New Hampshire Truck Accident Lawyer

Where do serious truck crashes happen in New Hampshire?

Mostly on the interstates and on the main north-south routes. I-93 carries freight from Massachusetts through Manchester and Concord toward the White Mountains. I-89 connects Concord with Vermont. A short but heavily traveled section of I-95 crosses the Seacoast near Portsmouth, and the Spaulding Turnpike runs north from there.

Beyond the interstates, New Hampshire's trucking traffic includes:

• Logging trucks on Route 3, Route 16 and other roads in the North Country.
• Fuel and heating oil deliveries on rural roads, especially in winter.
• Delivery trucks and box trucks serving retail centers in Nashua, Manchester and Salem.
• Salt and plow trucks during winter storms.

Steep grades through Franconia Notch and the mountains test brakes. Narrow two-lane roads with little shoulder leave cars with nowhere to go when a truck drifts.

Who can be held responsible for a New Hampshire truck crash?

Often more than just the driver. Commercial trucking involves several companies, and each may share responsibility.

Depending on the facts, these may include:

• The driver, for speeding, fatigue or distraction.
• The motor carrier, for hiring, training and scheduling.
• A freight broker that chose an unsafe carrier.
• A shipper or loader whose cargo shifted.
• A maintenance company that missed brake or tire problems.
• A timber company that controlled logging truck operations.

Identifying every responsible party matters because each may have separate insurance.

What evidence should be saved after a truck crash?

The carrier's electronic records and the truck itself. Federal hours-of-service rules limit how long interstate drivers can drive, and most trucks use electronic logging devices.

A preservation letter should go out as soon as possible, asking the carrier to keep:

• Electronic logging device data and supporting documents.
• Engine control module data showing speed and braking.
• Dispatch messages and delivery schedules.
• Driver qualification and testing records.
• Inspection and maintenance logs.
• Dash camera and in-cab video.

Trucks that travel only within New Hampshire may follow state safety rules, which largely track federal standards. Either way, basic safety duties apply.

How do winter conditions affect truck crash claims?

Snow and ice do not excuse an unsafe truck driver. Professional drivers are expected to slow down, increase following distance and chain up or stop when conditions require it.

Common winter truck crashes include jackknifes on icy grades, trailers sliding across the center line on curves, and rear-end crashes when a truck cannot stop in time. Snow and ice falling from the roofs of trucks can also strike cars behind them, and drivers are expected to clear their vehicles before driving. When a truck operator ignores the conditions, the carrier usually remains responsible.

How is fault divided in a New Hampshire truck case?

A jury assigns each party a percentage. Your award is reduced by your share, and you recover nothing if your share is greater than the defendants' combined fault.

Consider a crash on I-89 near Lebanon in light snow. A tractor-trailer traveling too fast for the conditions jackknifes and strikes your car in the next lane. Your damages total $300,000. The carrier argues you were driving too close to the truck. If a jury assigns you 15% of the fault, you receive $255,000. If it assigns you 51%, you receive nothing.

Engine data showing the truck's speed, and weather data showing road conditions, are often the best answers to blame-shifting.

What should I do after a New Hampshire truck crash?

Get medical care, then work on preserving evidence before it disappears.

1. Request the crash report from New Hampshire State Police or the local agency.
2. Note the carrier's name, trailer number and DOT number.
3. Photograph the scene, vehicles and road conditions if possible.
4. Keep all medical records and bills.
5. Do not give the carrier's insurer a recorded statement.
6. Contact our team so a preservation letter can go out quickly.

You generally have three years to file suit in New Hampshire. Learn more on our truck accident practice page and our New Hampshire injury law overview. If you were injured at work by a truck, see our page on workplace and construction injuries, and families who lost a loved one can see our New Hampshire wrongful death page.