The Impact Was Catastrophic. One Moment You’re Driving the Rural Roads of Union County, Indiana—The Next, 80,000 Pounds of Steel Has Changed Your Life Forever.
Union County sits at the crossroads of eastern Indiana’s agricultural heartland, where Interstate 74 carries thousands of commercial trucks daily between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and where State Road 44 connects local farms to regional distribution centers. When an 18-wheeler loses control on these corridors, the physics are brutal: a fully loaded semi weighs twenty times more than your family sedan, needs nearly two football fields to stop from highway speed, and carries enough force to obliterate anything in its path.
If you’re reading this from a hospital room in Richmond or recovering at home in Liberty, you already know the devastation. You didn’t ask for this. But now you face mounting medical bills, weeks or months of lost income, and the crushing reality that the trucking company has already dispatched its rapid-response team to protect their interests—not yours.
For over 25 years, Ralph Manginello has fought for people just like you across Indiana and beyond. As the founding managing partner of Attorney911, he’s built a reputation taking on Fortune 500 corporations and winning. Our team includes Lupe Peña, a former insurance defense attorney who spent years inside the system learning exactly how trucking insurers minimize claims—now he uses that insider knowledge to fight against them. We’ve recovered over $50 million for families devastated by catastrophic accidents, including multi-million dollar settlements for traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and wrongful death. We are currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against a major university, and we successfully represented victims in the BP Texas City explosion litigation—proving we have the resources to take on the largest corporations when they jeopardize public safety.
Right now, evidence that could prove your case is disappearing. Black box data can be overwritten in 30 days. Dashcam footage gets deleted within weeks. The trucking company is building their defense while you focus on healing. That is why Union County 18-wheeler accident victims call us immediately at 1-888-ATTY-911. We send preservation letters within hours, not weeks, because we know what’s at stake.
Why Truck Accidents in Union County Are Fundamentally Different From Car Crashes
When you’re hit by a standard passenger vehicle in Union County, you’re dealing with a $30,000 insurance policy and a driver who might be equally stunned. When an 18-wheeler operated by a commercial motor carrier strikes you on I-74 near the Liberty exit, you’re facing a completely different adversary.
The Scale of Destruction
An 80,000-pound tractor-trailer generates approximately 80 times the kinetic energy of a 4,000-pound sedan traveling at the same speed. This isn’t an accident—it’s a force of nature. The injuries aren’t bruises and whiplash; they’re traumatic amputations, crushed thoracic cavities, and traumatic brain injuries that require lifetime care.
Federal Oversight and Complexity
Every commercial truck operating on Union County roads must comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), codified in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These aren’t suggestions—they’re federal law. When trucking companies violate these regulations, they expose themselves to liability, but proving those violations requires immediate action.
Consider 49 CFR Part 395, governing Hours of Service. Federal law limits property-carrying drivers to 11 hours of driving time after 10 consecutive hours off duty. They cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and cannot exceed 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days. Yet driver fatigue contributes to approximately 31% of fatal truck crashes. When a drowsy driver crosses the center line near the Union County line, those logbooks—now electronic under the ELD mandate—become critical evidence.
Multiple Liable Parties
Unlike a fender-bender where one driver might be at fault, 18-wheeler crashes in Union County often involve a web of corporate liability:
- The Driver – For negligence, fatigue, or distraction
- The Motor Carrier/Trucking Company – Under respondeat superior and for negligent hiring, training, or supervision
- The Cargo Owner – For improper loading instructions or overweight demands
- The Loading Company – For inadequately secured loads violating 49 CFR Part 393 (cargo securement standards)
- The Truck Manufacturer – For defective brakes, steering, or stability control
- The Parts Manufacturer – For defective tires or brake components
- The Maintenance Company – For negligent repairs or missed inspections under 49 CFR Part 396
- The Freight Broker – For negligently selecting carriers with poor safety records
- The Truck Owner – If different from the carrier, for negligent entrustment
- Government Entities – For dangerous road design or inadequate signage on state routes
Each of these parties carries separate insurance policies, often totaling millions of dollars. While a car accident might involve a $30,000 policy, commercial carriers must maintain minimum liability coverage of $750,000 for non-hazardous freight, $1,000,000 for oil and large equipment, and $5,000,000 for hazardous materials. Many carry umbrella policies pushing coverage into the tens of millions.
