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Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer — Fighting for Victims Nationwide.
Cross & York represents people across the United States who have been catastrophically injured in collisions with 18-wheelers and commercial vehicles.
Quick answer
What does a semi-truck accident lawyer do?
A semi-truck accident lawyer preserves evidence such as ECM black-box data, ELD logs, and dashcam footage, identifies every liable party (driver, motor carrier, broker, shipper, or manufacturer), and proves violations of federal FMCSA safety rules. Cross & York handles these cases nationwide on contingency, with no fee unless the case recovers money.
If you've been injured in a semi-truck accident, you need an attorney who handles commercial truck litigation every day — not a general personal injury lawyer. Truck accident cases are governed by federal FMCSA regulations (49 CFR Parts 350–399), and liability is rarely limited to the driver alone. The motor carrier, freight broker, cargo loader, and vehicle manufacturer can all be defendants.
Cross & York focuses exclusively on semi-truck and commercial vehicle accident cases. We move within hours of being retained to preserve black box (ECM) data, electronic logging device records, dashcam footage, and the driver qualification file before the carrier's insurer can destroy them. Call (202) 934-2954 24/7 for a free case review.
Why Truck Accident Cases Require a Specialist Attorney
A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds — 20 to 30 times the mass of a passenger vehicle. The mechanics, the regulations, the evidence, and the insurance coverage all differ from a routine car accident. A general personal injury firm taking truck cases alongside slip-and-falls cannot match the depth of knowledge these cases demand.
Federal FMCSA Regulations — What Trucking Companies Must Follow
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets binding national rules covering driver hours, vehicle maintenance, drug testing, cargo securement, and licensing. Documented violations significantly increase case value and frequently support punitive damages.
Hours of Service Violations
Property-carrying drivers are capped at 11 driving hours within a 14-hour on-duty window, followed by 10 consecutive hours off duty (49 CFR § 395.3). Exceeding these limits is one of the most common — and most provable — FMCSA violations we encounter.
Electronic Logging Device Requirements
Since the 2017 ELD mandate, nearly all commercial vehicles must record duty status automatically. We cross-reference ELD data with fuel receipts, weigh-station scans, toll transponders, GPS pings, and cell-tower data to expose tampering and falsified logs.
Cargo Securement Standards
Carriers must comply with 49 CFR Part 393 Subpart I for cargo securement. Loose loads, unbalanced loads, and overweight loads are recurring causes of rollover, jackknife, and lost-cargo crashes.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Truck Accident?
Unlike a typical car accident, a single semi-truck crash often produces several potentially liable defendants — meaning more insurance coverage available to compensate you.
The Truck Driver
— negligence, fatigue, distraction, intoxication, or untrained operation.The Trucking Company
— negligent hiring, inadequate training, maintenance failures, Hours of Service pressure, retention of a known-dangerous driver.The Freight Broker
— negligent selection of an uninsured or unqualified motor carrier.The Cargo Loader
— improper loading, overloading, or failure to secure freight.The Vehicle Manufacturer
— product liability for defective brakes, tires, steering, or underride guards.
Evidence That Wins Truck Accident Cases
- Black box / ECM data — speed, braking, RPM, and inputs in the minutes before impact. Overwritten in ~30 days.
- ELD / driver log data — proves Hours of Service violations. Held in carrier systems for 6 months.
- Dashcam and surveillance footage — often overwritten within 24–72 hours.
- Driver qualification file — prior violations, training, drug tests, employment history.
- Vehicle maintenance and DOT inspection records — proves the carrier knew about defects.
- Cell phone records — proves distracted driving.
- Toxicology reports — proves drug or alcohol use.
What Compensation Is Available?
Economic Damages
Past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, vehicle and property damage, in-home care costs, and funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death claims.
Non-Economic Damages
Pain and suffering, emotional distress and PTSD, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and impact on family relationships.
Punitive Damages
When the carrier's conduct was especially reckless — knowingly dispatching a fatigued driver, falsifying safety records, or ignoring known mechanical defects — punitive damages may be awarded on top of compensatory damages.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
Nothing upfront. Cross & York works on a contingency fee basis and advances all litigation costs. We collect a fee only when we win your case.
Truck Accident Cases We Handle
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- wrongful death truck accident →
- truck accident cases we handle →
State law sets your filing deadline and fault rule. Find yours on our truck accident lawyer by state pages, or see our major freight-city pages.
Truck accident guides
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accident Cases
- How long do I have to file a semi-truck accident lawsuit?
- The statute of limitations varies by state — typically 2 to 3 years from the date of the accident — but black box (ECM) data, dashcam footage, and electronic driver logs can be destroyed within days. Contact a semi-truck accident lawyer immediately rather than waiting for the deadline.
- Who can be held liable in a semi-truck accident case?
- Liability is rarely limited to the driver. The trucking company can be liable for negligent hiring, training, supervision, and Hours of Service pressure. The freight broker can be liable for selecting an unqualified carrier. The cargo loader can be liable for improper or overloaded loading. The vehicle or parts manufacturer can be liable for defective brakes, tires, or steering components. Cross & York investigates every party in the chain.
- What evidence disappears fastest after a truck crash?
- Black box / ECM data can be overwritten within 30 days. Dashcam footage is typically overwritten within 24–72 hours. ELD driver logs can be deleted after 6 months. Nearby surveillance footage often overwrites automatically within days. We issue litigation holds within hours of being retained.
- What compensation can I receive in a truck accident claim?
- Compensation includes economic damages (past and future medical expenses, lost income, lost earning capacity, property damage), non-economic damages (pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, loss of consortium), and — where the carrier acted with conscious disregard — punitive damages.
- How much does it cost to hire a semi-truck accident lawyer?
- Cross & York works on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs. We advance every cost of litigation — expert witnesses, accident reconstruction, medical records, court fees — and we collect a fee only if we win your case.