Toledo Truck Accident Lawyer
Due to their massive size and weight, semi-trucks pose a significant threat on the road. Crashes involving trucks can result in severe damage to both vehicles and their occupants. Occupants of smaller vehicles often face graver injuries like traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, or even death. Additionally, many commercial trucks carry dangerous cargo, like heavy building materials, acids, gas, or oil, that can further complicate an accident.
Legally Reviewed by:
Mark S. Gervelis, Esq.
Last Updated:
- August 28, 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Why Truck Accident Cases Require a Different Legal Strategy
- Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Toledo
- What Compensation Can You Recover After a Truck Accident?
- Why Choose Gervelis Law To Handle Your Toledo Truck Accident Case?
- Speak With a Toledo Truck Accident Lawyer Today
- Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Toledo
Serious injuries from a truck accident can completely upend your life physically, emotionally, and financially. Our team provides top-rated legal assistance with no upfront fees and maintains a strong community presence, as we’re there when people need us the most.
Partner with a Toledo truck accident lawyer from Gervelis Law, located at 5401 Secor Rd. Suite A, Toledo, OH 43623. We’re ready to help, fast, by deploying our Rapid Investigation Team to your crash site within 24 hours.
Why Truck Accident Cases Require a Different Legal Strategy
Truck accident claims are often far more complex than standard car accident cases. Truck crashes may involve violations of federal regulations and multiple liable parties. It is essential to act quickly after your collision so your attorney can start collecting and analyzing evidence. The longer you wait, the more power you give to insurance companies during settlement negotiations.
“Getting a lawyer as soon as possible is crucial because the trucking company is represented on the first day.” – Attorney David Michael Tschantz.
What To Do if You Were Injured by a Drunk Driver
Under the federal motor carrier insurance law, trucking companies must carry significant policies ranging from $300,000 to $5 million on each vehicle. The potential for high payouts pushes these businesses and their insurers into taking quick action after a crash, and you must do the same. Our Rapid Investigation Team starts preserving evidence from the scene within one day of your crash.
Multiple Liable Parties May Be Involved
Drivers, trucking companies, cargo loaders, maintenance providers, or manufacturers could share fault and owe you damages after a truck collision. You must claim against each party that contributed to your crash or risk losing compensation.
Federal Regulations and Industry Rules Matter
The primary mission of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is to reduce truck crashes resulting in injuries or deaths. Failing to follow FMCSA regulations can serve as evidence of liability in a truck accident case, such as violations of:
- Hours of service
- Weight limits
- Driver qualifications and disqualifications
- Truck inspection, maintenance, and repair
After an accident, you need an attorney with experience in truck accident claims who understands these and other trucking regulations and how they affect liability.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Toledo
In 2024, there were 5,525 accidents involving large trucks in Ohio. These crashes resulted in 148 fatalities and 2,402 injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Several factors can lead to collisions that cause significant injuries and property damage.
Driver Fatigue and Hours-of-Service Violations
Truck drivers are often under pressure to meet delivery demands, which can lead to exceeding their legal daily or weekly driving hours limits. According to an Ohio Department of Transportation working paper, fatigued drivers are one of the leading causes of truck accidents.
Improper Loading or Equipment Failure
Proper truck loading matters because imbalances can reduce brake performance or maneuverability, increase suspension and tire wear, or cause a rollover due to weight shifts. The FMCSA has cargo securement rules, and violations may be used as evidence against trucking or cargo loading companies if an improperly secured or unbalanced load contributed to your crash.
Equipment failure may be due to negligence on the part of a trucking company in inspecting and maintaining its fleet. It could also occur due to defective parts, which could make a truck or parts manufacturer liable for a crash.
Distracted or Impaired Driving
Truck drivers who are distracted or impaired may cause crashes due to behaviors such as speeding, crossing lanes, or following too closely. Drivers must adhere to federal regulations and state laws, such as Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.79, which prohibits driving a commercial vehicle with impaired alertness or ability.
Truck drivers are also subject to Ohio’s ban on handheld cellphone use while driving and its distracted driving law.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Truck Accident?
You can seek economic damages for your financial losses and non-economic damages for your emotional harm after a truck crash. You can strengthen your case for compensation by knowing what to do after a truck accident, including:
- Immediate steps:
- Get to a safe place, if you can, and call 911.
- See a doctor promptly in case you have hidden conditions such as internal bleeding.
- Gather evidence, such as pictures and videos.
- Next steps:
- Gather documentation by getting a copy of your police crash report, your medical records, and other crash-related information.
- Notify your insurance company based on your policy’s requirements.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurer before securing legal representation.
- Don’t admit fault or minimize your injuries.
- Partner with an experienced truck accident attorney in Toledo.
If another party was at fault, you can file an insurance claim and, in some cases, sue after a truck accident. Our attorneys combat lowball settlement offers and fight aggressively for fair compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.
Medical Bills and Future Care Needs
Accidents with large, heavy commercial vehicles can result in severe injuries. In a truck accident claim, you can pursue damages that address your immediate and long-term care costs, rehabilitation, and ongoing treatment. You can also seek related costs, such as for home nursing or to modify your home or vehicle to accommodate your injuries.
Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity
Serious injuries from collisions with trucks often limit a person’s ability to work. You can pursue damages for your lost wages after a crash and for your inability to hold a job with the same hours or pay in the future.
