Maryland Personal Injury Lawyers
Estes Express Lines is a trucking company based in Richmond, Virginia. Estes Express is one of the largest privately owned trucking transportation carriers in the U.S. today. Like many of today’s large commercial trucking companies, Estes Express Lines started from the humblest beginnings, with one man and a truck.
At the start of the Great Depression in the 1930s, a man in rural Virginia named W.W. Estes purchased a used Chevrolet truck and began transporting livestock for local farmers. In 1937, he opened an office, hired two drivers, and officially named the business Estes Express Lines.
Today, Estes Express Lines has over 18,000 employees and a large fleet of 7,000 tractors and 29,000 trailers. The company is still owned and controlled by the Estes family, and the grandson of W.W. Estes (Rob Estes) is the current CEO.
Estes Express is a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier. In the trucking industry, LTL carriers like Estes occupy a middle ground between full truckload carriers on one end and parcel carriers on the other. Full truckload (FTL) carriers only transport entire trailers or shipping containers. At the opposite end of the spectrum are parcel companies (like UPS) that ship smaller individual parcels. LTL carriers, such as Estes, transport cargo that is larger than a parcel size but smaller than a full trailer or container.
Estes Express Truck Crash Statistics: Latest FMCSA Data Overview
| Crash Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Total Crashes | 585 |
| Injury Crashes | 182 |
| Tow-Away Crashes | 391 |
| Fatal Crashes | 12 |
Estes Express Lines Truck Accidents
LTL carriers tend to make shorter trips with more stops, so they get involved in more accidents compared to FTL carriers, but less than parcel carriers like UPS. Estes Express drivers average about 500,000,000 miles traveled each year. With this type of mileage, accidents are going to happen on a regular basis.
According to FMSCA data, Between May 2018 and May 2020, Estes Express Lines trucks were involved in a total of 517 reported accidents. That is a rate of approximately 1 Estes truck accident per 994,000 miles traveled. Thirty percent of these accidents (159) resulted in serious injury, and 2% (15) resulted in one or more fatalities.
Employer review data on indeed.com, indicates that Estes Express is at the higher end of the pay scale for commercial truck drivers. Drivers for Estes are paid above the national average and 75% report being satisfied with their compensation level, a very high score for the trucking industry. However, Estes drivers appear to be under a lot of pressure to meet performance deadlines and have a very negative view toward management.
Estes Express primarily uses company drivers, which means that their truck drivers are actual employees of the company as opposed to independent contractors. When the driver is a company employee, it means that the trucking company has direct liability for their accidents.
Legal Claims and Lawsuits Against Estes Express Lines
Estes Express Lines may advertise safety, but its accident and injury record tells a more sobering story. Victims of Estes truck accidents are increasingly turning to the courts to seek justice. Whether the claim involves a rear-end crash on I-95 or a catastrophic collision caused by an overworked driver, the legal exposure for Estes is growing. Injury victims are filing lawsuits, not because they want to, but because they are forced to when Estes and its insurance team drag their feet or deny legitimate claims.
If you are researching an Estes accident or trying to figure out whether to file an Estes freight claim, you are not alone. Many clients come to us only after dealing with the company’s slow claims process or receiving a lowball settlement offer. In some cases, people even search for an Estes claim form online, hoping they can handle it themselves. That usually ends in frustration. Estes knows the system, and they are not in the business of handing out fair compensation without a legal fight.
We have also seen searches for Estes Express Lines truck accident lawyer, which tells us something important: people want help. They want a lawyer who understands how to handle a claim involving a big commercial carrier, not a fender-bender at a stoplight. These are high-stakes cases, and Estes has a well-developed playbook for minimizing its financial exposure.
Our view is simple: if you are dealing with Estes claims, get legal advice early. Estes may present itself as a family-owned company from Richmond, Virginia, but its legal tactics resemble those of any national carrier. Plaintiffs need someone who can navigate the red tape, uncover what really happened, and push back with evidence, not just arguments. Whether your case ends in court or you reach a settlement, you will be in a stronger position with a truck accident lawyer who knows the road.
Why Estes Express Accident Cases Have a Higher Settlement Value
Accident cases against large trucking companies, such as Estes Express, have a higher average settlement value than typical auto accident cases. There are several reasons for this. First, Estes Express trucks are bigger and much heavier than a typical vehicle. As a result, Estes trucks tend to cause significantly more damage when they collide with objects on the road. This means that claims adjusters for Estes are more accustomed to dealing in large dollar amounts when they resolve claims.
Another reason that Estes Express truck accident cases have a higher settlement value is that big trucking companies, like Estes, do not get the advantage of jury sympathy. The identity of the defendant is not supposed to impact the value of a case, but in reality, who the defendant is makes a big difference in how much juries are willing to award in damages.
When the defendant in an auto accident case is an individual person, jurors tend to have a lot of sympathy and concern for them. This sympathy makes juries reluctant to award big dollar verdicts. However, when the defendant is a large trucking company with deep pockets, juries often have little or no sympathy and are far more likely to award higher damages to the plaintiff. The end result is that trial verdicts against Estes and other big trucking companies tend to be much higher, which forces them into higher settlement offers.
Lawsuits Against Estes Express
Estes Express Lines does not get the benefit of the doubt, at least not with us, when it comes to truck accident litigation. This is a major freight company with deep pockets and nationwide operations. When someone is seriously injured by an Estes truck, it is not just a matter of negligence. It is about a corporation making decisions that sometimes prioritize speed and delivery quotas over safety.
Many of the lawsuits against Estes arise from crashes involving their company-owned vehicles. That distinction matters. Estes does not rely heavily on independent contractors. Their drivers are employees, and the company is directly responsible for what happens on the road. That legal structure gives plaintiffs more leverage and often leads to higher settlement values in personal injury claims.
There are increasing numbers of searches around Estes claims, Estes accident lawsuits, and Estes Express truck crash settlements. People are not just looking for generic truck accident lawyers. They are seeking someone who is familiar with handling cases against this specific company. Estes freight claims involve regulatory issues, internal records, and electronic data that only experienced attorneys know how to access and use. These are not cookie-cutter cases.
The legal teams for Estes Express is experienced. They are hiring the best lawyers who defend truck accident lawsuits. They do not hand out easy settlements. They push back, deny liability, and use delay as a tactic. That is why these cases require legal teams with real experience in trucking litigation. If your claim involves serious injury, lost wages, or long-term medical care, a general approach is not good enough. You need a strategy that is designed around holding companies like Estes fully accountable.
How a Good Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you have a claim against Estes Express Lines, hiring a good truck accident lawyer is very important. Personal injury lawsuits against large trucking companies like Estes are significantly different from a typical auto tort case. Big truck cases are more complex to litigate and settle compared to normal car accident cases. To begin with, large trucks are subject to a complex web of federal and state regulations. Many personal injury attorneys may be entirely unfamiliar with these laws and regulations.
Another major distinction with big rig cases is the complexity of discoverable information that can be used if liability is disputed. Most Estes Express trucks have “black box” systems that can provide key information about the accident. Driver employment histories or safety and compliance records can also be used to establish fault. These can be very valuable weapons for a plaintiff in litigation, but only if your attorney knows how to get them in discovery and how to effectively use them.
You want to find the best truck accident lawyer you can find to handle your claim passionately and compassionately. It is a crucial decision that will affect your settlement amount or jury award.
Contact Miller & Zois About Estes Express Accident Cases
Miller & Zois has a track record of success in big truck accident cases. We have recovered millions on behalf of clients in truck accident cases. If you have a potential case against Estes Express Lines call us today for a free consultation.