The layers on the truck side
A commercial vehicle claim may involve the driver, the company that employs or leases the driver, the owner of the tractor or trailer, the company that loaded the cargo, and a maintenance contractor — each with its own insurer. Federal rules set a $750,000 liability floor for most interstate for-hire carriers rated at 10,001 pounds or more; lighter local commercial vehicles, including many shuttles and delivery vans, fall under different rules and may carry far less. Identifying the vehicle class and every company behind it is the first step in any truck claim.
The layers on your side
If you were in a rental car, coverage may come from your own auto policy, from optional coverage purchased with the rental, or from other sources — the declarations pages answer it, and it's worth bringing all of them to a consultation. A policy from another state still responds to an Arizona crash, and Arizona law governs a claim for a crash that happened here. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may also apply when the responsible vehicle carries less coverage than the injuries require.
Arizona rules for a visitor's claim
Arizona generally allows two years to file most injury claims; the camera footage that shows what happened is often overwritten within weeks, and a heavy truck's driver logs are kept for six months. Partial fault reduces a claim by percentage and does not end it. If a city, county, or state vehicle is involved, a notice of claim is due within 180 days. None of that requires being in Arizona: a claim can be pursued from home, which makes communication the practical question for many Scottsdale clients.
Questions worth asking any firm
How the firm identifies every company and policy behind a commercial vehicle. Whether it handles consultations, documents, and updates remotely for clients who have returned home. Who your point of contact will be. Whether it prepares truck cases as if they may need to go the distance. And what the written fee agreement says. Any firm should be glad to put those answers in writing.
Where we fit
Saguaro Injury Law handles truck accident cases for Scottsdale residents and visitors from our Scottsdale office, in English and Spanish, and works with clients wherever they are once they've gone home. The specifics are on our Phoenix truck accident lawyer page, the law is covered in our Arizona truck accident guide, and our car accident guide for Scottsdale covers the visitor and rental questions in any crash. A free consultation is available any hour — in English or Spanish. (602) 217-0000.