A serious semi-truck crash on I-696, M-10, M-39/Southfield Freeway, or Telegraph Road can leave you with major injuries and a claim involving more than one company. The driver may work for a carrier, while separate businesses own the tractor or trailer, maintain the equipment, or control the load.
Our Southfield semi truck accident lawyers identify who controlled each part of the trucking operation, preserve the records that can show what happened, and pursue the insurance coverage available from the responsible parties.
At Kajy Law Firm, car, truck, and motorcycle accident cases are all we do. We have handled 5,000+ cases and recovered more than $100 million for clients. Call 248-702-6641 or contact us online today for a free consultation from our Southfield office. We are available 24/7.
Table of contents
- Why Does a Semi-Truck Crash Require a Different Investigation?
- Preserving Electronic Logs and Black-Box Evidence
- How Hours-of-Service Rules Can Affect a Semi-Truck Claim
- Who Can Be Responsible for a Southfield 18-Wheeler Crash?
- What Federal Trucking Records Can Show
- How We Prove Fault in a Tractor-Trailer Crash
- Southfield Roads and Districts Can Shape the Evidence
- How Michigan No-Fault Benefits Fit Into a Semi-Truck Injury Case
- What Compensation May Be Available After a Serious Semi-Truck Crash?
- How Long Do You Have to File a Semi-Truck Accident Lawsuit?
- Why Choose Kajy Law Firm for a Southfield Semi-Truck Case?
- What Happens in the First Weeks of a Semi-Truck Investigation?
- Questions Southfield Semi-Truck Accident Clients Ask Us
- Speak With a Southfield Semi Truck Injury Attorney
Why Does a Semi-Truck Crash Require a Different Investigation?
Semi-truck crashes require us to investigate both the driver and the trucking operation. Federal hours-of-service rules, vehicle inspections, cargo handling, company safety practices, and commercial insurance can affect who is responsible and what coverage is available.
A Southfield 18 wheeler accident lawyer at Kajy Law Firm will review driver logs, electronic logging device (ELD) data, dispatch messages, maintenance files, cargo records, and company policies for evidence of fatigue, unsafe equipment, poor loading, or pressure from the carrier.
Our semi truck injury attorneys also identify who employed or controlled the driver, who owned the tractor and trailer, who maintained the equipment, and which insurance policies apply. That work can reveal responsibility that would be missed by looking only at the driver.
Preserving Electronic Logs and Black-Box Evidence
Electronic evidence can show how the truck driver was operating the vehicle before the collision. Depending on the systems installed, it may reveal driving time, speed, braking, location, dispatch communications, and video from the cab or roadway.
- Driver records of duty status and electronic logging device data
- Dispatch messages, trip records, schedules, and bills of lading
- Engine or event data showing speed, braking, or other recorded vehicle information
- Dash-camera or fleet-camera video when available
- Inspection, repair, brake, tire, and maintenance records
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules require motor carriers to keep drivers' records of duty status and supporting documents for six months, but dash-camera footage, telematics, and other company data may follow different retention schedules.
We send preservation demands early so relevant evidence is not overwritten or discarded. A preservation or spoliation letter sent within the first 30 days is an investigative step, not a separate legal filing deadline.
How Hours-of-Service Rules Can Affect a Semi-Truck Claim
The FMCSA’s hours of service rules limit how long many interstate commercial drivers may drive and remain on duty. Property-carrying drivers are generally limited to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty and may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, subject to applicable rules and exceptions.
Drivers generally must take a 30-minute break after eight cumulative hours of driving without at least a 30-minute interruption. Weekly rules can also restrict driving after 60 or 70 hours on duty in seven or eight consecutive days.
Logs do not prove fatigue by themselves. We compare them with fuel receipts, dispatch records, toll data, GPS information, and other timestamps to see whether the driver's reported hours match the actual trip. Conflicts can point to missing rest, inaccurate logs, or a schedule that deserves closer scrutiny.
Who Can Be Responsible for a Southfield 18-Wheeler Crash?
