Ruan Transportation Accident Claim Settlements

Ruan Transportation Management, only 69^th in annual trucking mileage, is ranked by Transportation Topics as the 25^th best transportation company, based on annual trends in revenue and number of employees.

Ruan is a privately held transportation firm under family ownership. Ruan claims to rank among the top 10 private transportation service providers in the United States. The company has a broad operational presence in 48 states and maintains more than 300 locations nationwide.

Though Ruan can’t quite compare with the biggest trucking companies, such as UPS, FedEx, Swift, or Schneider, it is categorized as a medium-to-large carrier with 3,200 trucks and employs nearly 4,000 drivers. Regardless of its market share, any company with so many vehicles on the road is bound to be involved in a good number of accidents.

Overall, Ruan is a good company. It was founded in 1932 during the depression era with values of integrity, hard work, innovation, quality customer service, and compassion. And for the most part, Ruan seems to live up to its values. Ruan Transportation reviews are generally positive, with employees appreciating working for a family-focused employer. Our truck accident lawyers do not think all trucking companies are evil.

But… any trucking company, no matter its moral code, will inevitably make more than a few mistakes. Whether they hire the occasional bad driver, neglect to perform proper truck maintenance, or simply succumb to poor road conditions, Ruan Transportation Management is responsible for any collision caused by their vehicles and drivers.

Ruan Trucking Safety Record

Ruan is a privately held trucking company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. It operates thousands of trucks nationwide and runs logistics operations across dozens of states.

According to federal trucking safety data maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Ruan operates under several related carrier entities that maintain large commercial fleets.

For example, federal safety data shows that one Ruan logistics entity recorded three reportable crashes within the previous two-year reporting period, including one injury crash. These federal databases track crashes reported by state authorities involving commercial carriers. (The data simply records involvement in a crash and does not determine fault for those accidents.)

Because Ruan operates thousands of trucks nationwide, it inevitably experiences some accidents. The critical legal issue in any truck accident case is whether the driver or the company violated federal trucking regulations, drove negligently, or failed to properly train or supervise drivers.

Ruan Truck Accident Insurance Coverage and Settlement Strategy

One thing many victims do not realize is that trucking companies operate under a very different insurance structure than ordinary drivers.

Federal law requires interstate trucking companies to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage for injury accidents. But most large trucking companies carry much higher insurance limits. In serious cases involving catastrophic injury or wrongful death, multiple insurance layers may apply.

In a typical Ruan trucking accident case, the available insurance may include:

Another important reality is that trucking companies almost never want to try catastrophic injury cases in front of a jury. Jurors tend to react strongly when a large commercial truck causes a fatal crash or severe injury. As a result, trucking companies and their insurers often try to resolve serious claims before trial.

That does not mean they offer fair settlements immediately. They want you to fight for your money.  In many cases, trucking companies initially dispute liability, argue that the crash was unavoidable, or claim that the victim caused the collision. But once discovery begins and evidence such as driver logs, electronic data recorders, and safety records are examined, the value of the claim often becomes clearer. It is important to focus on or dwell on early settlement offers.  They mean nothing

For this reason, many truck accident claims against companies like Ruan ultimately settle before reaching a jury.

Why Ruan Accident Cases Have a Higher Settlement Value

Cases involving Ruan tractor-trailers tend to revolve around settlement disputes – arguing over the exact value of the injuries sustained during an accident rather than determining who caused the accident. When liability isn’t a factor, the identity of the defendant should hold no bearing over the outcome of the case.

But the jury, as empathetic human beings, is more likely to feel sympathy for an individual than for a big, faceless company. For example, suing a sweet-looking grandmother would most likely result in a lower settlement value than suing a company like Ruan.

Even people who respect Ruan are unlikely to feel any sympathy toward such a big, lucrative company. Therefore, trial values of personal injury claims are often higher against companies like Ruan Transport, and this higher trial value indicates a higher settlement value.

As a trucking company, Ruan’s claims adjusters are accustomed to dealing with greater damages and larger dollar amounts than the average car insurer. Since tractor-trailers are much bigger and heavier than other vehicles, they cause more damage and devastation when they get into an accident. As such, the bias of Ruan claims adjusters can have a positive impact on settlement value.

What Else is Different About a Claim Against Ruan?

Ruan, like any trucking company, is required to follow a whole host of state and federal regulations for tractor-trailers and any specialized equipment it might be carrying.

Due to the specificity of the law regarding trucking, not every car accident lawyer is equipped to handle a case against Ruan. There are data-collection instruments onboard most rigs that collect and save data about their speed, airbag deployment, braking, and other data points from the time of an accident.