Indiana Law: Your Rights and Deadlines in Union County
Understanding Indiana’s specific legal landscape is crucial for Union County residents. Indiana operates under a modified comparative negligence system with a 51% bar. This means you can recover damages as long as you are 50% or less at fault for the accident. However, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re found 20% responsible, you recover 80% of your damages. If you’re 51% responsible, you recover nothing.
Critical Deadline: Two Years
Under Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4, you have two years from the date of your Union County trucking accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. For wrongful death claims, the clock similarly runs two years from the date of death. This sounds like ample time, but in trucking cases, waiting even weeks can be fatal to your claim.
Punitive Damages in Indiana
Indiana allows punitive damages—designed to punish egregious conduct rather than merely compensate—when the defendant acted with malice, fraud, or gross negligence. Under Indiana Code § 34-51-3, punitive damages are capped at the greater of three times the compensatory damages or $50,000. However, these caps don’t apply if the defendant is a governmental entity, and in trucking cases involving destroyed evidence or intentionally falsified logs, juries have awarded substantial punitive awards.
The “Eggshell Plaintiff” Rule
Indiana follows the “eggshell plaintiff” doctrine—you take your victim as you find them. If the truck driver caused a collision on State Road 44 that exacerbated a pre-existing condition, they are liable for the full extent of the aggravation, not merely the “new” injury.
FMCSA Regulations: The Rules They Broke
Commercial trucking is one of the most heavily regulated industries in America. When we investigate your Union County accident, we examine whether the carrier violated these specific federal mandates:
49 CFR Part 390 – General Applicability
Establishes that all motor carriers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce must comply with safety standards. A CMV is defined as any vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) over 10,001 pounds, designed to transport 16 or more passengers, or transporting hazardous materials requiring placards.
49 CFR Part 391 – Driver Qualification
Trucking companies must maintain a Driver Qualification (DQ) File for every operator containing:
- Employment application and verification (§ 391.21)
- Three-year driving record from state authorities
- Medical examiner’s certificate proving physical qualification (§ 391.41)
- Road test certification or equivalent
- Annual driving record reviews
- Previous employer inquiries covering the last three years
If the driver who hit you on I-74 lacked a valid CDL, failed their medical exam, or had a history of violations the carrier ignored, we pursue negligent hiring claims that can pierce corporate immunity and reach the company’s assets.
49 CFR Part 392 – Driving Rules
- § 392.3: No driver shall operate while impaired by illness or fatigue
- § 392.4 & 392.5: Prohibits drug use and alcohol consumption (0.04% BAC maximum for commercial drivers—half the passenger vehicle limit)
- § 392.6: Prohibits schedules requiring speeding to meet deadlines
- § 392.11: Mandates reasonable following distances
- § 392.82: Prohibits hand-held mobile device use while driving
49 CFR Part 393 – Vehicle Safety and Cargo Securement
- Minimum tread depth: 4/32″ for steer tires, 2/32″ for others (§ 393.75)
- Cargo securement systems must withstand specific deceleration forces (0.8g forward, 0.5g rearward and lateral) (§ 393.102)
- Required tiedowns based on cargo length and weight
- Proper lighting and reflector requirements (§ 393.11-26)
49 CFR Part 395 – Hours of Service
The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate requires automatic recording of:
- Driving time (11-hour maximum)
- On-duty time (14-hour window maximum)
- Rest breaks (30 minutes after 8 hours driving)
- Weekly limits (60/70 hour caps with 34-hour restart)
49 CFR Part 396 – Inspection and Maintenance
- § 396.3: Requires systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance
- § 396.11: Mandates daily post-trip inspection reports
- § 396.13: Requires pre-trip inspections
- § 396.17: Annual comprehensive vehicle inspections
Brake problems contribute to 29% of large truck crashes. When we subpoena maintenance records, we’re looking for deferred brake jobs, ignored air system leaks, or falsified inspection reports—evidence of a corporate culture that valued profit over the safety of Union County families.
The 48-Hour Evidence Preservation Protocol
When you call 1-888-ATTY-911 within days of your Union County trucking accident, we immediately implement our evidence preservation protocol. Here’s why speed matters:
ECM/Black Box Data – Most commercial trucks contain Event Data Recorders capturing speed, brake application, throttle position, and engine RPMs in the seconds before impact. This data can overwrite within 30 days or with newer driving events.