Liability follows what each person or company did and controlled. The driver may have caused the collision, while a carrier, owner, repair company, loader, or broker may be responsible for a separate decision that also contributed. We investigate each role by gathering proof after a Michigan collision before deciding which parties to pursue for your damages.
| Possible party | Why the party may be involved |
| Truck driver | Driving conduct such as speed, fatigue, distraction, or unsafe lane movement |
| Motor carrier | Its own conduct and, in appropriate cases, responsibility for a driver acting within the scope of employment |
| Truck or trailer owner | Vehicle condition, maintenance, or ownership responsibilities |
| Maintenance or repair company | Negligent inspection or repair that contributed to a mechanical failure |
| Shipper, loader, or broker | Only when its own conduct or control is legally connected to the cause of the crash |
A broker or shipper is not liable simply because its name appears on the cargo’s paperwork. We look for a concrete connection between the company's own conduct or control and the cause of the crash. Contracts, dispatch communications, cargo records, and other evidence can help show who controlled what.
What Federal Trucking Records Can Show
Federal safety rules require carriers to keep records that can answer specific questions about the trip. Driver files may show qualifications, maintenance records can reveal reported defects, and logs or dispatch records can show how long the driver worked and how the trip was scheduled.
- Records of duty status and supporting documents
- Driver qualification and licensing records when relevant
- Vehicle inspection and maintenance records
- Cargo and dispatch records
- Drug and alcohol testing records when legally relevant to the collision
We use those records to answer practical questions: Was the driver operating over hours? Was a reported defect left unrepaired? Did dispatch records conflict with the log? Did loading or maintenance contribute to the crash?
How We Prove Fault in a Tractor-Trailer Crash
Driver log falsification is common and provable when a log says one thing but fuel receipts, GPS data, toll records, or dispatch messages show another. We compare those records against the driver's entries to identify gaps, impossible timelines, or reported hours that do not match the trip.
Accident reconstruction and trucking-industry experts can help answer disputed questions about speed, braking, sight distance, vehicle condition, or carrier practices. We use them when technical analysis can clarify a contested fact, not simply because the case involves a truck.
Southfield Roads and Districts Can Shape the Evidence
Southfield's road network creates different truck-crash settings. The I-696/M-10 interchange sits beside City Centre, while the I-696 ramps at Telegraph Road/US-24 and Lahser move traffic between the freeway and major commercial corridors. M-39/Southfield Freeway and Northwestern Highway add high-speed routes through the city.
Surface-street crashes can leave a different trail of evidence. Around Telegraph and 12 Mile, Greenfield and 12 Mile, Evergreen through City Centre, or Northland City Center near Eight Mile and M-10, traffic signals, turn lanes, business entrances, cameras, and witnesses may help show how the collision unfolded.
How Michigan No-Fault Benefits Fit Into a Semi-Truck Injury Case
After a semi-truck crash, you may have a PIP claim through an applicable no-fault insurer and a separate negligence claim if negligence caused your truck accident. PIP can pay qualifying first-party benefits without requiring proof that the truck driver caused the collision.
The liability claim may cover pain and suffering when Michigan's threshold for serious injuries is met, as well as qualifying economic losses that PIP does not fully cover. We separate your claims so we can pursue Michigan truck accident damages, including medical bills, lost wages, noneconomic damages, and other losses from the proper sources.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Serious Semi-Truck Crash?
A serious semi-truck crash can affect far more than the first round of medical bills. We document lost income, future treatment and rehabilitation, lasting limits on your ability to work, and the day-to-day effects of your injuries.
- Medical and rehabilitation expenses within the applicable coverage structure
- Lost wages and reduced future earning ability
- Pain and suffering when Michigan's serious-injury threshold is met
- Future care or assistance supported by medical evidence
- Other economic losses tied to the collision
Our case results include a $2.2 million recovery for a driver rear-ended by a semi-truck, a $1.198 million recovery for a couple injured in a high-speed rear-end truck crash, and a $427,540 recovery after another semi-truck rear-end collision.
While past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, they do show our dedication to fighting for the compensation our clients need. We won’t settle for less, and neither should you.
How Long Do You Have to File a Semi-Truck Accident Lawsuit?
Most Michigan personal injury lawsuits seeking damages must be filed within 3 years of the claim accruing, which is usually the date of the crash. No-fault PIP claims have separate one-year notice and filing rules that can affect unpaid benefits.
The lawsuit deadline is not the deadline for protecting evidence. A carrier may lawfully keep some records for only months, and video or electronic data can disappear even sooner. We preserve evidence early and separately track every legal deadline applicable to the claim.
Why Choose Kajy Law Firm for a Southfield Semi-Truck Case?
Truck accident work is not a sideline at Kajy Law Firm. Motor vehicle crashes are all we do. Our team handles Michigan no-fault benefits while investigating carrier records, commercial insurance, federal safety rules, and the companies behind the truck.
