Choosing the Right Lawyer After a Truck Accident
When I meet with clients after a serious truck crash, I often explain just how different these cases are from typical car accidents. When a fully loaded semi-truck collides with a smaller passenger vehicle, the damage can be life-altering. Victims face catastrophic injuries, overwhelming medical bills, and months or even years of recovery. The aftermath can feel impossible to navigate—especially when powerful trucking companies and their insurers move quickly to protect their own interests. That’s why understanding semi-truck lawyer qualifications is so important before choosing who will represent you.
Choosing the right truck accident lawyer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Truck crashes are not like typical car accidents—they involve federal safety regulations, black box data, complex insurance layers, and multiple potentially liable parties, from the driver and carrier to maintenance providers and shippers.
1. Proven Experience Handling Truck Accident Cases
Truck accident litigation is far more complex than standard car crash claims. It involves multiple defendants, interstate laws, and commercial insurance carriers that fight aggressively to minimize payouts.
An experienced truck accident lawyer in Michigan or Ohio knows how to navigate these layers — identifying every responsible party, calculating full damages, and building a case that stands up in court.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our truck accident attorneys combine decades of experience with advanced legal tools such as accident reconstruction, electronic logging device (ELD) analysis, and black box data interpretation to prove liability and secure justice for victims.
2. Success Against Large Truck Carriers and Insurance Companies
Trucking companies and their insurers often deploy defense teams immediately after a crash to limit their exposure. They might try to shift blame, pressure victims into quick settlements, or claim the accident was unavoidable.
Our firm has stood up to national carriers and corporate insurers for decades. We know their tactics — and how to beat them. Our truck accident lawyers have recovered millions in settlements and verdicts by exposing policy violations, unsafe maintenance practices, and bad-faith insurance conduct.
When you work with us, you gain a team that has successfully taken on the biggest names in the industry — and won.
3. Ability to Gather and Use Critical Evidence
Strong evidence forms the backbone of every successful truck accident case. A skilled attorney understands how to secure and interpret critical documentation before it disappears.
Key evidence in a truck crash claim includes:
Black box (ECM) and ELD data: Captures speed, braking, and hours-of-service compliance.
Maintenance and inspection reports: Reveal mechanical neglect or skipped repairs.
Driver qualification and personnel files: Show whether the driver was properly licensed or trained.
Accident reconstruction analysis: Uses skid marks, debris, and impact data to illustrate fault.
Expert witness testimony: Helps explain technical findings, long-term injuries, and economic losses.
Our semi-truch crash attorneys know how to gather and preserve this evidence quickly — before carriers can alter or destroy it.
4. Expertise in Preserving Evidence Quickly
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations allow carriers to destroy certain records after limited timeframes — sometimes within weeks of a crash. Without swift legal action, critical data like ELD logs, inspection reports, and dash-cam footage can vanish.
5. Deep Understanding of Federal Trucking Regulations
Truck accident claims demand in-depth knowledge of FMCSA regulations, which govern nearly every aspect of the trucking industry — from driver conduct and rest periods to vehicle safety and cargo securement.
Your lawyer must be able to spot violations such as:
Excessive driving hours or skipped rest breaks
Poor maintenance and inspection failures
Distracted or impaired driving
Falsified driver logs or inspection reports
Overloaded or improperly secured cargo
Each of these violations can serve as clear evidence of negligence. Our semi crash attorneys routinely uncover these patterns and use them to hold trucking companies accountable for violating federal safety laws.
6. Demonstrated Results and Client Advocacy
The most qualified truck accident lawyers deliver results — not promises.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our attorneys have recovered over half a billion dollars for injured clients, helping them rebuild their lives after devastating crashes. We fight tirelessly for fair compensation covering medical expenses, lost income, rehabilitation costs, and pain and suffering.
Our team’s success is built on compassion, preparation, and persistence — the same qualities that have made us a trusted advocate for injury victims for over seven decades.
How Is a Truck Accident Different from a Car Accident Case?
Truck accidents differ from car crashes in almost every way:
Number of liable parties: Responsibility may extend beyond the driver to include the carrier, cargo loader, or manufacturer.
Complex evidence: ELD data, maintenance records, and FMCSA compliance logs require prompt legal action to preserve.
Insurance challenges: Commercial carriers carry multi-million-dollar policies and aggressive defense counsel.
Because of these differences, victims should never rely on a general personal injury attorney. You need a lawyer experienced in truck accident litigation to handle the complexities unique to these cases.
FMCSA Violations and Employer Accountability
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets strict safety standards designed to keep highways safe and reduce preventable crashes. When trucking companies or their drivers violate these regulations, they not only endanger the public but also strengthen claims of negligence under vicarious liability principles.
Common FMCSA violations that support liability claims include:
Driving more hours than legally allowed (hours-of-service violations and fatigue)
Failing to inspect or maintain brakes, tires, and other critical components
Overloading or improperly securing cargo
Texting or using a handheld device while driving
Employing drivers with prior safety violations, suspended licenses, or failed drug tests
Each of these violations can serve as powerful evidence in a commercial vehicle accident case. Proving these safety breaches helps establish that the trucking company ignored federal standards and failed to protect other drivers on the road.
At Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault, our semi-truck accident attorneys know how to uncover hidden FMCSA violations and employer misconduct. We work with accident reconstruction experts, data analysts, and regulatory specialists to expose negligent practices and hold trucking companies accountable. Our deep experience with semi-truck accident lawyer qualifications allows us to pursue every responsible party, ensuring our clients receive the maximum compensation they deserve.
How Does Vicarious Liability Apply to Commercial Vehicle Accidents?
Vicarious liability plays a critical role in commercial vehicle and semi-truck accident cases. Under this legal principle, an employer can be held responsible for the negligent actions of its employee if those actions occurred within the scope of employment. In other words, when a company driver causes a crash while performing job-related duties—such as making deliveries, hauling freight, or traveling between assigned routes—the employer may share legal accountability for the resulting injuries and damages.
This concept is especially important in semi-truck and commercial vehicle accidents, where drivers operate under company policies, strict delivery schedules, and performance expectations. If an employer’s policies or pressure to meet deadlines contributed to unsafe driving, fatigue, or other violations, the company itself can be found liable. For example, if a trucking company required a driver to meet unrealistic delivery times, ignored rest-period regulations, or failed to properly maintain its fleet, it may bear direct and vicarious liability for any resulting collisions.
Holding employers accountable ensures victims have access to deeper insurance coverage and fair compensation. A seasoned truck accident lawyer understands how to prove this connection—linking driver conduct to employer negligence through logbooks, dispatch records, and company communications.
Call Our Truck Accident Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck crash, don’t face the trucking company or insurer alone.
With more than 70 years of experience, Gallon, Takacs & Boissoneault has built a legacy of advocacy for accident victims across Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan, and Northeast Indiana. We know how to expose negligence, preserve evidence, and fight for justice when your future is on the line. Our proven experience and semi-truck accident lawyer qualifications ensure that every client receives skilled, results-driven representation backed by decades of success in complex trucking cases.
Call 419-843-6663 or complete our online contact form for a free consultation. Let our truck accident lawyers guide you through every step of your recovery — from investigation to settlement or trial.
Jeff joined GT&B in 2008 as a law clerk. After graduation, he worked in election law. In 2011, he returned to GT&B as an Associate, focusing on personal injury cases like auto accidents, premises liability, general negligence, wrongful death, and dog bites. Now a Senior Associate in the Personal Injury department, he is passionate about protecting his clients who have suffered injuries through no fault of their own and ensuring they receive the justice and compensation they deserve.
