Massachusetts Truck Accident Lawyer Serving Brockton and Southeastern MA

If you or someone you love was injured in a collision with a commercial truck, tractor-trailer, or 18-wheeler in Massachusetts, you are facing one of the most complex and high-stakes claims in personal injury law. At Shea Culgin Law, attorneys Robert Shea and Joseph Culgin bring more than 40 years of combined experience holding trucking companies and their insurers accountable across Brockton, Plymouth County, and all of southeastern Massachusetts. We handle every truck accident case on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds — roughly 20 to 30 times the weight of a typical passenger car. When that mass collides with a smaller vehicle, the results are often catastrophic or fatal. Nationally, more than 5,000 people are killed in large-truck crashes each year, and the overwhelming majority of those killed are occupants of passenger vehicles, not the truck, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In Massachusetts, large trucks are involved in a disproportionate share of the most serious crashes — including roughly 28% of bicyclist fatalities and 5% of pedestrian fatalities between 2019 and 2023, based on federal crash data analyzed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Truck accident cases are not simply “bigger car accidents.” They are governed by a layer of federal regulation that does not apply to ordinary drivers, they involve multiple potentially liable parties, and they are defended by trucking companies and insurers who dispatch investigators to the scene within hours. Contact Shea Culgin Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation or call our Brockton office at 508-510-5107 before critical evidence disappears.

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Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different From Car Accidents

Many people assume that a crash with a truck is handled the same way as a crash with another car. It is not. Several factors make commercial truck litigation a specialized field:

Federal Oversight

Interstate trucking is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which imposes detailed rules on driver hours, vehicle maintenance, cargo loading, driver qualifications, and drug and alcohol testing. A violation of any of these Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) can establish negligence in your civil case. Ordinary car accidents have no comparable body of federal safety rules.

Multiple Layers of Insurance and Liability

A passenger car crash typically involves two drivers and two insurance policies. A truck crash can involve the driver, the motor carrier that employs the driver, the company that owns the trailer, the broker who arranged the load, the company that loaded the cargo, and the manufacturer of a defective part — each with its own insurer and its own defense lawyers.

Higher Insurance Limits — and Harder-Fought Claims

Federal law requires interstate trucking companies to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage for general freight, and up to $5,000,000 for trucks hauling hazardous materials. Those higher limits mean more is at stake, which is precisely why trucking insurers fight these claims so aggressively. A larger potential payout buys a more determined defense.

Rapid Evidence Destruction

Trucking companies are permitted to discard certain records — including driver logs and some inspection reports — after a matter of months. Electronic data can be overwritten. The truck itself may be repaired or returned to service. This is why sending a formal evidence-preservation (“spoliation”) letter immediately is one of the first things a truck accident lawyer does.

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What to Do After a Truck Accident in Massachusetts

The steps you take after a truck crash protect both your health and the value of your claim.

Step 1: Call 911 and Get Medical Help

Always call the police after a truck crash. Under Massachusetts law you must report any crash involving injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage. Truck collisions almost always exceed that threshold. Accept medical evaluation at the scene even if you feel able to walk away — adrenaline routinely masks serious injuries.

Step 2: Document Everything You Can

If you are physically able, photograph the truck, its license plate, the U.S. DOT number printed on the cab door, the trailer, the cargo, all vehicle damage, road conditions, and your injuries. The DOT number is the key that lets your attorney identify the motor carrier and pull its federal safety record.

Step 3: Get the Driver and Company Information

Collect the driver’s name, license, and the name of the trucking company, in addition to insurance information. Note any visible identifiers on the truck and trailer.

Step 4: Do Not Give a Recorded Statement

The trucking company’s insurer may contact you within a day or two, often sounding sympathetic. Do not give a recorded statement and do not accept any quick settlement offer. Early offers are almost always a fraction of what a serious claim is worth.

Step 5: Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Immediately

Because trucking evidence disappears quickly, the sooner a lawyer sends a preservation letter and begins investigating, the stronger your case. At Shea Culgin Law we move fast to lock down the truck’s data and the company’s records.

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Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle

Our firm represents victims of all types of commercial vehicle crashes in Massachusetts, including:

Tractor-Trailer and 18-Wheeler Crashes

The largest trucks on the road cause the most devastating injuries. These cases almost always implicate FMCSA rules and require accident reconstruction.

Jackknife Accidents

When a trailer swings out at a sharp angle to the cab, it can sweep across multiple lanes. Jackknifing often points to excessive speed, hard braking, improper braking systems, or poor road conditions the driver failed to account for.

Underride and Override Accidents

Underride crashes — where a smaller vehicle slides beneath the truck’s trailer — are among the deadliest because they shear off the passenger compartment. Missing or inadequate rear and side underride guards frequently play a role.

Rollover Accidents

Truck rollovers can result from speeding on curves and ramps, improperly loaded or shifting cargo, or tire failures.

Rear-End and Wide-Turn Collisions

A loaded truck needs far longer to stop than a car. Trucks also make wide right turns that can trap vehicles and cyclists alongside them. Both are common crash patterns in dense Massachusetts traffic.

Cargo-Related Accidents

Improperly secured or overloaded cargo can fall onto the roadway or shift in transit, causing the driver to lose control. These cases may bring the cargo loader and shipper into the claim.

Box Truck, Delivery Truck, and Garbage Truck Crashes

The explosion of e-commerce has put far more delivery and box trucks on local roads in Brockton and across southeastern Massachusetts, increasing collisions in residential and commercial areas.

