Commercial and Trucking Insurance Limits

If you live in Louisiana, you are no stranger to seeing countless billboards and commercials of attorneys claiming they handle trucking accidents.

The fact is, many attorneys claim to be experts in this area because they can make more money on these cases as trucking companies typically carry high insurance limits on their liability policies. But this doesn’t mean everyone who advertises to be a personal injury trucking attorney knows the ins and outs of Louisiana personal injury trucking law, nor does it mean they are truly equipped to handle your trucking accident.

At the Cardone Law Firm, we devote ourselves to helping people injured on Louisiana’s roadways. At our firm, we focus on Louisiana and federal trucking laws that are beneficial to our injured clients. We also pride ourselves in sharing our wide range of trucking law knowledge with those searching for the best trucking injury attorney so they can feel comfortable knowing we are the right fit for their case.

It’s no secret, trucking companies generally carry higher insurance policies than the average vehicle on the road. The amount of insurance each commercial truck must carry is regulated if the truck is operating across state lines. If a truck of a particular size and weight is traveling across state lines, it is regulated by Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations known as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act (“FMCSA”).

The FMCSA will mandate the insurance limits large trucks traveling across state lines must carry. The limits of the insurance policy will depend on the type of carriage and what is being transported. Below is a general summary of the insurance limits various large trucks are required to carry:

1. For-hire (interstate or foreign commerce with a gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 lbs.) Property (non-hazardous) $300,000
2. For-hire (interstate or foreign commerce with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 lbs. or more) Property (non-hazardous) $750,000
3. For-hire and private (interstate, foreign or intrastate commerce with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 lbs. or more) Hazardous substances as defined in 49 CFR 171.8 transported in cargo tanks, portable tanks, or hopper type vehicles with capacities in excess of 3,500 water gallons; or in bulk Divisions 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 materials, Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A, or Division 6.1, Packing Group 1, Hazard Zone A Material; in bulk Division 2.1 or 2.2; or highway route controlled quantities of a Class 7 material, as defined in 49 CFR 173.403 $5,000,000
4. For-hire and private (interstate or foreign commerce, in any quantity; or in intrastate commerce, in bulk only; with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 lbs. or more) Oil listed in 49 CFR 172.101; hazardous waste, hazardous materials and hazardous substances as defined in 49 CFR 171.8 and listed in 49 CFR 172.101, but not mentioned in (3) above or (5) below. $1,000,000
5. For-hire and private (interstate or foreign commerce with a gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 lbs.) Any quantity of Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material; and quantity of a Division 2.3, Hazard Zone A or Division 6.1, Packing Group 1, Hazard Zone A material; or highway route controlled quantities of a Class 7 material as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. $5,000,000
6. For-Hire Private Passenger Vehicles Seating capacity of 15 or less passengers $5,000,000
7. For-Hire Private Passenger Vehicles Seating capacity of less than 15 passengers $1,500,000

The table above summarizes the minimum liability insurance limits the trucking and commercial vehicles must carry to operate on the road.

Any trucking or commercial company can decide to purchase higher insurance limits, or additional coverage such as underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage which may work to your benefit. We always explore this avenue in each serious injury case where a client was injured by a large truck. Further, many large trucking and commercial companies will purchase excess or umbrella insurance policies which will provide you with more coverage for your injuries.

When we assess an injury case, we always start with assessing all avenues of potential liability insurance coverage. It is important to assess all areas of coverage because it can help us, and the client, make vital strategic decisions at the outset of the case. Whenever you come for a free consultation at the Cardone Law Firm, we make sure to answer any questions you may have about insurance limits in your trucking case.

In summary, although many lawyers may claim to be the best at handling trucking accidents, being truly successful in a truck accident lawsuit requires a detailed analysis of many Louisiana state laws and federal regulations. It requires experience, time and in-depth client conversations. When you come to the Cardone Law Firm for a trucking accident consultation, there is no limit to the time we will spend with you.

Further, if the trucking company has already offered you a settlement amount – we do not take an attorney’s fee on the amount they have offered you. We only take an attorney’s fee on what we are able to secure for you, over and above what the trucking company has already offered you for your injuries. In addition, we do not take any fee on getting your property damage repaired, we help you with that free of charge.

If you are questioning the amount of insurance coverage that may be available to you in your trucking injury or commercial vehicle injury case, or if you are wondering if they are offering you a fair settlement, you can contact Cliff Cardone at the Cardone Law Firm for a free consultation at 504-522-3333. During our free consultation, we will discuss your injuries and our opinion as to what your case may be worth based on your injuries and the potential insurance limits available to you. We never counsel clients to hire us unless we think we can be of assistance in ultimately getting them a better result than they may have already been offered.

Phone Cardone and see the difference.

Cliff Cardone has built a career helping clients understand the true value of their case. He understands how important it is to determine insurance limits at the outset of a case, and communicate those limits to the client. No case is too big or too small, but a client must be clear on the insurance limits available to them. Cliff Cardone is known for obtaining the maximum insurance limits available in the majority of his personal injury cases. To read more about Cliff Cardone, check out his in-depth profile here.