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) – Since December 2017, FMCSA requires ELDs that cannot be easily altered like paper logs. These prove Hours of Service violations, but motor carriers only must retain these records for six months—and they often “lose” them after accidents.
Driver Qualification Files – Under 49 CFR § 391.51, carriers must retain these for three years after employment ends. We demand immediate preservation to prevent “routine” destruction.
Dashcam Footage – Forward-facing and cab-facing cameras often capture the entire incident, but looping recordings may delete critical moments within days.
Spoliation Letters – We send formal preservation notices to the carrier, their insurer, and all potentially liable parties within 24 hours of retention. Once notified of potential litigation under Indiana law, destroying evidence constitutes spoliation, which can result in adverse inference instructions (the jury is told to assume the destroyed evidence was favorable to you) or sanctions.
As client Donald Wilcox told us after we took his case that another firm rejected: “One company said they would not accept my case. Then I got a call from Manginello… I got a call to come pick up this handsome check.” We take cases other attorneys reject because we know where to look for evidence they miss.
Catastrophic Injuries: The Reality of Recovery
The injuries sustained in Union County 18-wheeler accidents aren’t temporary setbacks—they’re life-altering catastrophes. We’ve helped families navigate:
Traumatic Brain Injuries ($1,548,000 – $9,838,000+ settlement range)
TBIs range from concussions to severe diffuse axonal injuries requiring lifetime care. Victims may experience cognitive deficits, personality changes, seizures, and loss of executive function. The lifetime cost of care for a severe TBI can exceed $3 million.
Spinal Cord Injuries ($4,770,000 – $25,880,000+ settlement range)
Complete and incomplete paraplegia or quadriplegia resulting from cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine trauma. These cases require wheelchairs, home modifications, continuous medical equipment, and 24/7 attendant care. As client Chad Harris explained: “You are NOT a pest to them and you are NOT just some client… You are FAMILY to them.” We fight for every dime needed for lifetime care.
Amputations ($1,945,000 – $8,630,000 settlement range)
Whether traumatic amputation at the scene or surgical removal due to crush injuries, limb loss requires prosthetics ($5,000-$50,000+ per device, needing replacement every 3-5 years), rehabilitation, and psychological counseling.
Severe Burns
Fuel tank ruptures and hazmat cargo incidents cause thermal and chemical burns requiring skin grafting, plastic surgery, and long-term pain management.
Wrongful Death ($1,910,000 – $9,520,000 settlement range)
When Indiana families lose loved ones on highways like I-74, we pursue claims for loss of consortium, lost future earnings, mental anguish, and funeral expenses.
As client Glenda Walker shared: “They make you feel like family and even though the process may take some time, they make it feel like a breeze. They fought for me to get every dime I deserved.”
Types of 18-Wheeler Accidents Common in Union County
Jackknife Accidents
When a truck’s trailer swings perpendicular to the cab, often due to sudden braking on wet pavement or curves. On I-74’s east-west corridor through Union County, winter ice and sudden maneuvers create jackknife risks that block multiple lanes and cause multi-vehicle pileups.
Rollover Crashes
High center of gravity plus speed on curves equals deadly rollovers. Agricultural trucks hauling grain on rural routes are particularly susceptible if improperly loaded.
Underride Collisions
When a passenger vehicle slides under the trailer, often shearing off the roof. Despite 49 CFR § 393.86 requiring rear impact guards on trailers manufactured after 1998, many older trailers or improperly maintained guards fail, leading to decapitation injuries. Side underride guards remain voluntary—a deadly regulatory gap.
Rear-End Collisions
A loaded truck needs 40% more stopping distance than a car. When traffic slows near the Liberty exit or construction zones, inattentive or fatigued truck drivers rear-end smaller vehicles with devastating force.
Wide Turn Accidents (“Squeeze Play”)
Trucks making right turns from narrow Union County roads often swing left first, creating a gap that motorists enter, only to be crushed when the truck completes its turn.
Blind Spot Accidents
18-wheelers have massive “No-Zones”—20 feet in front, 30 feet behind, and entire sides where mirrors fail to reveal passenger vehicles. Lane changes on I-74 without proper checking cause sideswipe crashes.
Tire Blowouts
Underinflated tires, overheating, or worn tread (violating 49 CFR § 393.75) cause blowouts that send trucks careening into traffic or drop “road gators” (tread debris) that cause secondary accidents.
