Truck and semi accidents

Truck accidents

The trucking company starts its file on day one. A letter in week one asks it to keep the logs.

A truck crash in Michigan opens two claims. Your own insurer pays your medical bills first, no matter who caused the crash. The second claim runs against the trucking side, and it often names more than one company, each with its own insurance.

What makes a truck case different is the paper trail. Federal safety rules require trucking companies to keep driver logs, repair records, and a list of their crashes. Some of those records only have to be kept for six months. 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1). So in the first week, we ask the company in writing to save everything, in what is called a preservation letter.

What a truck case looks at

Driver hours. A truck driver can drive 11 hours at most, and only inside a 14-hour window that starts after 10 hours off duty. 49 CFR 395.3(a).

The driver logs. Most trucks record driving hours automatically on an electronic logging device, called an ELD. The carrier must keep a backup copy for six months on a separate device. 49 CFR 395.22(i). The carrier is not allowed to change or erase the original hours data. 49 CFR 395.30(f).

The crash list. A carrier must keep a register of its crashes, with copies of the accident reports, for three years after each one. 49 CFR 390.15(b).

Repairs. Maintenance records stay on file for one year, and for six months after the truck leaves the carrier's control. 49 CFR 396.3(c).

Insurance. A for-hire carrier hauling ordinary freight across state lines must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage. Some hazardous loads require $1 million or $5 million. 49 CFR 387.9.

Your own coverage. Personal injury protection, called PIP, is the no-fault coverage on your own auto policy. It still pays your medical care and lost wages first. MCL 500.3107(1).

Tell us what happened at askazzo.com, or call 844-ASK-AZZO (844-275-2996). The office is at 33687 Woodward Ave in Birmingham.

Lawyers specialized in

Truck accidents

Lauren Sitto Azzo

Kennedy Taylor

We will help you with:

We send the evidence preservation letter first

We look for every company tied to the truck

Injury cases run on contingency

Let’s talk

$750,000

The least a for-hire carrier must carry to haul regular freight across state lines in a truck over 10,000 pounds. Some hazardous loads need $1 million or $5 million. 49 CFR 387.9.

11 hours

The most a truck driver may drive in one shift, inside a 14-hour window that starts after 10 hours off duty. 49 CFR 395.3(a).

6 months

How long a carrier must keep a driver's duty logs. Because that is only a minimum, we ask for the logs in writing during the first week. 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1).

A man in a freight yard at golden hour photographing the DOT number panel on the side of a parked semi trailer.

How this works

Two claims, and more than one company

Your own insurer. The no-fault claim.

Your own no-fault coverage pays first, no matter who caused the crash. It covers medical care, lost wages, and attendant care at home, which is help with daily needs while you recover. MCL 500.3107(1). The coverage level someone in your household selected sets the limit. MCL 500.3107c. Most people do not know which level they hold, so we find that number first.

The trucking side. The injury claim.

This claim depends on who caused the crash, and it does not open automatically. Michigan requires death, permanent serious disfigurement, or a serious impairment of body function. MCL 500.3135(1). Serious impairment means someone other than you can see or measure it. It must affect an important body function and change your general ability to live your normal life. MCL 500.3135(5). If you were more than half at fault, you recover no pain and suffering damages. MCL 500.3135(2)(b).

Who can be on the hook.

The driver. The driver answers for how the truck was driven, including speed, distraction, and hours behind the wheel.

The owner of the truck. In Michigan, the owner can be liable for careless driving of the truck. That applies when it is driven with the owner's consent or knowledge. MCL 257.401(1).

The broker. A broker is the company that chooses a carrier to haul a load. Federal law does not block a claim that a broker carelessly hired an unsafe carrier. Montgomery v Caribe Transport II, LLC, US Supreme Court, No. 24-1238 (May 14, 2026).

The loader and the repair shop. We look at who loaded the trailer and who last worked on the brakes and tires. Each company involved can bring its own insurance policy. Finding every policy matters.

Deadlines

One year from the crash to give your insurer written notice of injury or to file for no-fault benefits. MCL 500.3145(1).

One year back. Even when you file on time, older losses are cut off. You recover nothing for losses from more than one year before the day you filed. MCL 500.3145(2).

The clock stops between the day you make a specific claim for payment and the day the insurer formally denies it. MCL 500.3145(3).

Three years to sue the driver and the trucking companies, counted from the day of the injury. MCL 600.5805(2).

A child gets one year past their eighteenth birthday for the injury lawsuit. MCL 600.5851(1). That extra time does not reach the one-year-back rule. Joseph v Auto Club, 491 Mich 200 (2012). A parent can win the lawsuit and still lose years of paid care.

Practical advice, not a legal deadline: week one. A carrier only has to keep driver duty logs for six months. 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1). The ELD backup copy has the same six-month minimum. 49 CFR 395.22(i). Those are minimums, not promises. A preservation letter in the first week asks the carrier to keep all of it, including dash camera video and engine data.

Written notice of injury, or a claim for no-fault benefits

MCL 500.3145(1)

1 year

The one-year-back rule on what you can recover

MCL 500.3145(2)

1 year back

Suit against the driver and the trucking side

MCL 600.5805(2)

100

3 years

Working with us

A named attorney owns the file and calls you back, usually the same day.

You call, or you send it.

We send the preservation letter.

We send it in the first week. It asks the carrier to keep the driver logs, the ELD data, the dash camera video, and the repair records.

