Success message
Error message
When commercial trucks—often weighing more than 10,000 pounds—are involved in crashes, the consequences can be and often are catastrophic. While these cases are complex, often requiring accident reconstrctiuonists and teams of investigators, one thing is clear: when large trucks crash, they cause serious injuries and fatalities.
In 2022, the United States saw trucking accidents, that resulted in 160,608 injuries and 4764 fatalities.
Nationally, 1 in 9 traffic fatalities involves a commercial vehicle.
Tragically, 78% of those killed were not in the truck—they were passengers or drivers in other vehicles.
And it's not just lives lost—the economic cost of fatal trucking accidents exceeds $20 billion annually. That includes:
$8.7 billion in lost productivity
$2.5 billion in resource costs
$13.1 billion in quality-of-life losses
Most of these devastating crashes are completely preventable and often caused by:
Driver fatigue and violations of federal hours-of-service rules.
Speeding, especially in unsafe weather or road conditions.
Failure to yield, running off the road, or reckless maneuvers.
Inadequate driver training.
Overloaded or oversized trucks.
Poorly maintained brakes or safety equipment.
Driving in poor weather or low visibility.
Impaired or aggressive driving.
Negligence in using under-ride protection systems.
Drivers with a long history of wrecks or violations.
Identifying these causes requires knowledge of both trucking law and the ability to uncover key evidence—something only an experienced trucking attorney can do effectively.
Truck accident cases are complex. Liability can extend beyond the driver to:
The trucking company
The vehicle owner
The maintenance provider
The manufacturer
Or even the shipper of the cargo
What’s more, not all trucking companies are safe, even if they appear legitimate. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that 9% of trucking and bus companies ordered to be shut down for safety violations continued operating illegally under new names.
Trucking companies and their insurers don’t ask “if” a wreck will happen—they prepare for “when.” They have investigators and legal teams on-call 24/7, ready to deploy to crash scenes within minutes to limit their liability. These forces respond quickly and have been known to intimidate witnesses and alter or destroy evidence.
As such, if you or someone you love has been involved in a crash with a commercial truck or 18-wheeler, you must act quickly. Time is critical to preserve evidence, identify responsible parties, and protect your rights.
At McArdle & Whitman, we don’t just handle trucking cases—we attack them relentlessly. Our mission is simple:
Uncover the truth using our team of lawyers, investigators and accident deconstructionists.
Hold every responsible party accountable.
Give you peace of mind knowing we’ve done everything possible to secure justice.
At McArdle & Whitman, we are experts on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act and state commercial vehicle safety laws. This expertise, along with our hard work and dedication to our clients, has resulted in multiple settlements/verdicts for commercial vehicle victims totaling into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
These commitments are not just words on a web page. Reach out to us. We will be happy to share with you how our work has made a significant difference to numerous families that have suffered from avoidable commercial vehicle accidents. We are here to help.
Get in touch to schedule your free consultation with one of our lawyers. Simply fill in the form or give us a call. We will be happy to answer your questions and evaluate your case free of charge.