Why Insurance is a Vital Component in Interstate Trucking

It is important for passenger vehicles to carry automobile insurance. This insurance protects the driver, as well as pedestrians and other drivers on the road. It is even more essential that interstate trucks carry the insurance that is mandated by state law. Insurance levels for interstate trucks are considerably higher than those for passenger vehicles. This is because the risk for damage and loss of life increases exponentially when there is an automobile accident that involves an interstate truck.

Two Trucking Accidents on One Interstate in a Matter of A Few Hours

In the early weeks of January 2015, East of Texas 31 on westbound I–22, men suffered fatalities as a result of a Texas trucking accident. The men were driving a box truck that was delivering flat screen televisions and was registered out of Chihuahua, Mexico. According to authorities, the box truck was mangled to the point where it was beyond recognition. The televisions that it carried were thrown all over the highway after the accident.

According to James Ammons, a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the accident happened when the two men in the box truck crashed into the back of the tractor-trailer at tremendous speed. The trooper said that the impact of the accident was unbelievably hard. The two people in the tractor-trailer survived, with one of them being taken to Longview Regional Medical Center for treatment for injuries.

Interestingly, on that same stretch of road, there was an accident involving two tractor-trailers that crashed and burst into flames. Both trucks were carrying produce. According to the Department of Public Safety, that accident did not result in injuries or fatalities.

Why Trucking Companies Need Insurance

The two above-mentioned accidents underscore the importance of interstate trucks carrying insurance in harmony with federal laws. There are two reasons why these trucks must carry said insurance. First, the insurance protects the drivers and the companies they work for in the event they cannot afford to pay compensation to victims of accidents out of their own pocket.

Second, interstate trucks carry valuable material. In the accident involving the two tractor-trailers, both vehicles were carrying produce that valued into the tens of thousands of dollars. In the first instance, the collision between the box truck and the tractor-trailer resulted in the destruction of multiple flat screen televisions. Once again, this payload was valued into the tens of thousands of dollars. Insurance helps trucking companies cover the expense of these losses.

Minimum Insurance Requirements For Truckers

Trucks that weigh at least 10,000 pounds and that carry nonhazardous materials are required to have $750,000 in insurance coverage. This coverage is designed to protect damage to property and injuries to people. That number jumps to $1 million for trucks that transport HAZMAT goods. Five million dollars is required for interstate trucks that carry explosives. For trucks that weigh under 10,000 pounds, $300,000 in insurance is required for the transport of general items and $5 million for HAZMAT goods.

Negotiating with Trucking Insurance Companies

Just because trucking companies are required by law to carry high levels of insurance does not mean that they will readily provide compensation when their trucks are involved in a accident. In fact, in most cases, a victim of a trucking accident will need trucking accident personal injury lawyers to work with them to help them get the compensation they need from the insurance companies that back the trucking industry. Interacting with insurance adjusters of trucking companies is a challenging job. The job is even more challenging when the victim is in shock because of the accident. Attorneys are able to negotiate with the insurance companies in an impartial way and provide their victims with needed compensation.