A collision with a large commercial truck can change your life in an instant, leaving you with painful injuries, mounting medical bills, and uncertainty about your future. At Christensen Law, we understand how devastating truck accidents can be, and we are committed to helping victims across Detroit seek justice and full financial recovery.
Our Detroit truck accident attorneys have the skill, resources, and determination to take on powerful trucking companies and their insurers. We will fight to help you recover compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages you’ve suffered. Call Christensen Law today for a free consultation. Our Detroit personal injury lawyers are ready to get to work for you.
Why Truck Accident Victims in Detroit Choose Christensen Law
At Christensen Law, advocating for accident victims isn’t just what we do, it’s what drives us. Our firm is dedicated to holding negligent parties accountable and helping injured individuals across Michigan rebuild their lives after devastating truck accidents.
When you hire Christensen Law, you’re not just hiring a lawyer, you’re gaining a legal team that genuinely cares about your recovery. As our client, you will:
- Be heard: We apply our mantra, “LISTEN PROTECT WIN,” to every case we handle, and we execute the motto in that order. You will be heard, considered, protected, and fought for when you hire a truck accident lawyer from Christensen Law.
- Receive honest advice and clear answers: The lawyer-client relationship is built on honesty. We remain transparent and authentic through every turn of your case. You’ll never feel like you’re getting the run-around, and we’ll provide you with truthful advice about your case. This honesty will allow you to make informed, self-serving decisions about how to resolve the legal process.
- Have the full financial and legal support of Christensen Law: We have multiple attorneys and a robust staff to support your case. We will also provide total financial support by covering all case-related expenses. We only recover attorney’s fees if we win your case in Detroit.
Michigan is our home field, and we maintain an office in Detroit. When you need a truck accident lawyer in Detroit, choose Christensen Law.
Compensation for a Truck Accident Victim in Detroit
The Christensen Law team has recovered hundreds of millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients. We’ve handled thousands of cases, giving us a firm understanding of how costly truck accidents can be. You can review our case results, which include recoveries of $17.8 million and $9.5 million, to see the many financial recoveries we’ve gotten for Michiganders.
After you’ve been involved in a truck accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for injuries you’ve suffered and for the damages you have incurred as a result of the accident, such as:
- Wrongful death: Family members can be compensated for their loss of society and companionship with the deceased relative.
- Past and future medical expenses: These costs may stem from hospital stays, surgery, doctor’s office visits, prescription medication, physical and occupational therapy, mobility equipment, and long-term personal care.
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity: If your injuries cause you to miss time from work, the Christensen Law team will total your professional damages. Your injuries may prevent you from returning to your old job and instead, require you to take a job where you earn less money than you did before the accident.
- Pain and suffering: This loss may include physical pain, lost enjoyment or quality of life, disfigurement, disability, and the inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed. You may also be unable to perform the tasks of daily living.
Why Truck Accidents Are More Complicated
Truck accident claims are far more complex than ordinary car accident cases. They often involve:
- More Evidence to Gather: While car accident claims usually rely on photos, repair reports, police reports, and witness statements, truck accidents require far more investigation. Our team reviews driver’s logs, load manifests, GPS data, maintenance records, and more to uncover the full story of what happened.
- More Parties May Be Liable: Truck accidents often involve multiple responsible parties — not just the driver, but also the trucking company, safety inspectors, cargo loaders, or maintenance crews. These parties operate under strict industry regulations, and our attorneys know how to uncover violations that may have contributed to the crash.
- More Serious Injuries and Higher Damages: The sheer size of commercial trucks means greater potential for life-altering injuries. Victims often face long-term treatment, ongoing medical costs, lost income, and significant pain and suffering, which complicates the claims process.
- Liability Is Often Disputed: With so much at stake financially, at-fault parties frequently deny responsibility or attempt to shift blame. Our lawyers are prepared to fight back and hold them accountable.
Christensen Law is ready to meet these challenges head-on. Check out our client testimonials to learn how we’ve delivered results for other truck accident victims.
