When a semi-truck hits a passenger vehicle, the trucking company may have investigators, insurance adjusters, and attorneys working on the case within hours. You deserve an experienced legal team working just as quickly for you.
Schafer & Schafer has stood up for Northwest Indiana families since 1954. We understand the Region’s major truck routes, including I-65, I-80/94, I-90, U.S. 30, and U.S. 41. We also have the resources and courtroom experience to take on trucking companies when the stakes are high.
If you were injured or lost a family member in a commercial truck crash, call (219) 947-1911 for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we win.
Our Truck Accident Verdicts Speak First
When choosing a Northwest Indiana truck accident lawyer, results matter. Schafer & Schafer prepares serious injury cases for trial and has obtained major verdicts for people harmed by negligent truck drivers and trucking companies. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome, but they show the level of work our team is prepared to bring to a case.
$30 Million Verdict: Semi-Truck Collision on U.S. 41
A semi-truck struck a man operating a tractor on U.S. 41 in Newton County. The collision caused a traumatic brain injury, pelvic and rib fractures, and other lasting harm. Our team investigated the driver’s conduct, built the case for trial, and secured a $30 million jury verdict.
$4.1 Million Verdict: Semi-Truck Brain Injury Case
In another case, a semi-truck ran a red light and struck our client. Although initial imaging did not clearly show an acute injury, she continued to experience subtle but serious cognitive problems. Our attorneys worked with medical professionals to demonstrate the long-term effects of her mild traumatic brain injury and obtained a $4.1 million verdict. Cases involving difficult-to-document head trauma benefit from a knowledgeable brain injury lawyer who understands both the medical evidence and the human impact.
What Makes a Truck Accident Case Different From a Car Crash
A collision between personal vehicles usually focuses on the drivers. A truck case may require investigating the driver, carrier, vehicle owner, maintenance providers, cargo companies, and other businesses.
Commercial carriers must also comply with detailed federal safety rules. A truck accident lawyer must know where to look for violations and how to connect them to the crash. Someone who needs help after a passenger-vehicle collision may benefit from a car accident lawyer, but a commercial trucking claim presents additional evidence, regulations, defendants, and insurance issues.
Federal Trucking Regulations and Driver Logs
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates matters such as driving hours, vehicle inspections, maintenance, and driver qualifications. Electronic logging devices and records of duty status may help reveal whether a driver exceeded permitted hours or had inadequate rest. Dispatch records, fuel receipts, inspection reports, and employment files can provide additional context.
Black Box Data and Evidence That Disappear Fast
A truck’s electronic control module may contain information about speed, braking, throttle use, and other activity shortly before impact. Dashcam footage, GPS records, driver logs, and internal messages may also be important.
Some records are retained for limited periods. Federal regulations, for example, generally require carriers to retain drivers’ records of duty status and supporting documents for at least six months. Sending a preservation demand quickly can help prevent critical evidence from being routinely overwritten or discarded.
Who Can Be Held Liable in an Indiana Truck Accident?
Identifying every responsible party can increase the available evidence and insurance coverage. Our guide to who to sue after a commercial vehicle accident explains why liability may extend beyond the driver.
The Truck Driver
A driver may be responsible for speeding, following too closely, driving while distracted or fatigued, ignoring traffic signals, or operating under the influence. A citation can support a claim, but it is not required to establish civil liability.
The Trucking Company
The carrier may be responsible for its employee’s negligence and for its own unsafe practices. Examples include negligent hiring, inadequate training, encouraging drivers to violate hours-of-service limits, or failing to inspect and maintain the truck.
Cargo Loaders and Maintenance Contractors
Improperly secured or overloaded cargo can make a truck difficult to control or cause it to roll over. A maintenance provider may share liability when defective brakes, worn tires, or another poorly repaired component contributes to the collision. Manufacturers and government entities may also be involved in some cases.
What Your Truck Accident Claim May Be Worth
Truck accident victim compensation may cover medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, rehabilitation, future care, property damage, and physical and emotional suffering. If a collision is fatal, eligible relatives may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim for losses recognized under Indiana law.
How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements?
There is no reliable “average truck accident settlement” that can predict what one case is worth. A settlement involving temporary injuries and a clear recovery will be valued differently from a case involving permanent brain damage, paralysis, or death. Online averages also fail to account for disputed fault and different levels of insurance coverage.
Factors That Drive Compensation Up or Down
Important factors include injury severity, future medical needs, time away from work, permanent limitations, the strength of the liability evidence, each party’s share of fault, available insurance, and whether the defendants are willing to negotiate fairly. A personal injury attorney must investigate these issues before estimating value.
How to Choose the Best Truck Accident Lawyer for Your Case
Look for documented trucking results, catastrophic-injury experience, the resources to investigate a corporate defendant, and a willingness to take cases to trial.
Questions to Ask Before You Hire Anyone
- What truck accident verdicts or settlements has the firm obtained?
- Who will handle my case and communicate with me?
- How will the firm preserve electronic and company records?
- Does the firm work with qualified medical and accident-reconstruction experts?
- Is the lawyer prepared to file suit and go to trial?
- How are attorney fees and case expenses handled?