Brake Failure
Worn brake pads, air system leaks, or overheated drums cause loss of stopping power. We examine maintenance records under 49 CFR Part 396 to prove the carrier knew brakes were deficient.
Cargo Spills and Shifts
Improperly secured agricultural equipment or improperly distributed loads violate 49 CFR §§ 393.100-136, causing trailers to tip or cargo to fall onto Union County highways.
Insurance Company Tactics: The Inside Knowledge
Lupe Peña, our associate attorney, spent years defending insurance companies before joining Attorney911. He knows their playbook:
The Early Lowball – Adjusters contact victims within days offering “quick” settlements before medical treatment concludes. They hope you’ll accept $25,000 before discovering you need spinal surgery.
The Recorded Statement – They’re trained to ask “How are you?” knowing you’ll say “Fine”—then use that to minimize your pain. Never give recorded statements without counsel.
The Pre-Existing Condition Defense – They comb through decades of medical history to blame arthritis for your herniated disc. Indiana’s eggshell plaintiff rule defeats this, but they try anyway.
Surveillance – Insurance investigators photograph injury victims at grocery stores or family gatherings, cherry-picking moments to suggest you’re not injured.
Delay and Deny – Hoping you’ll accept pennies or give up as bills mount.
We counter these tactics immediately. Because we know how they evaluate claims from the inside, we build cases they can’t dismiss—cases that force fair settlements or verdicts.
Frequently Asked Questions for Union County Trucking Accident Victims
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Union County?
Indiana’s statute of limitations is two years from the accident date. However, critical evidence disappears much sooner. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 immediately.
What if I was partially at fault for the Union County crash?
Indiana uses modified comparative negligence. If you’re 50% or less at fault, you recover damages minus your percentage of fault. If you’re 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Don’t let the trucking company convince you you’re at fault without evidence—let us investigate.
How much is my Union County trucking accident case worth?
It depends on injury severity, medical costs, lost wages, and available insurance. Trucking cases often involve $750,000 to $5+ million in coverage. We’ve recovered settlements ranging from hundreds of thousands to multi-millions.
Will my case go to trial?
Most settle, but we prepare every case for trial. Insurance companies offer better settlements when they know you’re willing to go to court with experienced trial attorneys like Ralph Manginello, who brings 25+ years of courtroom experience and federal court admission to the Southern District of Texas.
What does “contingency fee” mean?
You pay nothing upfront. We advance all costs. Our fee (standard 33.33% pre-trial, 40% if trial is necessary) comes only from your recovery. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.
Do you handle cases in Union County if your offices are in Houston?
Yes. With offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve clients throughout Indiana and nationwide. We offer remote consultations and travel to Union County for your case. Federal trucking laws apply nationwide, and our expertise travels with us.
Hablamos Español?
Sí. Lupe Peña provides fluent Spanish representation. Para una consulta gratis sobre su accidente de camión en Union County, llame al 1-888-ATTY-911.
Your Next Step: Protect Your Union County Future
The trucking company has lawyers. They have investigators. They have insurance adjusters working to minimize your claim. You need someone fighting just as hard for you.
Attorney911 has recovered over $50 million for families across America. We’ve taken on BP after the Texas City explosion, secured multi-million dollar verdicts for brain injury and amputation victims, and currently litigate a $10 million hazing case demanding corporate accountability. We bring that same tenacity to Union County families devastated by 18-wheeler negligence.
Client Kiimarii Yup put it best: “I lost everything… my car was at a total loss, and because of Attorney Manginello and my case worker Leonor, 1 year later I have gained so much in return plus a brand new truck.”
You don’t have to face the trucking industry alone. Ralph Manginello has spent over 25 years making negligent trucking companies pay. Lupe Peña knows their defense strategies before they use them. And our entire team treats you like family, not a file number.
Call 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911) now. The consultation is free. We answer calls 24/7 because accidents don’t wait for business hours. Evidence disappears fast—black box data overwrites in 30 days, witnesses’ memories fade, and the trucking company is already building their defense.
Don’t wait. Don’t let them bully you into accepting less than you deserve. Don’t try to handle a multi-million dollar trucking case alone.
1-888-ATTY-911. We’re ready to fight for Union County families. We’re ready to fight for you.
