After a commercial truck crash, you’re left dealing with painful injuries, mounting bills, and a trucking company that has lawyers working to protect its bottom line—not your recovery. To hold them accountable, you’ll need to prove negligence: that the driver, trucking company, or another party failed to act with reasonable care and that failure caused your harm. This means establishing four legal elements—duty, breach, causation, and damages—backed by solid evidence. A North Dakota truck accident lawyer can investigate the crash, gather critical documentation like driver logs and black box data, and build a case that stands up against aggressive defense tactics.
Understanding the Four Elements of Negligence
Every negligence claim requires establishing four components.
Duty means the defendant owed you a legal obligation to act with reasonable care. Commercial truck drivers have a duty to follow traffic laws, operate their vehicles safely, and comply with federal regulations.
Breach occurs when the defendant fails to meet that duty. A truck driver who speeds, drives while fatigued, or ignores safety regulations breaches their duty of care.
Causation links the breach to your injuries. You must show that the defendant’s negligent actions directly caused or substantially contributed to the crash that harmed you.
Damages refer to the actual losses you suffered, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other harms.
Evidence That Helps Prove Commercial Vehicle Negligence
Building a strong negligence case requires gathering evidence promptly.
Driver logs document hours of service. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations limit how long truck drivers can operate their vehicles without rest. Logbooks or electronic logging devices can reveal whether a driver exceeded the hours of service limits.
Vehicle maintenance records show whether the trucking company properly maintained brakes, tires, lights, and other critical systems. Neglected maintenance can lead to equipment failures that cause crashes.
Electronic data from the truck’s event data recorder, sometimes called a black box, captures information about speed, braking, and other actions in the moments before a collision.
Witness statements from bystanders, other drivers, or passengers can corroborate your account of how the accident occurred.
Police reports often contain the investigating officer’s observations about fault, road conditions, and any traffic violations.
Expert testimony from accident reconstruction specialists can help establish how the crash occurred and who bears responsibility.
Who May Be Liable in a Commercial Vehicle Crash?
Multiple parties may share responsibility for a commercial vehicle accident.
The truck driver may be liable for speeding, distracted driving, impairment, or other negligent behaviors.
The trucking company may bear responsibility under the legal doctrine of vicarious liability, which holds employers accountable for their employees’ negligent acts performed within the scope of employment. Companies may also be directly liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, or failure to enforce safety policies.
Cargo loading companies may be liable if improperly secured loads shifted and caused the driver to lose control. Equipment manufacturers may bear responsibility if defective parts contributed to the crash.
Common Forms of Commercial Vehicle Negligence
Commercial vehicle accidents often result from driver fatigue caused by exceeding hours of service limits, speeding to meet delivery deadlines, distracted driving from cell phone use or other activities, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to properly inspect the vehicle before trips, and inadequate training on safe operation of the vehicle.
Taking Action After a Commercial Vehicle Crash
Evidence can disappear quickly after an accident. Trucking companies may repair or dispose of vehicles, and electronic data can be overwritten. Contact a truck accident attorney promptly to ensure critical evidence is preserved.
At Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., we have represented injured victims throughout North Dakota since 1909. We know how to investigate commercial vehicle crashes and hold negligent parties accountable. Contact our office in Grand Forks or Minot today for a free consultation.