Schafer & Schafer focuses on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. We offer free consultations and handle truck accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you owe no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
What to Do in the First 72 Hours After a Truck Crash
Get medical attention, report the collision, and photograph the scene if it is safe. Keep your medical records, receipts, photographs, and damaged property. Avoid discussing the crash on social media.
Dealing With the Insurance Adjuster’s First Call
The trucking company’s adjuster may sound concerned, but the company’s interests are different from yours. You are not required to accept a quick settlement or speculate about your injuries. Before giving a recorded statement or signing a release, speak with a commercial vehicle accident attorney who represents injured people rather than insurers.
Preserving Medical Records and Evidence
Follow your treatment plan and describe your symptoms accurately to your providers. At the same time, an attorney can request crash reports, locate witnesses, photograph the road, inspect the vehicles, and notify the trucking company to preserve its electronic and paper records.
Serving Merrillville, Gary, Crown Point, and All of Northwest Indiana
From our Merrillville office, Schafer & Schafer represents truck accident victims in Gary, Crown Point, Dyer, Hammond, Valparaiso, Portage, and communities throughout Lake, Porter, and surrounding counties. Our team understands how commercial traffic moves through Northwest Indiana.
Talk to a Northwest Indiana Truck Accident Lawyer
The trucking company may already be building its defense. Let Schafer & Schafer begin protecting your claim while you focus on your health and family.
Call 219-947-1911 or contact us online for a free consultation.
We have represented Region families for generations, achieved major truck accident verdicts, and are prepared to take on the companies responsible for your injuries. You pay nothing unless we win.
Truck Accident FAQs
How Hard Is It to Win a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Indiana?
The difficulty depends on the evidence. The injured person must prove that a defendant acted negligently, caused the crash, and caused compensable harm. Trucking companies may dispute fault, the seriousness of the injuries, or the amount requested. Prompt investigation, reliable medical documentation, and qualified experts can make a significant difference.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
Indiana generally gives an injured person two years to file a personal injury lawsuit under Indiana Code Section 34-11-2-4. Different notice requirements or exceptions may apply, particularly when a government entity is involved. Do not wait for the deadline: truck data, video, and witness recollections may be lost much sooner.
Who Can File a Lawsuit After A Fatal Truck Crash?
In Indiana, a wrongful death lawsuit after a fatal truck crash is filed by the personal representative of the deceased person's estate — not directly by family members. The personal representative brings one claim on behalf of the surviving spouse, children, or other dependents and distributes any recovery to them.
If no personal representative has been appointed yet, the court will appoint one. This should happen early, as it must be completed before the filing deadline.
Families often think they can file on their own and spend months only to learn they can't. In a truck case, this delay can cost important evidence — driver logs, electronic control module data, and dashcam footage can be overwritten within weeks.
How Long Do I Have To File A Wrongful Death Claim For A Truck Accident?
Indiana generally gives families two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. Miss that window, and the claim is typically barred permanently, regardless of how strong the evidence is.
Shorter deadlines may apply if a government entity is involved, such as a municipal truck, road-maintenance vehicle, or public transit contractor. Indiana's Tort Claims Act requires you to provide written notice much sooner than two years in these cases.
Because trucking accidents often involve multiple defendants from different states, and because this firm handles crashes on both sides of the Indiana–Illinois border, check with an injury attorney about the deadline right away instead of making assumptions.
What Causes Trucks To Jackknife, and How Can That Help My Case?
A jackknife happens when a tractor's trailer swings out at an angle to the cab, usually from braking too hard, braking on a wet or icy surface, descending a grade too fast, or hauling an improperly loaded or empty trailer. Most jackknifes trace back to driver error or equipment failure — not bad luck.
This matters in your accident case because jackknife evidence is well documented. The truck's computer records its speed and braking just before the crash.
Hours-of-service logs show whether the truck driver was fatigued, and maintenance records show whether the brakes were serviced properly. Professionals can also recreate the skid pattern.
Together, these factors can often demonstrate negligence more clearly than eyewitness accounts.
What Attorney Handles Underride Truck Accidents?
Underride crashes — where a passenger vehicle slides beneath a trailer — require an attorney who investigates the trailer's equipment, not just the driver's conduct.
These collisions are catastrophic because the impact strikes at windshield height, and liability frequently extends beyond the driver to the trucking company, the trailer manufacturer, and whoever maintained the guard.
Rear impact guards are federally regulated, and side underride protection remains an active regulatory issue. A missing, corroded, or non-compliant guard can support a product liability or negligent maintenance claim alongside the negligence claim against the driver.
Schafer & Schafer has tried catastrophic truck cases in Northwest Indiana since 1954, including a $4.1 million verdict in a semi-truck brain injury case.
Which Firm Gets The Best Settlements for Semi-Truck Crash Victims?
Look at verdicts, not advertising. A firm's willingness to take a trucking company to trial is what drives settlement value, because insurers price cases based on what happens if they refuse to pay.
Schafer & Schafer has represented Northwest Indiana families since 1954, with results including a $30 million jury verdict after a semi-truck struck a tractor on U.S. 41 and a $4.1 million verdict in a semi-truck brain injury case.
Consultations are free, and we don't charge a fee unless we recover for you.