We pull every policy.

Your own no-fault policy, the household policies, and the carrier's coverage. A for-hire carrier hauling freight across state lines must carry at least $750,000. 49 CFR 387.9.

We put the no-fault notice in writing.

Once the notice lands, the one-year notice deadline is met. MCL 500.3145(1).

We find every company involved.

The driver, the carrier, the truck's owner, the broker, the loader, and the repair shop. Each one can carry its own policy.

We file inside the three years.

If your injury meets the threshold, we sue the trucking side before the three years run out. MCL 500.3135(1), MCL 600.5805(2).

Fees

No Fee Unless We Win.

Truck cases run on contingency. No attorney fee unless we recover for you. The fee comes out of the recovery at a percentage set in a written agreement you sign before we start. Case costs are itemized separately. The consultation costs nothing, and if the case is not worth pursuing we say so instead of signing you up.

The order it runs in

Recovery
Case costs
Attorney fee
Medical liens
What reaches you

Questions

Questions people ask

Who pays my medical bills after a truck accident in Michigan?

Your own auto insurer pays first, through your no-fault PIP coverage, no matter who caused the crash. How much it pays depends on the coverage level someone in your household selected when buying the policy. MCL 500.3107c. The claim against the driver and the trucking companies is a separate case, with its own deadline.

Can I sue the trucking company?

Yes, if your injury meets Michigan's threshold for a lawsuit. That means death, permanent serious disfigurement, or a serious impairment of body function. MCL 500.3135(1). The owner of the truck can be liable for careless driving when the truck is driven with the owner's consent or knowledge. MCL 257.401(1).

How long does a trucking company have to keep the driver's logs?

At least six months, under federal rules. 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1). The electronic backup copy has the same six-month minimum. 49 CFR 395.22(i). The carrier is not allowed to change or erase the original hours data. 49 CFR 395.30(f). We still send a preservation letter in the first week, so your case never depends on the carrier meeting only the minimum.

How much insurance does a semi truck have to carry?

At least $750,000 for a for-hire carrier hauling ordinary freight across state lines. Some hazardous loads require $1 million or $5 million. 49 CFR 387.9. Whatever the trucking company carries, your own PIP coverage still pays your medical bills first.

How long can a truck driver drive without a break?

No more than 8 hours of driving without a 30-minute break. 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii). In total, a driver can drive 11 hours inside a 14-hour window that starts after 10 hours off. 49 CFR 395.3(a).

How long do I have to file after a truck accident in Michigan?

One year to give your insurer written notice or to file for no-fault benefits. MCL 500.3145(1). Three years to sue the driver and the trucking companies. MCL 600.5805(2). Two clocks run against two different parties, and meeting one deadline does nothing for the other.

Can the broker who arranged the load be sued?

Often, yes. The US Supreme Court held that federal law does not block a claim that a broker carelessly hired an unsafe carrier. Montgomery v Caribe Transport II, LLC, No. 24-1238 (May 14, 2026). Whether the claim wins still depends on the facts and on Michigan law.

This page explains Michigan law. It is not legal advice about your situation, and the statutes and figures on it change. Reading this page, calling the firm, or sending us information does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship starts only when you and the firm sign a written agreement.

For the firm's full terms, see our disclaimer.

The Azzo Law storefront office on a Birmingham main street at dusk, warm light in the windows.

Lauren Sitto Azzo leads Azzo Law from 33687 Woodward Ave in Birmingham, with a team behind the work. The trucking company's insurer starts building its file the day of the crash. We start ours the day you call, with a written request that the carrier keep every log, video, and repair record.

Call 844-ASK-AZZO or tell us what happened. We will pull your coverage, find every company connected to the truck, and tell you what you are actually looking at.

Tell us what happened Call 844-ASK-AZZO (844-275-2996)

Truck accidents

What a truck case looks at

Two claims, and more than one company

Your own insurer. The no-fault claim.

The trucking side. The injury claim.

Who can be on the hook.

Deadlines

Working with us

You call, or you send it.

We send the preservation letter.

We pull every policy.

We put the no-fault notice in writing.

We find every company involved.

We file inside the three years.

Fees

The order it runs in

Questions people ask

Who pays my medical bills after a truck accident in Michigan?

Can I sue the trucking company?

How long does a trucking company have to keep the driver's logs?

How much insurance does a semi truck have to carry?

How long can a truck driver drive without a break?

How long do I have to file after a truck accident in Michigan?

Can the broker who arranged the load be sued?

Explore other services

Business disputes

Criminal defense

Property damage

Catastrophic injury

Tell us what happened

Truck accidents

What a truck case looks at

Two claims, and more than one company

Your own insurer. The no-fault claim.

The trucking side. The injury claim.

Who can be on the hook.

Deadlines

Working with us

You call, or you send it.

We send the preservation letter.

We pull every policy.

We put the no-fault notice in writing.

We find every company involved.

We file inside the three years.

Fees

The order it runs in

Questions people ask

Who pays my medical bills after a truck accident in Michigan?

Can I sue the trucking company?

How long does a trucking company have to keep the driver's logs?

How much insurance does a semi truck have to carry?

How long can a truck driver drive without a break?

How long do I have to file after a truck accident in Michigan?

Can the broker who arranged the load be sued?

Where to go next

Explore other services

Business disputes

Criminal defense

Property damage

Catastrophic injury

Tell us what happened