Who Can Be Held Responsible After a Truck Crash?
The Christensen Law team will lead your case from start to finish, serving as your voice throughout the legal process. One of our responsibilities is identifying those who owe you compensation for your damages in Detroit.
Multiple parties and companies are responsible for making the trucking industry function. Any one of these parties can commit an act or omission that leads to a truck crash. Potentially liable parties in truck accident claims include:
- The truck driver: Most truck accidents are caused by a truck driver’s negligence. When that is the case, the negligent truck driver can be held responsible for the crash.
- The trucking company: The trucking company may be held responsible if it employs a driver whose actions cause a crash. The trucking company might also be held responsible for its own direct negligence. For example, the trucking company may hire a driver it knows poses a risk of causing an accident or have unsafe policies that push drivers beyond their limits or let their equipment deteriorate.
- The truck’s owner: If the truck is owned by someone other than the truck driver or trucking company, the owner may be liable.
- The freight company: The company that loaded the trailer may be responsible if an accident is caused by an improper or unsafe load. Shifting loads are a common cause of truck accidents.
- The truck’s mechanic: The mechanic may play a part in the negligence if the accident is caused by negligent maintenance of the truck.
Who Is Liable After a Drunk Driving Truck Accident?
There may be multiple liable parties involved in your case if you’ve been injured by a drunk truck driver. While the truck driver will certainly bear fault for the crash, the trucking company may also be partially liable if they were not adequately monitoring the driver or if they did not properly screen the driver before hiring them (e.g., if they ignored or failed to see that the driver had previously been charged with drunk driving).
You may also have a claim against the restaurant or bar that sold alcohol to the truck driver. This is called Michigan’s Dram Shop Law and is another possible way to obtain compensation after the accident.
Truck Accidents Are a Serious Risk on Detroit Roads
Detroit’s role as a major transportation hub means our city sees more than its fair share of large commercial vehicles. Highways like I-75, I-94, and the Lodge Freeway are critical freight routes, but they also present significant dangers for everyday drivers. Accident data from the City of Detroit shows that commercial vehicle accidents made up nearly 7 percent of the crashes in 2023.
These busy roadways, along with intersections like Gratiot Avenue at 8 Mile and stretches of Michigan Avenue, are known trouble spots for truck crashes. Whether you were injured on a city street, near the Ambassador Bridge, or on one of Detroit’s major highways, Christensen Law knows how to investigate these complex accidents and fight for your rights.
We’ve helped countless Detroit residents take legal action after devastating truck accidents, and we’re ready to do the same for you.
Common Causes of Truck Traffic Collisions
Truck accidents, like all other motor vehicle accidents, have a wide variety of potential causes. Common causes of truck accidents in Detroit include:
- Speeding, since a truck driver with a heavy trailer will be unable to stop quickly
- Unsafe lane changes often caused by a failure to use turn signals or check mirrors and blind spots
- Unsafe turns caused by failure to use turn signals, check mirrors or yield to traffic or pedestrians in an intersection or crosswalk
- Following too closely, also known as tailgating
- Fatigued driving, which can impair a driver’s reflexes and judgment
- Distracted driving, caused by cell phone use, radio or entertainment system use, and reading, eating or drinking
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Inexperienced drivers who may not know how to properly control a large truck, especially in tight spaces or emergency situations.
Besides the truck driver’s negligence, other causes of truck accidents include excessive or unsafe truck loads, poor road conditions, low lighting and poor judgment in bad weather.
Common Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents
Truck accidents tend to inflict serious injuries on the occupants of the other vehicle involved in the accident. A large commercial truck imparts a far greater force than smaller vehicles. Common injuries suffered in truck accidents include:
- Death
- Broken bones
- Soft-tissue injuries such as sprains and tears of tendons, ligaments, and muscles
- Neck and back injuries, including spinal disc herniations and ruptures
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Burns, if the accident results in a fire
- Amputations
- Spinal cord injuries, which can result in temporary or permanent paralysis
- Head injuries, including eye trauma
- Traumatic brain injuries