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Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Identifying the true cause of a truck crash is central to proving liability. The most common causes we see include:

Driver Fatigue

Despite federal hours-of-service limits, fatigued driving remains one of the leading causes of truck crashes. Pressure to meet delivery deadlines pushes some drivers to falsify logs or exceed their lawful hours behind the wheel.

Distracted Driving

Texting, dispatch communications, and onboard technology distract truck drivers just as they distract everyone else — but at 80,000 pounds, a few seconds of inattention is catastrophic.

Speeding and Aggressive Driving

Trucks require a much greater stopping distance. Speeding dramatically reduces the driver’s ability to avoid a collision and increases the force of impact.

Improper Loading and Overloading

Cargo that is overloaded, unbalanced, or inadequately secured affects braking, handling, and the truck’s center of gravity.

Inadequate Maintenance

Brake failures, worn tires, and defective equipment are leading factors in commercial truck crashes. Federal law requires regular inspection and maintenance, and the records create a paper trail of any neglect.

Impaired Driving

Alcohol, illegal drugs, and even some over-the-counter and prescription medications can impair a commercial driver. FMCSA rules mandate drug and alcohol testing after serious crashes.

Negligent Hiring and Supervision

When a trucking company hires a driver with a poor safety record, fails to train adequately, or ignores red flags, the company itself can be directly liable. Negligent-hiring and negligent-supervision claims are often the most powerful theories in a truck case because they reach the company’s own conduct, not just the driver’s.

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Federal Trucking Regulations That Affect Your Case

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations create duties that ordinary drivers do not have. Proving a violation can be powerful evidence of negligence.

Hours-of-Service Rules

Under FMCSA rules, a property-carrying driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and is limited to 60 hours on duty in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days. Violations of these limits are strong evidence of fatigue-related negligence.

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)

Most commercial trucks must record driving time with an ELD that automatically logs hours, engine activity, and movement. ELD data is often the single most important piece of evidence in a fatigue case — but it can be overwritten, which is why preserving it quickly is essential.

Driver Qualification and Testing

Carriers must verify a driver’s commercial license, medical fitness, and driving history, and must conduct drug and alcohol testing, including after qualifying crashes.

Inspection, Maintenance, and Cargo Securement

Federal rules require systematic inspection and maintenance and set detailed standards for how cargo must be secured. Failure to comply, documented in the carrier’s own records, supports a negligence claim.

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Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident

One of the most important advantages of a truck accident claim is that liability often extends well beyond the driver. Potentially responsible parties include:

• The truck driver — for negligent or reckless operation.
• The motor carrier (trucking company) — for the driver’s conduct under respondeat superior, and directly for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or pressuring drivers to violate safety rules.
• The trailer or truck owner — when the equipment is leased or owned by a separate company.
• The cargo loader or shipper — for improperly loaded, overloaded, or unsecured freight.
• A maintenance or repair contractor — for negligent service that caused a mechanical failure.
• A parts or vehicle manufacturer — for a defective brake, tire, or underride guard, under product liability law.
• A broker — in some cases, for negligently selecting an unsafe carrier.

Identifying every liable party matters because each carries its own insurance coverage. The more sources of recovery, the better your chance of being fully compensated for catastrophic injuries.

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Critical Evidence in a Truck Accident Claim

Truck cases are won and lost on evidence that the trucking company controls — and that it has every incentive to lose. Key evidence includes:

• ELD and electronic control module (“black box”) data — driving hours, speed, braking, and throttle in the moments before the crash.
• Driver logs and trip records — to compare against the electronic data for falsification.
• The driver’s qualification file — license, medical certificate, training, and driving history.
• Drug and alcohol testing results from after the crash.
• Maintenance and inspection records for the truck and trailer.
• Cargo and weight documentation, including bills of lading and loading records.
• Dashcam and surveillance footage.
• The carrier’s federal safety record, accessible through the FMCSA.

Because many of these records can be lawfully destroyed within months, a prompt spoliation letter and, where necessary, a court order are critical. The sooner you involve a lawyer, the more evidence survives.

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Damages You Can Recover After a Truck Accident

Massachusetts law allows truck accident victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages:

Economic Damages

• Past and future medical expenses, including surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket costs related to the injury

Non-Economic Damages

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium for spouses and family members
• Disfigurement and permanent disability

Wrongful Death and Punitive Damages

When a truck crash causes a death, surviving family members can pursue a wrongful death claim under MGL Chapter 229, Section 2. Massachusetts also allows punitive damages in wrongful death cases where the conduct was willful, wanton, or reckless — for example, a company that knowingly put a dangerously fatigued or unqualified driver on the road.

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Why You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer

Trucking companies and their insurers are sophisticated, well-funded adversaries who begin building their defense before you have left the hospital. An experienced truck accident lawyer levels the field by:

• Sending immediate evidence-preservation letters to stop the destruction of logs and data
• Identifying every liable party and every applicable insurance policy
• Retaining accident reconstruction experts, engineers, and medical specialists
• Decoding ELD and black box data and the carrier’s federal safety record
• Proving FMCSA violations and negligent-hiring claims that reach the company itself
• Negotiating from strength — and trying the case if the insurer refuses to be fair

At Shea Culgin Law, we prepare every truck case as if it is going to trial. That posture is what produces serious settlement offers. We serve clients throughout Brockton, Plymouth County, and southeastern Massachusetts.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Massachusetts

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