Hit by a Commercial Truck? The Trucking Company Has Lawyers. You Should Too.
Truck accidents cause devastating injuries. The trucking company and their insurer have a legal team working right now. You need experienced advocates fighting just as hard for you.
Truck Accidents Are Different. Your Legal Team Should Be Too.
When a commercial truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the physics are unforgiving. An 80,000-pound transport truck generates forces that cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries. These cases are fundamentally different from car accidents because multiple parties may share liability: the truck driver, the trucking company, the maintenance provider, and even the cargo loader.
Edmonton sits at the intersection of major transport corridors. Highway 2, the QEII, and the Yellowhead see heavy commercial truck traffic daily. When accidents happen, the trucking company dispatches investigators to the scene within hours. Their goal is to protect their bottom line. Your goal should be protecting your future.
Common Truck Accident Causes on Edmonton Roads
Driver Fatigue
Despite hours-of-service regulations, many truck drivers push beyond safe limits. Fatigue impairs reaction time as severely as alcohol. If a fatigued driver caused your accident, electronic logging device records can prove it.
Improper Loading & Cargo Shifts
Overloaded or improperly secured cargo can cause trucks to tip, jackknife, or lose loads on the highway. The loading company may share liability for your injuries.
Equipment Failure & Poor Maintenance
Brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering malfunctions point to negligent maintenance. Trucking companies must maintain detailed inspection records that a skilled lawyer can subpoena.
Blind Spot Accidents
Commercial trucks have massive blind spots on all four sides. Drivers who fail to check mirrors and blind spots before lane changes cause devastating sideswipe and merging accidents.
Types of Truck Accident Injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries — Concussions to severe TBI with lasting cognitive effects
- Spinal cord injuries — Herniated discs, paralysis, chronic nerve damage
- Crush injuries — When smaller vehicles are compressed by truck weight
- Burns — From fuel fires and chemical spills in truck collisions
- Amputations — Catastrophic limb injuries requiring surgical removal
- Internal organ damage — The force of truck impacts causes severe internal injuries
Why Truck Accident Claims Need Specialized Lawyers
Truck accident litigation involves federal and provincial transport regulations, multiple insurance policies (often $2M+), corporate defendants with aggressive legal teams, and complex accident reconstruction. Our partner lawyers have specific experience with commercial vehicle claims and understand how to navigate this complexity to maximize your recovery.
Truck Accident FAQ
Who is liable in a truck accident?
Multiple parties can be liable: the driver, the trucking company, maintenance providers, cargo loaders, and even the truck or parts manufacturer. Your lawyer will investigate all potential defendants.
Are truck accident settlements higher than car accidents?
Generally yes. Injuries tend to be more severe and commercial insurance policies carry higher limits, often $2 million or more. Settlements reflect both the injury severity and available insurance.
How quickly should I contact a lawyer after a truck accident?
Immediately. Electronic logging data, dashcam footage, and inspection records can be overwritten or destroyed within days or weeks. Early legal involvement preserves critical evidence.
Other Case Types We Handle
Car Accidents
Workplace Injuries
Medical Malpractice
Slip & Fall
Motorcycle Accidents
About HurtCallMax
The Trucking Company Has Lawyers. Now You Do Too.
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Common questions about truck accidents claims in Alberta
Why are truck-accident claims different from car-accident claims?
The trucking company's insurance limits are 5-10x a standard auto policy, federal regulations create additional liability theories, and the defendant fights harder.
Who pays — the driver or the trucking company?
Usually both, plus the leasing company and sometimes the cargo loader. Multiple defendants are typically named under vicarious liability and direct negligence.
How long do I have to sue?
Two years from the date of the collision under the Alberta Limitations Act.
What evidence matters most?
Electronic logging device (ELD) data, vehicle event data recorder data, maintenance records, drug-test results, and the driver's qualification file. A litigation hold letter within days of the collision preserves all of this.
How much is a truck-accident claim worth?
Catastrophic-injury truck claims routinely settle into seven figures. See our calculator.
Related reading
Edmonton Car Accident Settlement Amounts by Injury Severity · Alberta Two-Year Limitations Clock · 60-Second Case Worth Calculator · How HurtCallMax Matches You · $0 Today. $0 Unless We Win. · All FAQs · St. Albert · Sherwood Park.
General information about Alberta personal-injury claims, not legal advice for your specific case.
What our editorial review has found in truck accidents cases
Alberta commercial-truck collision claims operate on a different scale than passenger-vehicle claims. The trucking company's commercial liability coverage typically runs $1 million to $5 million per policy, compared to roughly $500,000 to $1 million for a standard passenger auto policy. Federal regulations (Hours of Service, ELD logbook requirements, equipment-inspection standards) create additional liability theories beyond the driver's individual negligence: negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent supervision, negligent maintenance, federal-regulation violations. Reviewing Alberta Court of King’s Bench commercial-truck decisions on CanLII, the cases that produce the largest settlements consistently involve early preservation of evidence: the truck's ELD data, the driver's qualification file, the maintenance records, the cargo-loading records. A litigation-hold letter sent to the trucking company within days of the collision preserves this evidence; a delayed claim risks the data being overwritten or destroyed in the normal course.