Why Truck Accident Cases Are More Complex Than Regular Car Accident Claims
July 2, 2025
Not all vehicle accidents are treated the same. For example, being injured in a car accident is not the same as being injured in a truck accident. This distinction becomes particularly evident in New Jersey, a heavily trafficked state that plays a vital role in the Eastern Seaboard’s commercial transportation network.
While both types of accidents can lead to significant injuries, property damage, and legal claims, truck accidents often result in more serious injuries and involve additional layers of intricacy. The reasons stem from a combination of legal, regulatory, logistical, and evidentiary factors that distinguish these cases.
Understanding the key elements that contribute to the intricacies of truck accidents is crucial for those involved in these accident claims. At Perrotta, Fraser & Forrester, LLC in Clark, New Jersey, we aim to help you move forward with confidence and support after an accident. In this blog, we’ll discuss the reasons truck accident cases are more intricate than car accident claims.
Severity of Injuries and Damages
One of the first and most obvious reasons truck accident cases are more complex is the severity of injuries involved. Commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. In contrast, the average passenger car weighs around 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. The sheer size and weight difference create devastating impacts during collisions.
Higher Medical Costs
Due to the potential for catastrophic injuries, truck accident victims often require extended medical care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and long-term therapy. The resulting medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering lead to claims involving significantly higher damages than most car accident cases typically do.
Wrongful Death Claims
Truck accidents are also more likely to result in fatalities. When this happens, the case becomes a wrongful death claim, which introduces more legal steps and potential compensation categories, such as loss of companionship, future earnings, and funeral expenses.
Consequently, the heightened severity of injuries and potential for fatalities in truck accidents contribute significantly to the increased intricacies of these legal cases compared to those involving passenger vehicles.
Increased Liability Issues
Determining liability in a car accident typically involves the drivers and their respective insurance companies. In a truck accident, the potential responsible parties can multiply quickly. In New Jersey, the following parties could potentially share liability in a truck accident:
Truck driver
Trucking company
Truck owner (if different from the operator)
Cargo loaders
Vehicle maintenance companies
Truck or parts manufacturers
Government entities (in rare cases involving road conditions)
Each of these parties may have separate legal firms and insurance carriers, making negotiations and settlements exponentially more complicated.
Employer Liability (Respondeat Superior)
In New Jersey, employers can be held vicariously liable for the negligent actions of their employees under the doctrine of "respondeat superior." If a truck driver causes an accident while acting within the scope of their employment, the trucking company can be held responsible, even if the driver acted negligently.
The possibility of numerous defendants, each with their own legal representation and insurance, significantly complicates the process of determining liability and reaching a settlement in truck accident cases compared to typical car accidents.
Federal and State Regulations
Truck drivers and trucking companies are governed by a web of federal and state regulations that don’t apply to regular passenger vehicles. The key laws and regulations you should be aware of are as follows.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR)
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) imposes strict regulations on commercial trucking, including hours-of-service (HOS) regulations, driver qualification standards, maintenance and inspection requirements, drug and alcohol testing, and cargo securement rules. Violating these rules can establish liability or contribute to negligence claims.
New Jersey State Regulations
New Jersey also enforces its own laws and administrative codes regarding weight limits, commercial vehicle registration, and intrastate operations. A thorough investigation often requires cross-referencing state and federal laws, adding layers of legal scrutiny.
Therefore, the structure of federal and New Jersey state regulations adds a significant layer of intricacy to truck accident cases that is absent in typical car accident claims.
Evidence Collection and Preservation
Collecting and preserving evidence is crucial in any accident claim, but it’s significantly more intricate in truck accident cases due to the type and volume of evidence involved.
Electronic logging devices (ELDs): Commercial trucks are equipped with ELDs that track the driver’s hours, speed, braking patterns, and locations. This data is vital in determining whether the driver violated rest requirements or exhibited reckless driving behavior.
Black boxes and GPS data: Many commercial trucks have “black boxes” similar to those in airplanes. These record operational data such as speed, throttle, braking, and engine functions. GPS tracking systems can also provide precise information about the truck’s route and movements.
Driver logs and maintenance records: Federal law requires trucking companies to maintain driver logs, inspection records, and maintenance histories. These documents can reveal negligent maintenance practices, violations of rest periods, or falsified records.
Surveillance and dashcam footage: Truckers often use dashcams that may capture the accident or the events leading up to it. Additionally, traffic cameras, tollbooth footage, or surveillance from nearby businesses might provide critical visual evidence.
The process of collecting and preserving evidence in truck accident cases presents unique challenges due to the availability of evidence and crucial data. This intricacy contrasts sharply with typical car accident claims, underscoring the need for legal expertise.
Complicated Insurance Coverage
Insurance is another area where truck accidents differ drastically from typical car accident claims. Trucking companies are required by federal law to carry higher liability coverage, often starting at $750,000 and reaching into the millions for carriers transporting hazardous materials. While this might seem advantageous to the plaintiff, it also incentivizes insurance companies to fight harder to avoid a payout.
If multiple parties are liable, such as the driver, employer, and maintenance company, each may have separate insurers. Coordination and negotiation with multiple insurance providers can prolong settlement discussions or lead to litigation.
Truck accident cases present significantly more intricate insurance coverage issues than typical car accident claims. This often leads to more aggressive defense strategies from insurance companies and protracted negotiation processes.
Litigation Strategy and Expert Witnesses
Due to the technical and legal intricacies, truck accident cases in New Jersey often necessitate specialized litigation strategies and the utilization of expert witnesses. Some of the key types of expert witnesses that could be used in a truck accident case include the following:
Accident reconstruction experts: These professionals use physical evidence, road conditions, and vehicle data to recreate the accident and determine fault.
Medical experts: Since injuries are often severe, you may require a medical expert to testify about long-term prognosis, necessary treatment, and impacts on your quality of life.
Industry and safety experts: Experts in trucking safety and compliance may be called upon to testify about violations of FMCSA regulations or standard industry practices.
The inherent components of truck accident cases in New Jersey, stemming from severe injuries, intricate liability issues, extensive regulations, demanding evidence collection, and high-stakes insurance coverage, necessitate specific litigation strategies and the involvement of expert witnesses.
Statute of Limitations and Legal Deadlines
In New Jersey, the general statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years. However, truck accident cases can involve strict timing considerations. For example, if a government vehicle is involved or a road defect contributed to the accident, a notice of claim must be filed within 90 days under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act.
Trucking companies are only required to retain certain records, such as driver logs and ELD data, for limited periods (often six months). Failure to send a timely preservation letter (also known as a spoliation notice) can result in the loss of evidence critical to the case.
Truck accident cases in New Jersey are far more intricate than regular car accident claims for a variety of reasons, including the severity of injuries, multiple layers of liability, complicated federal and state regulations, intricate evidence requirements, and higher financial stakes. These factors demand a thorough, strategic, and experienced legal approach.
Experienced Truck Accident Attorney Serving Clark, New Jersey
Victims of truck accidents should be aware that these cases differ significantly in scope and potential impact when compared to car accidents. Therefore, it's essential to work with a personal injury attorney who has specific experience in trucking cases and who can help you pursue a just resolution and the compensation you need to recover from any injuries you sustained.
At Perrotta, Fraser & Forrester, LLC, our personal injury lawyers have years of combined experience and are standing by to help. Located in Clark, New Jersey, we serve clients throughout Hudson County as well as Union County, Middlesex County, and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.