At Ben Hall Law, our Lansing truck accident lawyers represent people injured in collisions involving commercial vehicles. These cases demand early investigation, careful analysis of trucking records and insurance coverage, and preparation for the possibility of litigation.
Tractor-trailer accident claims involve layers of complexity that most personal injury cases simply do not, from federal trucking regulations to multiple insurance policies to corporate legal teams hired to protect the company’s bottom line. You need a legal team that understands all of it and is not intimidated by any of it.
At Ben Hall Law, we offer free consultations, and you will not pay an attorney fee unless we recover money for you. If you are dealing with the aftermath of a truck crash, contact us to discuss what happened and what options may be available.
Why Choose Ben Hall Law for Your Truck Accident Claim?
Most attorneys learned the legal system from textbooks. Ben Hall learned it from inside a patrol car, behind the prosecutor’s desk, and in the Marine Corps.
That real-world experience changes everything when it comes to building a strong truck accident case:
- We know how crash investigations work. Ben spent years as a Michigan police officer. He understands how accident reports are written, what details officers look for, and what often gets missed or left out of those reports.
- We know how the other side thinks. As a former prosecutor, Ben understands how lawyers evaluate evidence, identify weaknesses, and prepare a case for litigation. That perspective informs how we investigate and present a truck accident claim.
- We prepare cases with litigation in mind rather than assuming they will settle. Thorough preparation helps us evaluate settlement offers from a position grounded in the evidence and the potential value of the claim.
- We treat our clients like people, not file numbers. At Ben Hall Law, we return calls, answer questions, and keep you informed every step of the way. We know this may be one of the hardest things you have ever been through, and we take that responsibility seriously.
Commercial trucking companies and their insurers may begin investigating a serious crash quickly. Having counsel involved early can help preserve evidence, identify potentially responsible parties, and manage communications with insurers while you focus on recovery.
How a Lansing Truck Accident Can Upend Your Life
A collision with a commercial truck is not like a typical car accident. The sheer size and weight difference between an 80,000-pound semi-truck and a passenger vehicle means that truck crashes tend to cause catastrophic harm.
People injured in Lansing-area truck crashes commonly face:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord damage, including partial or full paralysis
- Broken bones, crushed limbs, and injuries requiring multiple surgeries
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Severe burns, especially in accidents involving hazardous cargo
- Emotional and psychological trauma, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression
These injuries can affect far more than physical health. A serious truck crash may interrupt work, create substantial medical needs, require help with daily activities, and affect family life and long-term plans. Those consequences are important when evaluating the full impact of an injury claim.
Do I Have a Truck Accident Case in Lansing, MI?
If you were injured in a crash involving a commercial truck and believe another person or company contributed to it, the facts should be evaluated carefully. Truck accident claims can be more complicated than standard auto accident cases for several important reasons.
First, there are often multiple parties who may share responsibility:
- The truck driver (for speeding, distracted driving, fatigue, impairment, or other unsafe behavior)
- The trucking company (for pushing unrealistic schedules, failing to maintain vehicles, or hiring unqualified drivers)
- Cargo loading companies (for improperly loading or securing freight)
- Truck maintenance providers (for failing to properly inspect or repair the vehicle)
- Parts manufacturers (for defective brakes, tires, or other components)
Second, commercial trucks are governed by strict federal regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules cover hours of service, required rest breaks, vehicle maintenance standards, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and much more. A violation of an applicable safety regulation may be relevant to determining how the crash occurred and whether a driver or company failed to meet its legal obligations.
Third, trucking companies often carry multiple layers of insurance. Federal law requires trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance, and that number can climb to $5,000,000 depending on the type of cargo being transported. Identifying and accessing all available coverage takes a legal team that knows where to look.
If you are unsure whether you have a case, a free consultation gives us an opportunity to review the circumstances of the crash, identify issues that may require further investigation, and explain the potential next steps.
Situations That May Lead to a Truck Accident Claim
Truck collisions happen for many reasons, and the greater Lansing area sees its share. With major highways like I-96 and I-69 running through the region, and US-127 connecting Lansing to communities to the north and south, commercial truck traffic is a constant presence on local roads.
Some of the most common causes of trucking accidents include:
- Driver fatigue.
Federal hours-of-service rules exist for a reason. Truck drivers are prohibited from exceeding a set number of driving hours, and they are required to log their time using electronic logging devices (ELDs). When drivers or companies cut corners on rest, the results can be deadly. - Distracted driving.
A truck driver texting, adjusting a GPS, or even eating behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler creates an enormous risk to everyone around them. - Speeding and aggressive driving.
A fully loaded truck takes significantly longer to stop than a car. When a truck driver is speeding, the margin for error drops to almost nothing. - Impaired driving.
Despite mandatory drug and alcohol testing requirements, some truck drivers operate their vehicles under the influence. - Improper loading.
When cargo is loaded unevenly or not properly secured, it can shift during transit, causing the truck to roll over, jackknife, or lose its load on the highway. - Poor vehicle maintenance.
Worn brakes, bald tires, broken lights, and other maintenance failures are preventable, but only if the trucking company takes its inspection obligations seriously.
