Truck accidents are different from motor vehicle accidents in Minnesota because of several complicating factors. Minnesota has certain trucking laws in place that affect your case. The state needs a more thorough investigation of a trucking accident than a car accident to accurately assess liability.
Truck maintenance
Trucking companies need to stay on top of certain maintenance tasks to keep trucks safe on the road. If poor maintenance caused the wreck, then the company may be liable for your injuries. Assuming that the driver didn’t do anything wrong, they might not have any responsibility.
Loading companies
Motor vehicle accidents don’t involve loading companies like truck accidents do. If the loading company made a mistake while putting their cargo on the truck, then they may be the party at fault.
Retainer lawyers
Trucking companies usually have retainer lawyers, which means they already have lawyers ready to defend them at the time of the accident. They will use anything they can against you, and you might not realize that a thing you did or said would result in twisting. For instance, if you post on social media about the accident and reassure everyone that you’re feeling better, then the other side can argue that your pain and suffering aren’t as severe as you claim. They may also contact you about the accident to see if you’ll slip up in anything that you say to them. It’s common for a trucking company to urgently attempt a settlement. You may not want to sign agreements without taking the time to understand the full extent of your damages.
Because 18-wheelers are commercial vehicles with a significant size difference between passenger cars, they have additional laws to follow. Truck accident lawsuits are thus more complicated than standard car accident lawsuits.