Truck accidents can be devastating, and if you are injured in this type of crash, it’s vital to know how to prove the root cause. One issue that can come into play in these cases is trucking company maintenance negligence. Accidents in Wisconsin may raise difficult legal questions for injured drivers, and it will be important for you to hire a truck accident lawyer to have the greatest chance of successfully proving what caused your accident and the resulting damages.
Understanding Trucking Company Maintenance Negligence Accidents in Wisconsin
There are thousands of commercial trucks passing through Wisconsin every day, and these large vehicles are crucial to the supply chain. Truck drivers have a difficult and demanding job, and both they and their employers are required to follow strict regulations to make sure trucking operations happen as safely and as efficiently as possible.
Commercial trucks spend more time on the road than most other vehicles, and their much larger engines and other systems are more complex than most standard passenger vehicles. This means greater maintenance requirements. Any truck with a maintenance problem needs to be addressed immediately, and the party responsible for maintaining the vehicle must keep detailed records of all maintenance they perform.
An owner-operator has a legal duty to ensure their truck is in safe working order at all times and to address safety issues as soon as possible. Trucking companies have the same responsibility for the vehicles in their fleets.
When a trucking company is responsible for truck maintenance, they are not only required to have licensed and experienced mechanics work on these vehicles, but also verify that necessary inspections and maintenance are performed accurately and in compliance with all applicable industry safety regulations.
Failing this, the trucking company and/or the party performing truck maintenance could be held liable for an accident. An investigation into your recent trucking accident in Wisconsin may reveal that your employer and/or another party is directly responsible for your damages. If so, then you may have legal options outside of the workers’ compensation system, and you need legal counsel you can trust for guidance in this difficult situation.
Legal Options After a Commercial Truck Accident in Wisconsin
If you drive a truck for a living and are hurt in an accident while driving for work, it’s vital to hire a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to help you pursue compensation for your damages. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, there were 7,164 large truck crashes statewide in 2025 resulting in 56 deaths and 1,462 injuries. Depending on how your accident happened, you could have multiple options for claiming compensation.
Almost every employer in Wisconsin is required to have workers’ compensation insurance, and a truck driver can file a claim through their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy if they are injured in an accident while driving for work. This insurance protects both the employer and the employee, providing compensation to the injured employee while shielding the employer from civil liability for the injured employee’s damages. However, there are exceptions to this.
An experienced Wisconsin truck accident attorney can review the details of how your accident happened, and if it is revealed that maintenance negligence caused the accident, you may not only qualify to file a workers’ compensation claim through your employer, but also file a third-party personal injury case against the party responsible for the negligent maintenance that caused the accident. This may be especially important for an Injured Truck Driver involved in a Farm Accident.
While you typically cannot sue an employer for a work injury in Wisconsin, this may not apply if your employer was egregiously negligent, caused your injury through some type of intentional harm, or if they knowingly ignored industry safety regulations and allowed negligent maintenance to happen. Your attorney can gather the evidence you need to prove the exact cause of your accident and identify the parties responsible.
Claiming Compensation for Negligent Truck Maintenance in Wisconsin
If you discover that your accident was the result of negligent truck maintenance, you may have grounds to file both a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party personal injury lawsuit. A successful workers’ compensation claim in Wisconsin may provide full coverage of all medical expenses related to your accident, and it can also provide ongoing disability benefits that make up for the income you cannot earn while you recover.
However, if you have grounds to file a third-party personal injury case against the party responsible for negligent maintenance, this could enable you to claim any lost income and lost earning capacity not covered by workers’ compensation insurance as well as compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced from the accident.
Workers’ compensation insurance in Wisconsin may function on a no-fault basis, so proving liability isn’t necessary for claiming these benefits, but proving fault is essential to success with any third-party personal injury case in Wisconsin. You need evidence that proves a defendant’s negligence or misconduct directly caused your claimed damages, and a skilled Wisconsin truck accident attorney will know how to obtain this evidence.
Depending on who was responsible for the truck’s maintenance, you could have grounds for a case against your employer, a maintenance contractor, or other party. While workers’ compensation insurance typically protects the employer from liability for their employees’ injuries on the job, this may not apply if they have violated industry safety regulations in any way that contributed to your accident.
Why You Should Hire a Trusted Truck Accident Lawyer
Trucking accidents may often occur for the same reasons as many other vehicle accidents, but they may also happen because of trucking industry regulation violations like negligent maintenance. In these cases, injured drivers need experienced legal counsel to help them prove the exact causes of their accidents, including whether an Underride Accident or Car Accident contributed to their injuries.
Your Wisconsin truck accident attorney can secure physical evidence from the scene of the crash, the police report from the accident, testimony from eyewitnesses, trucking company records, and vehicle black-box data to help you prove liability. They can also send letters to prevent evidence spoliation, requiring the trucking company to keep all maintenance records for the truck in question.
Some of the evidence you need to build a case for trucking company negligent maintenance will be very difficult to collect without an attorney’s help, and some may not be obtainable for very long after your accident. Craig Steger has years of proven experience handling truck accident cases for clients throughout Wisconsin, and our team is confident we can help you prove liability and recover compensation. Reach out to our firm as soon as possible to learn how we can help.
FAQs
How Can Negligent Maintenance Cause a Truck Accident?
Negligent maintenance can cause a truck accident when this negligence results in a mechanical issue in the truck that may not be immediately noticeable. Trucking companies and the parties responsible for performing maintenance on these vehicles are required to document all the work that they do and to follow strict industry regulations to ensure these vehicles are as safe as possible for every trip.
How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Negligent Maintenance Accident?
The amount of compensation you can claim for a negligent maintenance accident depends on the severity of your injuries and the specific details of your case. You may qualify to claim workers’ compensation benefits through your employer, but this may not cover all of your losses. If you are eligible to file a third-party personal injury case, this could yield compensation for other damages your employer’s insurance does not cover, such as your pain and suffering.
How Do You Prove Trucking Company Maintenance Negligence?
To prove trucking company maintenance negligence, you first need to show that there was some maintenance issue that directly caused the accident, and then you must show that the trucking company was responsible for performing appropriate maintenance on the vehicle. Your Wisconsin truck accident attorney can help you obtain maintenance records and other evidence to help you prove exactly how your accident happened.
Can I Sue My Employer for a Negligent Maintenance Accident?
You typically cannot sue your employer for a work-related accident, but when it comes to negligent maintenance, this could form an exception to this rule. Your attorney can help you determine who is liable for the negligent maintenance, and if your employer is revealed to have violated industry safety regulations, then you may have grounds to file a civil claim against them.
Will I Get More Compensation If I Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
You are likely to get more compensation if you hire a truck accident lawyer than you would be likely to obtain if you tried to handle your case alone. Filing a workers’ compensation claim may seem straightforward, but having an attorney on your side means you will be ready to address any unexpected complications you encounter. You will also need an attorney’s help to succeed with a personal injury case for negligent maintenance.
Craig Steger has successfully helped many truck accident victims throughout Wisconsin in all types of cases, including those involving negligent maintenance of commercial trucks. You have a short time to pursue compensation after your accident, and you may have more legal options available to you than you initially expected. Contact us today and schedule a consultation with a Wisconsin truck accident attorney to learn how we can help with your case.
