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If you have been seriously injured in a big truck accident, our experienced team of 18-wheeler accident lawyers can help you get maximum compensation in your case. On this page we will look at the unique aspects of 18-wheeler accident cases. We will also look at settlement values in 18-wheeler accident cases.
About Our 18-Wheeler Accident LawyersMiller & Zois is one Maryland’s leading personal injury law firms. Over the last decade, we have recovered over $100 million in compensation for our clients. We have particular expertise and experience representing victims of truck accidents. Truck accident cases can be much more complex and difficult to litigate that an average car accident case. You can’t just hire any personal injury firm to handle an 18-wheeler case. If you want to get fair compensation in your big truck accident case, you need an experienced, effective, 18-wheeler accident attorney.
The truck accident lawyers at Miller & Zois have a long track record of major success brining 18-wheeler accident cases. We are one of the most successful big truck accident firms in the region. Unlike other firms we are ready and willing to take every 18-wheeler case to trial if necessary. This give us the leverage necessary to make sure you get the most possible compensation in your case.
18-wheeler accident lawsuits are significantly different than normal auto accident cases. Big trucks get into different types of accidents than cars and the types of negligence involved are often varied and more complex. Understanding the unique aspects of 18-wheeler accident cases can be invaluable the success of your claim. Here is a brief overview of some of the most significant aspects of big truck accident cases:
| More Damages in 18-Wheeler Accident Cases | Accident cases involving 18-wheelers usually involve 2 or 3 times the amount of monetary damages as an ordinary car accident case. 18-wheelers are literally massive. They are by far the biggest vehicles on the roadway, with an average weight around 40,000 pounds (12 times the size of typical passenger car). This immense size and weight makes them handle much differently than a car. It also makes them more dangerous in an accident. 18-wheeler accidents usually involve much more serious injuries than a passenger car accident. |
| 18-Wheelers Have Commercial Truck Insurance | Another major difference with an 18-wheeler accident case is the type of auto liability insurance they carry. Commercial trucks are legally required to carry large insurance policies with minimum limits of at least $750,000. Most trucks have commercial liability policies with a limit of $1,000,000. When you make a truck accident claim the process is significantly different than the claim process for a regular car accident. |
| Trucking Laws & Regulations | 18-wheelers are subject to an additional layer of laws and regulations at both the state and federal level. These trucking regulations can often complicate truck accident cases. To be an effective 18 wheeler accident lawyer you need to have a working understanding of the applicable regulations and how they come into play in accident cases. |
On average, somewhere between 130,000 to 160,000 people get injured each year in accidents with 18-wheelers and other large trucks. Around 4,000 people are killed each year in big truck accidents. The fatal rate for 18-wheeler accidents has been steadily increasing since 2009. In 2018 there were a total of 4,951 fatalities in big truck accidents, a 51% increase since 2009.
Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of fatalities in big truck accidents were among drivers and occupants of the other vehicle (usually smaller passenger cars). Out of the 4,951 people who died in big truck accidents in 2018, only 11% were drivers or occupants in the 18-wheeler. The remaining 89% of fatalities were among passenger car occupants and/or pedestrians.
The average settlement for an 18-wheeler accident case involving significant physical injuries is somewhere between $75,000 and $120,000. This can vary greatly depending on the type and severity of the injuries involved. The average jury verdict in 18-wheeler accident cases is $510,000 and the median jury award in these cases is $90,000.
18-Wheeler Accident Settlements & Verdicts| 2020 California | 18-wheeler sideswiped a vehicle stopped on the shoulder lane. Plaintiff herniated disc with nerve impingement. The man underwent a microdiscectomy requiring surgery and continued steroid injections to treat. Jury awarded $83,650 in past medical bills, $75,000 in future medical bills, $125,000 in past pain and suffering, and $175,000 in future pain and suffering. | $458,650 Verdict |
| 2019 New Mexico | Werner 18-wheeler crossed a median and struck a 54-year-old woman’s vehicle head-on. She died at the scene. Her survivors alleged that Werner negligently hired and trained inexperienced truck drivers. They also alleged the truck driving school did not properly qualify the truck driver to drive under federal regulations. | $40,500,000 Verdict |
| 2019 Texas | An 18-wheeler pulled in front of a vehicle, causing a collision that left the Plaintiff a quadriplegic. Plaintiff alleged that the truck driver should not have been operating the vehicle that day. He claimed that her operation of the vehicle violated state and federal regulations. The man also alleged that the truck driver’s employer knew of her violations and failed to reprimand her. | $140,000 Settlement |
| 2019 Texas | A woman slowed down her vehicle because the vehicle in front of her had its tires blown out. The 18-wheeler rear-ended Plaintiff at high speed, pinning her against a concrete barrier. Plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury, a dislocated coccyx, cervical radiculopathy, osteophyte with anterolisthesis, and post-traumatic stress disorder. | $1,560,000 Verdict |
| 2019 Georgia | Plaintiff suffered a rotator cuff tear, neck pain, back pain, and muscle spasms after an 18-wheeler entered her lane and struck her vehicle. She alleged both driver negligence and negligent hiring claims. | 736,290 Verdict |
