Michigan Truck Accident Attorneys

A Michigan truck accident claim is a civil case for injuries caused by a collision with a commercial truck, typically a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds. These claims rest on ordinary negligence principles under Michigan law, but they also draw on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 C.F.R. Parts 350 to 399), which set binding standards for driver hours, vehicle maintenance, driver qualification, and cargo securement. A violation of one of those federal rules can establish negligence per se, meaning the regulation itself supplies the standard of care. Because Michigan uses a no-fault system, an injured person first recovers economic losses through Personal Injury Protection benefits under MCL 500.3101 et seq., then may pursue the at-fault driver or carrier for additional damages when the injury meets the statutory threshold in MCL 500.3135.

At Neumann Law Group, our Michigan truck accident attorneys represent people injured in collisions with tractor-trailers, delivery trucks, and other commercial vehicles across Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Detroit, and the surrounding communities. A crash with an 80,000-pound truck rarely resembles an ordinary car wreck. The injuries are more severe, the defendants are better funded, and the evidence that proves fault often sits inside the truck’s own systems and the carrier’s records. This work connects to the firm’s broader Michigan motor vehicle accident practice, and it begins with understanding how a commercial trucking case differs from a standard auto claim from the first call.

What Counts as a Truck Accident Claim Under Michigan Law?

To recover noneconomic damages from an at-fault trucker or trucking company, a Michigan plaintiff must prove negligence: a duty of reasonable care, a breach of that duty, causation, and actual harm. When a driver or carrier violates a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation, that violation can establish the standard of care through negligence per se, shifting the focus to whether the breach caused the injury.

The defendant is not always just the person behind the wheel. A single crash can involve the driver, the motor carrier that employed or contracted with the driver, a separate company that owned the trailer, a maintenance vendor, the business that loaded the cargo, a freight broker, and the manufacturer of a defective part. Each may have owed a distinct duty, and identifying every responsible party early matters because it affects both the available insurance coverage and how the case is built.

How Michigan Truck Accident Cases Happen

Commercial truck crashes tend to share a recognizable set of causes. Driver fatigue from running past federal hours-of-service limits is among the most common. Others include a truck’s large rear and side blind zones, the long stopping distance a loaded rig needs, jackknifing on wet or icy Michigan roads, underride collisions where a smaller vehicle slides beneath a trailer, improperly secured or overloaded cargo, deferred maintenance on brakes and tires, and ordinary speeding or distraction. Each cause points toward a different set of records and a different theory of liability.

Federal data underscores who bears the harm in these crashes. In 2022, large trucks were involved in 5,837 fatal crashes nationwide, and 82 percent of the people killed in fatal large-truck crashes were not occupants of the truck, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The weight and size mismatch means the occupants of the smaller vehicle almost always absorb the worst of the impact.

The injuries that follow a commercial truck crash are often life-altering. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, internal organ injuries, and severe burns are common when a passenger vehicle is struck by a truck many times its weight. These outcomes shape both the medical proof in a case and the long-term damages, including future care needs and lost earning capacity, that a complete claim has to account for.

What Federal Safety Rules Apply to Michigan Truck Accident Claims?

Federal hours-of-service rules limit how long a commercial driver may operate. Under 49 C.F.R. 395.3, a property-carrying driver may drive no more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and may not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty. Electronic logging devices required under 49 C.F.R. Part 395 record this time, and falsified or missing logs frequently point to a fatigue-related crash.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations reach well beyond driving time. Driver qualification and medical certification fall under 49 C.F.R. Part 391, with commercial license standards in 49 C.F.R. Part 383. Drug and alcohol testing is governed by 49 C.F.R. Part 382. Inspection, repair, and maintenance requirements, including daily vehicle inspection reports, sit in 49 C.F.R. Part 396, and cargo securement standards appear in 49 C.F.R. Part 393. These rules apply to most trucks over 10,000 pounds, and Michigan has incorporated much of the federal framework into state law for commercial trucks operating within the state under the Michigan Motor Carrier Safety Act. Pulling the carrier’s compliance records for each of these areas is often where a truck case is won or lost.