Between this electronic equipment and the trucking-specific regulations, there are plenty of useful tools and data to use in a collision case against Ruan if your truck accident attorney knows where to find them.

Sample Settlements and Verdicts Against Ruan

There are also a number of tools on our website designed especially to help victims learn about the possible range of the settlement value for their claim against Ruan. Looking at different settlement values for the same types of injury is especially useful, but checking out settlement values for the same types of accident may also provide some insight. Additionally, you can find samples of verdicts and settlements involving Ruan below.

Although they may be limited in their ability to predict the value of your claim, these examples can help broaden your understanding of how the settlement value can change based on jurisdiction, severity of injury, or economic loss caused by injury or death.

Truck companies cause a lot of wrongful death and catastrophic injury lawsuits. These verdicts, albeit a limited sampling size, suggest that Ruan is not looking to try the most serious injury cases.

We did not find any verdicts involving Ruan where the harm caused was death or catastrophic injury. Obviously, these verdicts also show that Ruan is settling most of these claims before they ever see a jury. This is typical of most trucking companies.

• 2021, Iowa, $475,000 Settlement. The plaintiff alleged that a Ruan tractor-trailer driver negligently changed lanes on Interstate 80 and sideswiped the plaintiff’s vehicle. The crash caused the plaintiff to lose control and strike the median barrier. The plaintiff sustained cervical disc injuries, headaches, and chronic neck pain requiring injections and ongoing treatment. The case settled shortly before trial.
• 2019, Texas, $650,000 Settlement. A Ruan Transport tractor-trailer was traveling on a highway when traffic slowed due to construction. The Ruan driver allegedly failed to slow in time and struck the plaintiff’s vehicle from behind. The plaintiff suffered a lumbar disc injury that required surgery along with chronic back pain and lost wages. The case resolved through settlement before trial.
• 2018, Illinois, $420,000 Settlement. The plaintiff claimed that a Ruan truck driver failed to yield while turning into a commercial driveway and collided with the plaintiff’s passenger vehicle. The plaintiff suffered shoulder injuries requiring surgery as well as ongoing neck pain and limitations. The case settled during discovery.
• 2015, Indiana, $300,000 Verdict. The driver of a Ruan tractor-trailer rear-ended another tractor-trailer driven by the 54-year-old male plaintiff. As a result of the accident, the plaintiff suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, erectile dysfunction, and cervical and lumbar flexion/extension injuries. According to the plaintiff, the Ruan driver failed to stop within a safe distance when the plaintiff was stopped or slowing down for a red traffic light.
• 2013, Missouri, $203,500 Verdict. The plaintiff, an adult male farmer, was attempting a left-hand turn (with his turn signal on) when a Ruan tractor-trailer pulled into a no-passing zone and collided with the side and rear of the plaintiff’s hay truck. The Ruan tractor-trailer pushed the hay truck into a ditch, where it rolled once and righted itself. As a result of the accident, the plaintiff sustained a brain injury, causing him bilateral parietal headaches, episodes of vertigo, balance problems, falls, dizziness, and cognitive impairment and deficits. He also suffered a slap tear of the left rotator cuff area and aggravation of underlying cervical degeneration and degenerative joint disease in his shoulder.
• 2012, California, $182,466 Verdict. The adult female plaintiff sustained rib fractures, an unspecified right shoulder injury, and emotional distress when a Ruan tractor-trailer struck her. She and her boyfriend were riding their bicycles through a public intersection at the time of the accident. Her jury award includes $123,000 compensation for pain and suffering, $29,466 for past medical expenses, and $30,000 for future wages.
• 2011, California, $30,000 Settlement. As a result of a rear-end collision with Ruan tractor-trailer, the adult female plaintiff sustained sprains and strains to her neck, upper and lower back, and right arm. The two minors also in the plaintiff’s vehicle each suffered cervical, thoracic, lumbar, right elbow, and bilateral shoulder sprains and strains. The plaintiff quickly changed lanes to the right in order to avoid a stopped vehicle, and the Ruan driver was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision. The Ruan driver was allegedly driving at an unsafe speed for the road conditions.

Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer to Help You

Our law firm is based in Maryland. Most of the truck collision cases we handle are in the Baltimore-Washington area, but we handle significant injury cases throughout the entire country. If you have been harmed in an accident with a Ruan truck and want to consider a lawsuit or a claim for an out-of-court settlement, call one of our lawyers at 800-553-8082 or click here for a free no-obligation Internet consultation.