Wisconsin Truck Accidents

Wisconsin Trucking Accidents

Collisions due to wrongful acts of truck drivers and trucking companies are all too common in the United States. Recent statistics indicate that nearly 5,000 people are killed and nearly 100,000 are seriously injured each year as a result of accidents involving large trucks. Federal and State governments have enacted laws and safety regulations requiring trucking companies and their drivers to take certain precautions in an attempt to make the roadways more safe.

When choosing a lawyer, it is critical that you hire an experienced Wisconsin Truck Accident Lawyer. You should be comfortable with your lawyer's experience handling Wisconsin Truck Accident Personal Injury Cases. in which you have been involved. Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Truck Accident Lawyer.

Wisconsin Truck Accident Documentation

Despite these rules, the roadways are not necessarily more safe. Truckers and trucking companies still have accidents. It is important, however, to keep in mind that these are not truly "accidents." Whenever a semi-truck causes a crash there is a reason. It is not accidental. Oftentimes, the truck will try to portray it as an accident, but usually a thorough investigation will lead to the crash being due to a variety of actual reasons, for example violating the rules of the road, fatigue, driving too many hours, cell phone use, the use of drugs and alcohol, inattentive driving, inadequate training, improper inspection of the tractor-trailer, inadequately securing the load, unsafe equipment, or tire tread separation. A detailed investigation by an experienced investigator and trucking lawyer will reveal the truth.

One of the most important requirements for truckers is the duty to accurately document all aspects of their trips. One of the main purposes of this documentation requirement is to ensure compliance with the "hours of service" rules. Unfortunately, the typical trucker's log books are usually not entirely accurate. For example, the logs may show the driver getting from point A to point B in a certain amount of time, however, when one looks closer at the number of miles driven, it is apparent that the truck could not have traveled the documented distance in the amount of time listed in the log books. Therefore, in this example, there are three possible explanations: one, the trucker was speeding; two, the trucker was driving too many hours and intentionally falsified his or her log books; or three, the trucker kept inaccurate log books. In any event, the trucker, the trucking company, and their insurance company would likely be held negligent as a matter of law for this conduct.

An experienced Wisconsin Trucking Attorney can review log books, toll receipts, bills of lading, and credit card trip receipts and essentially recreate the trip of the negligent driver. This documentation is critical evidence in Trucking Accident cases. There are specific rules requiring trucking companies to keep this documentation for a limited period of time. It is essential in Wisconsin Trucking Accident cases for the victim or their attorney to immediately notify the trucking company that they must not destroy this documentation. If the trucking company is properly notified and they do destroy the evidence, then the company can face severe sanctions. An example of a Wisconsin Truck Accident Preservation Letter is provided.

If you or a family member have been injured as a result of a Wisconsin Truck Accident, be sure to Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Truck Accident Lawyer for you or your family member's case.

When discussing your case with potential lawyers, be sure to confirm that they are aware of this evidence preservation requirement. Oftentimes, our office is contacted by potential clients or other lawyers involving trucking accidents that have occurred a year or more earlier. It is common in these types of cases to find that a proper investigation was never done. Furthermore, it is common that the referring attorney failed to send out a Preservation Letter, notifying the at-fault trucking company that they must preserve the important evidence. Unfortunately, in these cases it may be too late for an experienced trucking attorney to be of much assistance. Your initial decision to hire an attorney must be carefully thought out, because the most accurate evidence regarding the collision must be obtained, or at least preserved, immediately following the crash.

Technology has greatly advanced the ability of an experienced personal injury lawyer to prove the truck driver and trucking company were negligent. Semi-trucks today utilize a variety of tracking methods. Most trucks have black box recorders similar to those in airplanes. Many trucking companies use on board computerized tracking methods utilizing GPS. Fortunately, for truck accident victims, these on-board recording devices will reveal an abundance of useful information to the injury victims lawyer. Note: Many trucking companies have an internal policy of completely erasing this information every few weeks, however, there may still be ways to recover some of this information if you Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Truck Accident Lawyer for you or your family member's case.

If you have a copy of your Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Accident Report, you can download the Law Enforcement Officer's Instruction Manual for Completing Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Accident Report Form (MV4000) here, or simply contact our office and we will assist you in understanding the Wisconsin Accident Report Form.

Wisconsin Trucking Law

There are two types of Wisconsin trucking accidents: interstate and intrastate. Interstate trucking accidents are governed by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations and they involve a vehicle, usually a semi-truck, that is used for transporting goods between different states. Intrastate trucking accidents involve a truck that is mainly stored and driven in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Administrative Code Trans §325.02 requires intrastate trucks to follow certain requirements of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations, including the following:

(1) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 390, federal motor carrier safety regulations - general;

(2) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 391, qualifications of drivers;

(3) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 392, driving of motor vehicles;

(4) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 393, parts and accessories necessary for safe operation;

(5) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 395, hours of service of drivers;

(6) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 396, inspection, repair and maintenance.

(7) Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, part 397, transportation of hazardous materials; driving and parking rules.

Many Wisconsin intrastate trucking companies do not even realize they are required to comply with some of the federal rules. We have had great success establishing violations of these rules by Wisconsin trucking companies. There are nearly 20,000 intrastate Wisconsin trucking companies registered with the Department of Transportation. If you have been injured in Wisconsin by a large truck, contact an experienced Wisconsin trucking lawyer to assist you with your claim.

If you are looking for information on a Wisconsin trucking company click the first letter of the trucking company name to find the full legal name, U.S. DOT number, city headquarters and the number of trucks the company owns.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ Numbers/Symbols

Wisconsin Trucking Insurance Requirements

All Wisconsin motor carriers are required to file proof of insurance with the Department of Transportation. Wisconsin requires the following insurance minimums:

$300,000 for vehicles of 10,000 lbs. or less transporting non-hazardous substances
$750,000 for vehicles over 10,000 lbs. transporting non-hazardous substances
$1,000,000 to $5,000,000 for vehicles transporting hazardous substances depending on the type of substances carried

Wisconsin's trucking insurance requirements mirror those of the federal regulations. While these minimum insurance limits may seem like a lot, they have not increased since 1983. Considering the fact the trucking collisions usually result in catastrophic injuries, these minimum insurance limits do not seem adequate in today's world.

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For more detailed Wisconsin personal injury accident information including the following:

Common Myths About Personal Injury Claims
40 Arguments the Insurance Company WILL Make
What TO DO Following a Wisconsin Personal Injury
10 Mistakes That Can RUIN Your Personal Injury Claim
and much more useful information

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