Damages Available in Michigan Truck Accident Cases

Michigan separates truck accident damages into two tracks. First-party Personal Injury Protection benefits under MCL 500.3145 cover medical care, a portion of lost wages, and replacement services regardless of fault. A third-party claim against the at-fault driver or carrier may add noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, but only when the injury satisfies the serious impairment threshold in MCL 500.3135.

On the no-fault side, allowable benefits include reasonably necessary medical and rehabilitation expenses, replacement services for tasks the injured person can no longer perform, and 85 percent of lost wages for up to three years, subject to a monthly maximum that the state adjusts annually. Beyond no-fault, a third-party tort claim can pursue noneconomic damages, future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and economic losses that exceed the PIP coverage in place. Michigan also allows a limited mini tort recovery of up to $3,000 for vehicle damage from the at-fault driver under MCL 500.3135(3)(e). When a crash is fatal, the claim becomes a wrongful death action under MCL 600.2922, brought by the personal representative of the estate.

How Does Michigan’s No-Fault System Affect a Truck Accident Claim?

Michigan’s no-fault system sets two separate clocks. A claim for PIP benefits must be pursued within one year of the accident under MCL 500.3145. A tort claim against the at-fault driver or trucking company carries a three-year statute of limitations under MCL 600.5805. The two deadlines run independently, and missing the one-year PIP deadline can bar first-party benefits even when the tort claim remains alive.

The serious impairment threshold under MCL 500.3135 is what separates a first-party benefits claim from a lawsuit for pain and suffering. Michigan defines a serious impairment of body function as an objectively manifested impairment of an important body function that affects a person’s general ability to lead a normal life. Courts examine whether the impairment is supported by medical evidence, whether the affected function is important to the particular person, and how the injury has changed the way that person lives. Permanent serious disfigurement and death are separate threshold categories that also open the door to noneconomic damages. Whether a given injury clears this threshold is frequently the central dispute in a Michigan truck accident lawsuit.

The 2019 reforms under PA 21 of 2019 added another layer. Drivers now choose among PIP coverage levels, and many selected lower tiers without grasping how that choice would limit benefits after a serious crash. How those benefits coordinate with health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid is a frequent source of confusion. Our Michigan No-Fault Insurance Guide walks through the coverage tiers and the 2019 changes in detail.

How Does Comparative Fault Affect a Michigan Truck Accident Case?

Michigan follows modified comparative fault under MCL 600.2959. A plaintiff’s damages are reduced by their share of responsibility for the crash. A plaintiff found more than 50 percent at fault cannot recover noneconomic damages, though limited economic recovery may remain. Trucking defendants routinely raise comparative fault to argue that a passenger-vehicle driver contributed to the collision, which makes the physical evidence and reconstruction work especially important.

How Neumann Law Group Builds Michigan Truck Accident Cases

At Neumann Law Group, our Michigan truck accident lawyers treat the first days after a crash as the most consequential. We send preservation demands to the carrier so that electronic control module data, electronic logging device records, the driver qualification file, maintenance and inspection logs, dispatch records, and the bill of lading are not overwritten on a routine retention schedule. We work to identify every responsible party, from the driver to the carrier, broker, and any maintenance or cargo contractor, and we bring in accident reconstruction support where the cause is disputed.

The firm draws on more than 200 years of combined attorney experience, including defense-side work that shows how insurers and their counsel evaluate and defend commercial trucking claims. That background informs how the firm’s trial attorneys approach negotiation and, when needed, trial. The firm serves injured truck-crash clients across Detroit, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and communities throughout Michigan.

Building a Michigan truck accident case takes early action, because a carrier’s electronic logs and inspection records may cycle out of routine retention within months. At Neumann Law Group, our truck accident attorneys move quickly to preserve that evidence, and an initial case review carries no charge. To talk through what happened, call (800) 525-6386.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Truck Accident Claim in Michigan?

The statute of limitations for a Michigan truck accident injury lawsuit is generally three years from the date of the crash under MCL 600.5805. A first-party PIP claim has a shorter one-year deadline under MCL 500.3145. When a truck crash causes a death, the claim is brought by the personal representative of the estate and is governed by MCL 600.2922, subject to the three-year limitations period. Shorter notice rules can apply when a government vehicle is involved, which is one more reason to confirm the applicable deadline early.