Any of these circumstances may be relevant to a personal injury claim when the evidence connects the conduct to the crash and resulting injuries. Our job is to investigate what happened, determine which people or businesses may bear legal responsibility, and identify the available sources of insurance or recovery.
Compensation Available in a Truck Accident Lawsuit
Michigan’s legal system allows semi-truck accident survivors to pursue compensation through two main channels.
No-Fault PIP Benefits
Under Michigan’s no-fault law, your own auto insurance policy provides personal injury protection benefits. These can include:
- Payment of medical expenses related to the accident (up to the coverage level you selected on your policy)
- Up to 85% of your gross wages for up to three years if you are unable to work due to your injuries
- Replacement services, such as help with household tasks you can no longer perform
- Mileage reimbursement for medical appointments
Michigan no-fault benefits generally do not depend on proving that another driver caused the crash, although eligibility, priority, coverage limits, and deadlines can affect an individual claim. Disputes may arise over what benefits are payable and which insurer is responsible.
Third-Party Negligence Claim
In addition to PIP benefits, if you suffered what the law calls a “serious impairment of body function” or “permanent serious disfigurement,” you may file a lawsuit against the at-fault parties for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of quality of life and enjoyment
- Excess economic losses beyond what PIP covers (such as wage loss beyond the three-year PIP limit)
Because commercial truck crashes can involve serious injuries and multiple potentially applicable insurance policies, identifying the available sources of recovery is an important part of evaluating a claim. The amount recoverable in any case depends on the injuries, losses, liability, insurance coverage, and other case-specific facts.
Why Truck Accident Insurance Claims Are More Complex
Unlike a typical car crash, a truck accident often involves multiple overlapping insurance policies and legal issues that can affect how and where your compensation comes from:
- The truck driver may be covered under the trucking company’s commercial auto policy, which can include several layers of liability, umbrella, and excess coverage.
- If the truck was being operated for a business purpose, the company’s own insurance may come into play for certain claims beyond your PIP benefits.
- Workers’ compensation issues can arise if the truck driver was also injured on the job, which can shift how insurance priorities are determined under Michigan law.
- If you did not have auto insurance at the time of the accident, you may still be able to claim PIP benefits through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan.
Sorting through these layers can require reviewing insurance policies, ownership and employment relationships, contracts, and the facts surrounding the crash. A Lansing truck accident lawyer can help determine which coverages and claims may apply.
Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Injury Claim
After a serious truck crash, it is completely understandable to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. But there are a few common mistakes that can hurt your case if you are not careful:
- Giving a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurance adjuster. The adjuster represents the insurer’s interests, and a recorded statement may later be compared with medical records, testimony, or other evidence when the claim is evaluated.
- Waiting too long to get legal help. Trucking companies and insurers may begin investigating serious crashes quickly. Some relevant business and electronic records are retained only for particular periods, so prompt action can matter when requesting that potentially important evidence be preserved.
- Settling too quickly. An early settlement offer may arrive before the long-term effects of an injury are known. Accepting a settlement generally involves releasing covered claims, so it is important to understand the injuries, available coverage, and terms of the release before agreeing.
- Missing filing deadlines. In Michigan, you generally have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. For no-fault PIP claims, the deadlines are even shorter. Missing these deadlines can cost you your right to compensation entirely.
Speaking with a Lansing truck accident lawyer early can help you understand applicable deadlines, preserve potentially important evidence, and decide how communications with insurers should be handled. We can also investigate liability and insurance issues while the facts are still relatively fresh.
FAQs for Lansing Truck Accident Lawyers
Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most from people injured in truck accidents in the Lansing area.
Independent-contractor status does not by itself answer every liability question. Responsibility can depend on the actual relationship among the driver, motor carrier, vehicle owner, and other businesses involved, as well as the legal theory being asserted. We investigate those relationships before determining which parties may be responsible.
Michigan uses comparative-fault rules, but their effect depends on the type of damages being sought. A plaintiff’s percentage of fault can reduce recoverable damages, and being more than 50% at fault can bar recovery of noneconomic damages. The facts therefore matter when fault is disputed.
Every case is different, and the value depends on factors like the severity of your injuries, how long your recovery takes, whether you can return to work, and how many liable parties and insurance policies are involved. Commercial truck cases can involve significant losses and substantial insurance coverage, but neither the type of vehicle nor the policy limits determine what an individual case is worth.
Michigan law generally gives you three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, deadlines for no-fault PIP benefit claims are shorter, and claims involving government vehicles may have additional notice requirements with even tighter timelines. It is best to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible so that no deadlines are missed.
Many personal injury claims resolve without a trial, but whether a particular case settles depends on the evidence, disputed issues, available coverage, and the parties’ positions. We prepare with litigation in mind so that settlement decisions can be evaluated against the case we would be prepared to present in court.
Before signing a release or giving a recorded statement to a trucking company or its insurer, consider obtaining legal advice about what is being requested and how it may affect the claim. If we represent you, we can handle appropriate communications with insurers and defense representatives.
No. We handle truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you.