Michigan trucking by the numbers
In 2024, Michigan recorded 5,504 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes, including 89 fatal CMV crashes — about 10% of all Michigan traffic fatalities involve a commercial truck or bus, despite trucks making up a small fraction of vehicles on the road (Michigan State Police 2024 Annual Report; FMCSA Michigan summary).
Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties have the highest absolute truck crash counts. But the I-94 east-west freight corridor through Calhoun, Jackson, and Kalamazoo carries the heaviest interstate trucking volume in the state, and the I-75 corridor through Monroe County serves as the Ohio-border gateway for every Toledo-bound semi.
Why truck cases are different
Federal regulations apply
Commercial trucks operating in interstate commerce are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399). These cover:
- Driver qualifications and Commercial Driver's License (CDL) requirements (49 CFR Part 391)
- Hours of service limits — 11 hours driving, 14 hours on-duty, 70 hours per 8 days (49 CFR Part 395)
- Vehicle inspection and maintenance (49 CFR Part 396)
- Drug and alcohol testing (49 CFR Part 382)
- Cargo securement (49 CFR Part 393, Subpart I)
A violation of any FMCSR can establish negligence per se under Michigan law. We pull the driver qualification file, the carrier's Safety Measurement System data, the ELD logs, and the maintenance records on every case.
Electronic evidence disappears fast
Modern commercial trucks generate enormous amounts of electronic data:
- Electronic Logging Device (ELD) — records driving time, on-duty time, and location.
- Engine Control Module ("black box") — speed, braking, throttle, RPM in the seconds before impact.
- Dashcam and inward-facing camera — many fleets record continuously.
- GPS / fleet management systems — Omnitracs, Samsara, KeepTruckin route data.
- Telematics — speed, hard braking, lane departure events.
Carriers are required to retain ELD records for only 6 months. ECM data can be overwritten in days if the truck is put back into service. A spoliation letter must be sent within days of the crash to preserve this evidence — by the time many clients call other firms, the data is already gone.
Multiple defendants, multiple insurance layers
Trucking cases typically involve several potential defendants:
- The driver (employee or owner-operator)
- The motor carrier (the trucking company)
- The truck owner (if separately leased)
- The trailer owner (often a different entity)
- The shipper (for cargo loading or securement issues)
- The broker (for negligent carrier selection)
- Maintenance contractors
- Parts manufacturers (for defective equipment)
Federal minimum financial responsibility for interstate trucks is $750,000 for general freight, $1 million for non-hazardous oil, and $5 million for hazardous materials (49 CFR 387.9). Most carriers carry $1-5 million in primary coverage plus umbrella policies. Stacking the layers correctly is part of maximizing recovery.
Types of Michigan trucking cases we handle
- Semi-truck and 18-wheeler crashes on I-75, I-94, I-69, I-96, I-275, I-696, I-275, US-23, US-31, M-14
- Tractor-trailer rear-end collisions
- Underride and override crashes
- Jackknife and rollover crashes
- Cargo spill and improperly secured load crashes
- Truck tire blowout crashes
- Sleeper-berth fatigue crashes (HOS violations)
- Drug and alcohol-related CMV crashes
- Construction zone truck crashes
- Wrongful death trucking cases
- Cases involving Spanish-speaking drivers or victims
- Cases involving immigration-status concerns
Corridor-specific representation
Different Michigan trucking corridors have different patterns:
- I-94 corridor — Detroit to Chicago freight, Calhoun County (Battle Creek/Marshall), Jackson, Kalamazoo. Heaviest east-west truck volume in Michigan.
- I-75 / Monroe County — Ohio-border gateway, Toledo-Detroit corridor, all auto industry just-in-time logistics.
- I-69 corridor — Indiana to Port Huron, Marshall (I-94/I-69 junction is a critical convergence point).
- I-75 / Auburn Hills to Saginaw — north-south through Genesee/Saginaw, auto plant freight.
What to do after a truck crash
- Call 911 immediately. A police report is critical evidence.
- Get medical treatment. Some injuries (TBI, internal bleeding) are not immediately obvious.
- Photograph everything — vehicles, scene, skid marks, the truck's DOT number, the trailer number, cargo, any visible logs or paperwork.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurance adjuster.
- Do not sign a medical authorization the insurer sends — they often draft them to access far more records than they're entitled to.
- Call us within 48-72 hours. The spoliation letter has to go out immediately to preserve ELD, ECM, and dashcam data.
- File your no-fault PIP application within 1 year. This is required by Michigan law to access medical and wage-loss benefits.
Frequently asked questions
How are truck accident cases different from regular car accident cases?
Truck accidents involve federal regulations that don't apply to passenger vehicles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) govern driver qualifications, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and cargo securement. A violation of any of these regulations can establish negligence per se. Commercial trucks also have Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), dashcams, GPS, and engine control modules ('black boxes') that record critical evidence — but that evidence disappears quickly if not preserved with a spoliation letter within days of the crash. And the corporate defendants (trucking company, broker, shipper, leasing company, insurer) have aggressive defense teams that mobilize within hours. These cases are not the same animal as a fender-bender.
How much is a Michigan truck accident case worth?
Truck cases recover dramatically more than typical car cases because of the severity of injuries and the layers of insurance involved. Federal law requires interstate commercial trucks to carry minimum $750,000 liability coverage, with $5 million required for hazmat. Many carriers carry $1-5 million in primary coverage plus umbrella policies. Combined with Michigan's no-fault medical benefits, serious truck cases routinely settle in the $250,000 to $5 million+ range. We've seen catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases recover much more. The value depends on injuries, liability, available coverage, and how quickly evidence is preserved.
What is the deadline to file a Michigan truck accident lawsuit?
The statute of limitations for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit arising from a truck crash in Michigan is three years from the date of the crash. But the no-fault PIP benefits claim must be filed within one year. Waiting is the single most common mistake — by the time most clients call us, the trucking company has already collected and 'lost' the most important evidence. The spoliation letter should go out within days, not months.
Can the trucking company be held liable, or just the driver?
Both, and usually several other parties as well. Under Michigan law and the FMCSRs, a motor carrier is responsible for the negligent acts of its drivers (respondeat superior). The carrier can also be directly liable for negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent supervision, negligent maintenance, and negligent entrustment. Beyond the carrier, we typically also evaluate the truck's owner (if leased), the shipper (cargo securement issues), the broker (improper carrier selection), maintenance contractors, and parts manufacturers. Truck cases are corporate-defendant cases. Multiple deep pockets matter.
Do you handle truck accident cases for Spanish-speaking clients?
Yes. Se Habla Español — we handle truck crash cases for Spanish-speaking victims and commercial drivers throughout Southeast Michigan. We also coordinate with professional Arabic interpreters for clients from Michigan's Arab American communities. Translated documents at critical moments (recorded statements, depositions, settlement discussions) can determine whether a case succeeds, so we take language access seriously.
What if I'm a truck driver who was hit, not the other driver?
We represent commercial drivers who were injured by other vehicles, by defective equipment, by negligent shippers, or by unsafe loading practices. CDL drivers have specific concerns — workers' compensation interplay, CSA score impact, employer retaliation, and continued employability — that require careful handling. We also represent CDL drivers in immigration-status-sensitive matters when the driver is a green card holder, visa holder, or has DACA status.
Get a spoliation letter out today
Every day after a truck crash, more evidence disappears. Free consultation. Bilingual (EN/ES). Available evenings and weekends. Same-day callbacks.
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