How Truck Accident Cases Move Through Michigan Courts

A Michigan truck accident lawsuit is typically filed in the circuit court for the county where the crash occurred or where a defendant is located. Cases arising in Detroit proceed through the Wayne County Third Circuit Court, Grand Rapids matters through the Kent County 17th Circuit Court, and Traverse City matters through the 13th Circuit Court covering Grand Traverse, Antrim, and Leelanau counties. Crashes on Michigan freight corridors such as I-75, I-94, I-96, US-31, and US-131 can raise venue questions when an out-of-state carrier is involved.

After filing, discovery in a trucking case often runs deeper than in a passenger-vehicle claim. It can include depositions of the driver, the carrier’s safety director, and corporate representatives, along with production of the federal compliance records described above. Michigan cases frequently pass through case evaluation or mediation before trial, and many resolve by settlement once liability evidence is developed. The firm prepares each case as though it will be tried, which shapes the leverage available in settlement discussions.

Commercial trucking claims also tend to involve larger and more layered insurance coverage than passenger-vehicle cases. Interstate motor carriers must carry federally mandated minimum liability coverage under 49 C.F.R. Part 387, and a single crash may implicate the carrier’s policy, the driver’s coverage, a freight broker’s policy, and the injured person’s own no-fault benefits. Sorting out which policies respond, and in what order, is part of valuing a claim accurately.

Frequently Asked Questions About Michigan Truck Accidents

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Michigan Truck Accident?

Liability in a Michigan truck accident is not limited to the driver. Depending on the facts, the motor carrier, a separate trailer owner, a maintenance contractor, a cargo loader, a freight broker, or a parts manufacturer may share responsibility. Michigan negligence law and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations both help identify which parties owed duties and how those duties were breached.

Do Federal Trucking Regulations Apply to a Crash on a Michigan Road?

Yes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 C.F.R. Parts 350 to 399) apply to most commercial trucks over 10,000 pounds, and Michigan has incorporated much of that framework into state law for trucks operating within the state. A violation, such as an hours-of-service breach under 49 C.F.R. 395.3, can supply the standard of care in a negligence claim.

How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Michigan?

A tort lawsuit against the at-fault driver or carrier generally must be filed within three years of the crash under MCL 600.5805. A claim for first-party PIP benefits carries a separate one-year deadline under MCL 500.3145. These deadlines run independently, so one can expire while the other remains open.

What Evidence Matters Most in a Truck Accident Case?

Critical evidence often sits inside the truck and the carrier’s files: electronic control module data, electronic logging device records, the driver qualification file, maintenance and inspection logs, dispatch records, and the bill of lading. Much of it is subject to routine retention schedules, so a preservation demand sent early can keep records from being overwritten or destroyed.

Can I Recover Damages if I Was Partly at Fault?

Possibly. Michigan applies modified comparative fault under MCL 600.2959. Damages are reduced by the injured person’s percentage of fault, and a person found more than 50 percent at fault cannot recover noneconomic damages. Limited economic recovery may still be available depending on the circumstances.

Related Practice Areas

• Truck driver fatigue cases turn on hours-of-service violations and electronic logging device records that show a driver exceeded federal driving limits.
• Truck blind spot accidents arise in a large rig’s no-zones, where the driver cannot see a smaller vehicle alongside or behind the trailer.
• Truck braking ability matters because a loaded commercial truck needs far greater stopping distance than a passenger car, especially on wet Michigan roads.
• Fatal truck accidents involve a wrongful death claim under MCL 600.2922 brought by the personal representative of the estate.

Talk to a Michigan Truck Accident Attorney

If you or a family member was hurt in a collision with a commercial truck, the strength of a claim often depends on what gets preserved in the first days. At Neumann Law Group, our Michigan truck accident attorneys offer free consultations, are available 24/7, and travel to clients whose injuries limit their mobility. Call (800) 525-6386 or contact our office to discuss your case with a Michigan personal injury lawyer.