Truck Accident Lawyers in Colorado Springs

Interstate 25 carries heavy freight traffic through Colorado Springs, and delivery vans now work every neighborhood. A crash with a commercial vehicle is different from a crash between two cars in three ways: the injuries are usually worse, more than one company may be responsible, and the evidence that proves it belongs to the trucking company.

Federal safety rules

Interstate trucking companies and their drivers are governed by federal regulations as well as Colorado traffic law. Those rules cover how long drivers may drive, how they are hired, trained, and tested for drugs and alcohol, how vehicles are inspected and maintained, and how cargo is secured. A violation of one of them is often the clearest proof of fault.

Driver fatigue and hours of service

Fatigue is one of the most common causes of serious truck crashes, and it is regulated in detail. A driver carrying property may drive at most 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive after the 14th hour on duty, and must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving. Most trucks record hours on an electronic logging device, and that record can be compared with fuel receipts, GPS data, and delivery schedules. Schedules that couldn’t be met legally are evidence against the company as well as the driver.

More than one defendant

The driver is rarely the only party responsible. Depending on the facts, claims may lie against:

• the motor carrier that employed or contracted the driver, including for negligent hiring, training, or supervision,
• the owner of the truck or trailer, if different,
• the company that loaded the cargo, if a shifting or overweight load contributed, and
• a maintenance company or parts manufacturer, if brakes, tires, or other equipment failed.

Federal rules require interstate carriers of general freight to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and many carry more. Identifying every responsible party matters because serious injuries can exceed any single policy.

Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers

A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds and needs far more distance to stop than a car. Jackknifes, rollovers, underride crashes, and wide-turn collisions are specific to these vehicles and each leaves physical evidence that an accident reconstruction can read.

Delivery vans and commercial vehicles

Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and similar companies often deliver through contractors rather than their own employees. Who is legally responsible for a delivery driver can depend on those contracts and on how much control the company exercises, and the companies will argue about it. The same is true of utility trucks, box trucks, and other work vehicles. Smaller commercial vehicles may fall under different federal rules than semi-trucks, and some fall under none.

Evidence that disappears

Trucks carry engine control modules and logging devices that record speed, braking, and hours. Carriers also hold driver qualification files, inspection and maintenance records, and dispatch communications. Some of this is kept only for limited periods under federal rules or company policy, and some is overwritten in normal operation. A preservation letter sent early puts the company on notice that it must keep it.

How we handle truck accident claims

We send preservation demands to the carrier immediately, get the crash reconstruction and vehicle data, and request the driver’s logs, qualification file, and the truck’s maintenance history. We identify every company involved in the load and every insurance policy, and we build the claim around the rules the carrier was required to follow.