- 5,000+ cases handled
- More than $100 million recovered for clients
- 150+ years of combined experience
- Free consultations and 24/7 availability
- No fee unless we win a recovery for you
Southfield truck accident representation also covers crashes involving delivery trucks, work vehicles, buses, and other commercial vehicles. Tractor-trailer and 18-wheeler claims often demand a deeper investigation because federal safety rules, driver logs, carrier records, and separate ownership of the tractor and trailer can all affect liability.
What Happens in the First Weeks of a Semi-Truck Investigation?
The first records often come from the agencies that responded. A crash on a Southfield street may produce a Southfield Police Department report, while freeway crashes may involve Michigan State Police. Southfield Police operates from the Civic Center campus at Evergreen, and its traffic reports are available through Oakland County CLEMIS.
Southfield has its own police department, so the Oakland County Sheriff's Office is not the city's routine patrol agency. Sheriff or neighboring-agency records can still become relevant when the truck's route, witnesses, towing, or follow-up investigation extends into another Oakland County jurisdiction.
Medical records can be just as local. Henry Ford Providence Southfield Hospital on West Nine Mile Road has a 24/7 emergency department, and patients with severe trauma may also receive care at regional trauma centers such as Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak. We collect the emergency, imaging, surgical, and follow-up records that document the injuries from the start.
At the same time, we identify the motor carrier, tractor and trailer owners, maintenance and cargo companies, and available insurance. We send preservation demands for logs, dispatch messages, dash-camera footage, engine data, inspection and maintenance files, and cargo records before the carrier can overwrite or discard relevant evidence. This early work protects your claim without forcing an immediate lawsuit.
Questions Southfield Semi-Truck Accident Clients Ask Us
How much does a semi truck accident lawyer cost?
Kajy Law Firm handles accepted semi-truck injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Your consultation is free, and you do not pay an attorney fee unless we obtain a recovery for you. We explain the fee agreement and case costs before you hire us.
What should I do if the trucking company's insurer contacts me?
You do not have to give the trucking company's insurer a recorded statement or negotiate the claim yourself. You can direct the insurer to your lawyer. We can handle communications, request the records we need, and respond when the carrier disputes fault, coverage, or the extent of your injuries.
Can an 18 wheeler accident lawyer get the truck's electronic data?
Yes, when the data exists and is relevant. We may obtain it through preservation requests, voluntary production, or formal discovery after a lawsuit is filed. The available information depends on the truck's systems, so we identify the equipment early and ask that the data be preserved before it can be overwritten.
Can a shipper or broker be sued after a semi-truck crash?
Sometimes, but not merely because a company arranged or supplied the load. Liability in a Michigan truck accident case depends on the company's own legally relevant conduct, control, contractual role, and the cause of the collision. We review those facts before deciding whether a shipper or broker belongs in the case.
What if the trucking company is based outside Michigan?
Yes. A trucking company based in another state can still face a Michigan claim for a crash that happened here. We examine where the crash occurred, which companies operated the truck, the applicable insurance, and any federal motor-carrier records that help show how the trip was run.
How long does a semi-truck accident case take?
There is no reliable one-size-fits-all timeline. A case can take longer when you are still treating, several companies dispute responsibility, experts need to analyze the crash, or a lawsuit becomes necessary. We keep developing the evidence while your medical condition and the liability picture become clearer.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Michigan comparative-fault rules can reduce damages by your percentage of responsibility. A person who is more than 50% at fault generally cannot recover noneconomic damages. We investigate the truck's records and the collision evidence before accepting any early allocation of fault.
What if the tractor and trailer have different owners?
That can happen, and separate ownership can change the investigation. We check who owned the tractor, who owned the trailer, who leased or operated each piece of equipment, and who was responsible for maintenance. Different ownership structures do not make every company liable, but they can uncover additional contracts, insurance policies, and responsibilities that need review.
Speak With a Southfield Semi Truck Injury Attorney
Trucking companies and their insurers may begin protecting their financial interests almost immediately after a serious crash. You need someone doing the same for you by preserving evidence, identifying every source of insurance, and building a claim that reflects the full impact of your injuries.
Our Southfield semi truck injury attorneys can put that process in motion while you focus on your recovery.
Call Kajy Law Firm at 248-702-6641 or contact us online for a free consultation. We are available 24/7 at 18000 W Nine Mile Rd #1400, Southfield, MI 48075. You pay us nothing unless we win your case.