Heavy commercial trucks cause some of the worst crashes that occur in Colorado each year. There are underride collisions where passenger vehicles end up underneath 18-wheelers and jackknife incidents that may shut down entire stretches of highway and leave dozens of people hurt. Crashes caused by commercial trucks can injure individuals, kill people and cause massive property damage expenses.
When a commercial vehicle operator and/or their employer is to blame for an injurious crash, the victims affected typically have the right to pursue an insurance claim. Instead of relying on the driver for insurance, it will be their employer who provides coverage in most cases. Even owner-operators still have to comply with federal insurance requirements.
Commercial policies offer more support
Drivers severely injured in a crash caused by another individual may eventually learn that the party to blame for their wreck did not have nearly enough insurance coverage. Thankfully, there is less of a risk of that happening when the crash involves a commercial truck.
Federal law establishes a much higher amount of financial responsibility for commercial vehicles and the companies that own them than for the average driver. The mandatory insurance required when a truck weighs 10,001 pounds or more is more than 10 times the mandatory coverage required in Colorado for basic passenger vehicles.
Large commercial trucks have to carry a minimum of $750,000 of liability coverage. That coverage can apply to lost wages, medical expenses and property damage. Certain kinds of commercial vehicles, including those hauling hazardous materials, may need to have multi-million dollar insurance policies. Those injured in a commercial vehicle crash or grieving the loss of a loved one in a recent wreck can make a claim against that commercial policy to potentially recoup the full financial impact of the crash.
Although standard insurance often leaves people with uncovered losses, commercial policies can come closer to covering a lifetime of lost wages, expensive trauma care and other financial consequences resulting from a collision. Making use of all insurance protection available is important for those who are trying to recover after a crash with a semi-truck. As a result, speaking with an experienced legal professional about maximizing one’s compensation is usually the best first legal/financial step forward after a crash.
