Hit by a truck or bus? See if you may have a claim.
Semi-trucks, delivery vans, buses, and other commercial vehicles. Answer a few quick questions — it is free, and there is no obligation.
We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice. Submitting information does not create an attorney–client relationship. Attorney advertising.
- Free & confidential
- No obligation
- Takes about 2 minutes
- Connects you with experienced attorneys
What to know about Truck & Bus Accidents
A commercial vehicle claim arises when a truck, bus, or other vehicle operated for a business is involved in a crash that injures you. These claims often involve a company and its insurer rather than just an individual driver.
Why commercial vehicle crashes are often serious
A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh many times more than a passenger car, and it needs far more distance to stop. When a crash happens, the difference in size usually means the people in the smaller vehicle take the worst of it. Buses carry the added risk of many passengers, often without seat belts.
The evidence in a truck case is different
Commercial vehicles generate records that ordinary cars do not. Depending on the vehicle, that can include:
- Electronic logging data showing how long the driver had been on duty
- Engine and telematics data recording speed and braking
- Inspection and maintenance logs
- The driver’s employment, training, and safety history
- Cargo and loading documentation
These records are often held by the company whose driver was involved, which is one reason these cases benefit from having an attorney involved early.
More than one party may be responsible
In a car crash there is usually one other driver. In a commercial vehicle crash, responsibility can be spread across the driver, the company that employed them, whoever loaded the cargo, whoever maintained the vehicle, and sometimes the manufacturer. Identifying every responsible party matters, because each may carry its own insurance.
Who may be responsible?
Depending on what happened, one or more of the following may be responsible for your injuries. This is a general guide, not a determination — only an attorney can assess your specific circumstances.
- The truck or bus driver
- The trucking company, bus operator, or employer the driver was working for
- The company that loaded the cargo, if an unbalanced or unsecured load contributed
- A maintenance contractor, if brakes, tires, or lights were poorly serviced
- A vehicle or parts manufacturer, if a defect played a part
- A government agency, if it operated the bus — these claims often have much shorter notice deadlines
What compensation could cover
Where a claim succeeds, the types of loss below are the ones commonly taken into account. What any individual claim is worth depends entirely on its own facts — no amount is promised or implied here.
- Emergency care, hospital stays, surgery, and follow-up treatment
- Physical therapy, rehabilitation, and future medical care
- Wages lost while you were unable to work
- Reduced ability to earn a living going forward
- Vehicle repair or replacement, and other property damage
- Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Out-of-pocket costs such as transport to appointments and prescriptions
How it works
Three steps, and the first one takes about two minutes.
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Step 1: Answer a few questions
Tell us what happened in a couple of minutes. No documents, no phone call to get started.
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Step 2: See if you may qualify
We check your answers against the general criteria attorneys look for in this kind of case.
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Step 3: Get connected with a firm
If it looks like you may have a claim, we connect you with an experienced attorney in our network.
Frequently asked questions
Why are truck accident claims different from car accident claims?
Commercial vehicles are subject to federal and state safety rules that ordinary cars are not, such as limits on driving hours and requirements for inspections and record-keeping. Whether those rules were followed can matter a great deal. More parties may also share responsibility, and commercial insurance policies are usually structured differently from personal ones.
I was hit by a city bus. Is that handled the same way?
Not always. Claims against a public transit agency or other government body often require formal written notice within a short window — sometimes a matter of months — and missing it can end the claim. If a government-operated vehicle was involved, it is especially important to check your deadline quickly.
I was a passenger on the bus. Can I still make a claim?
Bus passengers may have a claim against the bus operator, and against any other driver who caused the crash. Commercial carriers are often held to a high standard of care toward their passengers.
What should I do if I think the trucking company is gathering evidence?
Trucking companies and their insurers often begin investigating very soon after a serious crash. Some evidence, such as electronic driving data and vehicle maintenance records, may not be kept indefinitely. An attorney can send a formal request asking that it be preserved.
Other types of motor vehicle accidents
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Car Accidents
A car accident claim seeks compensation from the driver, and usually the insurer, responsible for a crash that injured you. Drivers, passengers, and people in other vehicles can all bring one.
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Motorcycle Accidents
A motorcycle accident claim seeks compensation for a rider or passenger injured in a crash someone else caused. Because riders have so little protection, injuries are often serious and recovery can be long.
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Uber & Lyft Accidents
A rideshare accident claim involves a crash where an Uber, Lyft, or similar vehicle was involved. Which insurance applies often depends on what the rideshare driver was doing at the moment of the crash, which makes these claims more complicated than an ordinary car accident.
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Pedestrian Accidents
A pedestrian accident claim seeks compensation for someone struck by a vehicle while on foot. Pedestrians have no protection in a collision, so even a low-speed impact can cause serious injury.
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All motor vehicle accidents
A motor vehicle accident claim is a request for compensation after you have been injured, or your property has been damaged, in a crash that someone else caused. It covers far more than cars — collisions involving trucks, motorcycles, buses, rideshare vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians usually fall under the same body of law.
Find out what your claim could be worth
It takes about two minutes, it is completely free, and you are under no obligation.
We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice. Submitting information does not create an attorney–client relationship. Attorney advertising.