Arkansas Truck Accident Lawyer

Trucking is part of the Arkansas economy. The same freight network that supports jobs across the state also puts large trucks on rural highways, interstates and small-town streets, where a crash with a passenger car can change a life in seconds.

Where are Arkansas truck crashes most likely to happen?

On the interstates that carry national freight and on the regional routes that serve farms, mills and distribution centers.

• I-40 runs from Fort Smith through Little Rock to West Memphis, carrying cross-country freight with frequent construction zones.
• I-30 links Little Rock with Texarkana and Texas.
• I-55 runs through the Delta toward Memphis.
• I-49 and US-412 serve fast-growing Northwest Arkansas and its distribution centers.
• State highways in the south and east carry log trucks, poultry haulers and grain trucks on two-lane roads.

Weather adds to the risk. Heavy rain, fog in the river valleys and occasional ice storms reduce visibility and traction, and a loaded truck needs far more distance to stop than a car. A driver who keeps highway speed in those conditions, or a carrier that pushes a schedule through them, may be responsible for the crash that follows.

What makes Arkansas truck cases different from car crash cases?

More rules, more parties and more insurance. Commercial trucks are governed by federal motor carrier safety regulations, and trucking companies are required to keep records that can prove whether those rules were broken.

Key evidence includes:

1. Electronic logging device data showing hours driven and rest breaks.
2. Engine control module data recording speed and braking before impact.
3. Driver qualification files, drug and alcohol test results and training records.
4. Inspection, repair and tire records.
5. Dispatch messages, GPS data and delivery schedules that show pressure to keep moving.
6. Dash camera and inward-facing camera video.

Arkansas applies similar safety standards to many carriers that operate only within the state, although some details differ. A preservation letter sent quickly puts the carrier on notice to keep these records.

Who can share fault for an Arkansas truck crash?

Several companies may be responsible, and Arkansas generally makes each pay only its own share. Leaving one out can leave part of the loss uncovered.

• The motor carrier and the driver.
• A freight broker that chose an unsafe carrier.
• A shipper or loader that overloaded or poorly secured the cargo.
• A maintenance company that missed a brake or tire problem.
• A parts maker, which may lead to a product liability claim.

How does the 50% bar apply to a truck crash?

If you are found 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Below that line, your recovery is reduced by your share. Trucking defense teams often push hard on the injured driver's speed, lane position or braking for that reason.

Consider a crash on I-40 near Russellville where a tractor-trailer changes lanes into a passenger car. The car driver's damages total $700,000. The jury assigns 55% of the fault to the motor carrier, 25% to a broker that hired a carrier with a known safety record, and 20% to the car driver for being in the truck's blind spot. The car driver can recover $560,000, with the carrier generally owing $385,000 and the broker $175,000. If the jury had instead found the car driver 50% at fault, the recovery would have been zero.

What should you do after a truck crash in Arkansas?

Get medical care, then protect the evidence. Trucking companies move quickly, and so should you.

Photograph the truck, trailer, cargo and scene. Write down the carrier name and USDOT number. Keep your vehicle for inspection. Avoid recorded statements to the carrier's insurer. Ask your own insurer about PIP and underinsured motorist coverage. Talk with a lawyer about preservation letters for logs, engine data and video.

How long do you have to file, and what if the crash was fatal?

Most Arkansas truck injury claims must be filed within 3 years, and wrongful death claims generally follow the same 3-year deadline. Waiting is rarely wise, because evidence is easiest to secure in the first weeks.

When a truck crash takes a life, the family's claim is brought by the personal representative or heirs; see our Arkansas wrongful death page. For serious injuries that change a person's life, our catastrophic injury page explains how future care and lost earning ability are measured. For other Arkansas claims, visit our Arkansas injury guide. We offer a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.