Commercial truck accidents differ from ordinary car accidents in two important ways: injuries tend to be more severe due to vehicle size and weight, and liability can extend beyond the driver to the trucking company, cargo loader, or maintenance contractor — often backed by much higher insurance policy limits.
This tool uses the multiplier method: (medical bills + lost wages) × a pain-and-suffering multiplier based on injury severity (1.5x for minor, 3x for moderate, 5x for severe), minus any reduction for your percentage of fault. It's the same starting-point approach insurance adjusters commonly use in negotiations — not a guaranteed outcome.
If you select a state, this tool applies that state's actual comparative/contributory negligence rule and, where researched, its noneconomic-damages cap for this claim type — see the methodology page for exactly which states and rules are currently covered. If your state's rule bars recovery at your entered fault percentage, this tool shows an explanation instead of a dollar amount — that percentage is your own estimate, not a legal finding, and several of these rules have real exceptions.
Potentially the driver, the trucking company (for hiring, training, or maintenance failures), a cargo loading company, or a parts manufacturer — multiple defendants are common.
Yes, federal regulations require commercial trucks to carry significantly higher minimum liability coverage than passenger vehicles, often $750,000 or more depending on cargo type.
Multiple potentially liable parties, federal trucking regulations (hours-of-service logs, maintenance records), and higher stakes for insurers all tend to extend the investigation and negotiation timeline.