nationwide, working with local counsel where required by state bar rules. There is no fee unless we win.
What evidence matters most in a Iowa truck accident case?
The single most important early step is preserving ELD (electronic logging device) data, ECM "black box" recordings, dashcam footage, dispatch records, and the driver qualification file. A spoliation letter from your attorney puts the carrier on legal notice that this evidence must be retained.
Free Case Review — 24/7
Iowa truck accident? Call now.
You have 2 years in Iowa — but evidence disappears within weeks. Talk to a truck-injury lawyer today.