A collision with a commercial truck can leave you facing far more than extensive vehicle damage. Serious injuries, expensive medical treatment, and lost income often begin long before questions about fault are answered.
Unlike a typical car accident, crashes involving delivery vans, utility trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, box trucks, tractor-trailers, and other company-owned vehicles frequently involve multiple insurance policies, federal safety regulations, and businesses with teams of investigators protecting their interests.
A commercial truck accident lawyer at Mann Law can level the playing field. Our attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience representing injured people throughout Maine. Our female-led law firm provides statewide representation and fights to recover the compensation our clients deserve.
Your consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you.
Contact us at 207-709-0900 to discuss your case in detail.
Commercial vehicles travel nearly every major roadway in Maine. Freight trucks move along I-95 from Kittery to Houlton, distribution vehicles travel the I-295 corridor between Portland and Brunswick, and countless company trucks make deliveries along U.S. Route 1, industrial parks, and the busy commercial area surrounding the Portland International Jetport.
Whether the vehicle belongs to a national shipping company or a regional fleet operator such as Casella Waste Systems, several common factors contribute to serious crashes, including:
Determining why a commercial truck crash occurred is one of the most important parts of any injury claim. The cause helps identify who may be legally responsible in a negligence claim.
A successful commercial truck accident claim generally depends on proving the four elements of negligence.
Commercial truck drivers and the companies that employ them owe a legal duty to operate and maintain their vehicles safely. Drivers must obey Maine traffic laws and comply with applicable federal safety regulations, enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Trucking companies also have responsibilities involving driver qualifications, vehicle inspections, maintenance, and recordkeeping.
A breach occurs when a driver or company fails to meet those legal responsibilities. Examples include speeding, distracted driving, failing to inspect equipment, hiring unqualified drivers, or allowing unsafe vehicles onto Maine roads.
After proving negligence, the injured person must demonstrate that the driver’s or company’s conduct caused the accident and resulting injuries. Evidence proving causation may come from multiple sources, including:
Commercial vehicle investigations may also involve records maintained by the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which oversees commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements, as well as inspections conducted by the Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit or at Maine Department of Transportation weigh stations.
Your Maine truck accident lawyer will often work with accident reconstruction specialists, review electronic vehicle data, and analyze crash scene evidence to establish exactly how the collision occurred.
Finally, the injured party must prove the losses resulting from the accident. Depending on the circumstances of your case, a commercial truck crash settlement in Maine may include:
Calculating the full value of a commercial truck accident claim often requires looking beyond your current medical bills to understand how your injuries will affect your future.
At Mann Law, our attorneys work to identify every available avenue of compensation, including all potentially liable parties and applicable insurance policies, so that you can pursue the maximum recovery available under Maine law.
Commercial truck accident claims often involve multiple liable parties, commercial insurance policies, and federal safety regulations. Having a commercial vehicle accident lawyer in Maine who understands these cases can make a significant difference in protecting your rights and maximizing your recovery.
We move quickly to preserve critical evidence, including driver logs, maintenance records, electronic data, and inspection reports, before it disappears. Our attorneys understand how FMCSA regulations and company safety policies can help establish liability.
Our attorneys represent injured clients throughout Maine and understand how commercial truck accident cases move through the state’s court system.
If your case proceeds to litigation, we are prepared to represent you in courts such as the Cumberland County Superior Court and Penobscot County Superior Court. We understand the local rules, filing procedures, and litigation process, allowing us to prepare your case efficiently while protecting your interests from start to finish.
Recovering from a serious commercial truck accident is difficult enough without having to manage insurance adjusters, paperwork, and complex legal issues.
At Mann Law, we handle the investigation, communicate with the insurance companies, gather the evidence needed to support your claim, and keep you informed throughout the process.
That allows you to focus on your medical treatment while we protect your rights and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Commercial truck accidents often cause more severe injuries because these vehicles are significantly larger and heavier than passenger cars. They can also involve multiple liable parties and federal and state safety regulations.
Evidence such as electronic logging device records, maintenance logs, and company safety documents can play a major role in proving liability, making these cases considerably more complex than most passenger vehicle accidents.
Both may be liable. A truck driver can be responsible for negligent driving, while the employer may also be liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, poor vehicle maintenance, or the actions of an employee acting within the scope of their employment.
Depending on the circumstances, other businesses involved in maintaining, loading, or manufacturing the vehicle may also share responsibility.
In most cases, Maine law gives injured people six years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline can prevent you from recovering compensation.
So it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Many commercial vehicles operating in Maine must comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. These rules govern areas such as:
Evidence of an FMCSA violation may strengthen a negligence claim when the violation contributed to the crash.
A serious commercial truck accident can leave you facing difficult decisions while trying to recover from painful injuries. You should not have to battle trucking companies and insurance carriers alone.
At Mann Law, we have spent decades helping injured people throughout Maine protect their rights after life-changing accidents. Our statewide practice includes satellite offices across Maine, and our attorneys are licensed in multiple states, allowing us to represent clients throughout the region effectively.
Whether your collision involved a delivery van, utility truck, dump truck, garbage truck, or another commercial vehicle, our team is ready to investigate the accident and fight for the recovery you deserve.
Contact Mann Law today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced commercial truck accident lawyer.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page
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