“Lost wages is one of the areas of damages that you’re entitled to from a car accident in Ohio, but they need to be documented.” – Founder Mark S. Gervelis.
Pain, Suffering, and Loss of Enjoyment of Life
Truck accidents can be violent and traumatic, and your pain and psychological harm matter. You can pursue non-economic damages for the impacts of the crash on your life, but they are subjective and harder to prove. Seek treatment and keep a journal tracking your pain and the daily activities you can no longer engage in due to your truck accident injuries.
Why Choose Gervelis Law To Handle Your Toledo Truck Accident Case?
We are proud of our Ohio roots and have decades of experience assisting clients by fighting back against insurers that put profits over people. Our team works tirelessly for people who don’t deserve the burdens of someone else’s negligence.
Our attorneys have extensive experience in motor vehicle accident claims, so they know going into your case how to determine liability, which injuries often lead to long-term harm, and what insurance companies do to deny or minimize compensation. Other cases we handle include:
You don’t need the additional frustration of being in the dark about the progress of your truck accident case. We will keep you informed at every step. That’s the Gervelis Guarantee.
We Know Ohio, and We Know Trucking Laws
While traveling to and from our downtown Toledo office and around Ohio, we see for ourselves local traffic dynamics and the significant presence of trucks. Toledo is home to parts of four interstates in the National Highway Freight Network, and trucks deliver necessary goods throughout the city. But drivers and trucking companies must operate safely.
Our truck accident attorneys know state and federal laws and regulations inside and out and use tools such as the FMCSA’s Driver Qualification File Checklist. For example, if the truck driver who hit you didn’t have a required physical in the last two years, we’ll investigate whether an undiagnosed condition affected their driving.
We'll Handle Your Case With Integrity and Urgency
Our firm earns trust by keeping clients informed, handling every case with integrity, and sticking to our guiding principle that clients’ needs always come first. We’ll take your calls, answer your questions, and our attorneys, investigators, and the rest of our team will get to work collecting evidence and building your case.
“Our goal is when we end the first phone conversation, you have no questions.” – Investigator Frank Benett.
Trusted by the Community and Legal Leaders
Our firm is a member of the Ohio Association for Justice Advocates Circle, which is made up of firms that are community leaders in charitable, civic, and legal projects that improve the lives of all Ohioans. We’ve been a part of the Ohio legal landscape for decades, and will continue fighting for justice, one case at a time.
Successful Truck Accident Settlements in Toledo
Our skilled attorneys provide every client with experienced, aggressive, and effective legal representation. Our commitment shows in our settlements and verdicts, with notable truck accident case results including:
- $725,000 recovery on behalf of four injured clients who were seriously injured when a negligent tow truck driver veered left of center and caused a head-on collision
- $200,000 settlement for a client who was rear-ended by a furniture delivery company’s box truck
- $750,000 recovery for a client with a traumatic brain injury and lost limb after a commercial truck backed up unexpectedly on the roadway, striking a vehicle in which our client was a passenger
Why Gervelis Law Is the Go-to Firm for Serious Truck Accident Cases
You may be a case number to an insurance company, but not to us. People trust our firm because clients always come first, and we get results.
Speak With a Toledo Truck Accident Lawyer Today
When you have injuries from a truck crash that was someone else’s fault, every minute counts. Insurance companies have no incentive to negotiate until you have solid evidence, and there are deadlines by which you must file a lawsuit.
Our Toledo truck accident lawyers fight to hold drivers and trucking companies accountable and will leave no stone unturned in seeking fair compensation for your damages. Evidence fades, and missing deadlines can end your chance at compensation, so we take action fast.
Contact Gervelis Law Firm today for a free consultation by calling 866-792-2728, completing our contact form, or visiting our office at 5401 Secor Rd. Suite A, Toledo, OH 43623.
Our Experienced Toledo Truck Accident Lawyers
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Toledo
It is not unusual to have concerns about your claim. Our knowledgeable commercial vehicle accident lawyers are always ready to answer questions.
How Soon Should I Contact a Lawyer After a Truck Accident?
Taking action quickly gives your attorney more time to build a strong case and reduces the time between your crash and a potential settlement or verdict. Our truck accident law firm in Toledo sends our Rapid Investigation Team to your crash site within 24 hours so you don’t lose critical evidence while dealing with your injuries.
Is Gervelis Law Experienced With Commercial Trucking Cases?
Our Toledo truck accident lawyers have successfully handled several types of truck collision injury claims. We never shy away from high-stakes injury cases because they often involve insurance companies fighting against everyday people who deserve compensation.
What if I Can’t Come to Your Office in Person?
Clients always come first. If you need truck accident legal help in Toledo, we will meet at your home, the hospital, or any location that works best for you.
Will I Owe Anything if We Don’t Win the Case?
Our Toledo truck accident lawyers work on a contingency basis. We pay the costs of investigating and litigating your case. There are no upfront fees; you only pay us if you recover compensation.
How Long Does a Truck Accident Case Take To Resolve?
Even straightforward truck accident cases can take several months to settle. A contested claim, particularly one with a high potential settlement, can take up to a year or more to resolve. Cases that go to trial can take several years. We will provide you with regular updates throughout. That’s the Gervelis Guarantee.
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