When an 80,000-pound truck changes your life on I-80 outside Anamosa or Cascade, you need more than just a lawyer—you need a fighter who knows Iowa’s highways, its courts, and the specific dangers of agricultural trucking that define Jones County. Every year, thousands of trucks hauling corn, soybeans, and ethanol traverse our local roads and interstates, and when negligence enters the equation, the results are catastrophic.
Since 1998, Ralph Manginello has spent over 25 years taking on trucking companies and winning. He’s admitted to federal court, has litigated against Fortune 500 corporations like BP, and has recovered multi-million dollar settlements for families just like yours right here in Iowa. Our firm includes Lupe Peña, an associate attorney who spent years working inside the insurance defense industry—now he uses that insider knowledge to fight against the very tactics he once employed, giving our clients a decisive advantage when facing commercial carriers.
Why Jones County 18-Wheeler Accidents Demand Specialized Legal Expertise
Jones County sits at the crossroads of America’s agricultural heartland. Interstate 80—the nation’s primary transcontinental freight corridor—cuts through our community, carrying everything from Amazon freight to grain haulers between Cedar Rapids and the Mississippi River. Add Iowa Highway 38, County Road E28, and the constant flow of agricultural equipment during harvest season, and you’ve got a recipe for serious trucking accidents.
The physics alone are terrifying. Your sedan weighs roughly 4,000 pounds. A fully loaded semi can weigh 80,000 pounds—that’s twenty times heavier. When that mass collides with a passenger vehicle at highway speeds, the force is devastating. We’ve seen the aftermath: traumatic brain injuries from underride collisions on I-80, spinal cord damage from jackknifes on icy Highway 136, and wrongful deaths at rural intersections where visibility is limited by tall crops.
But here’s what makes Jones County cases particularly complex: Iowa’s unique Modified Comparative Negligence rule with a 51% bar. Under Iowa law, you can recover damages if you’re 50% or less at fault, but if the trucking company convinces a jury that you were even 51% responsible, you recover nothing—and they know it. That’s why trucking companies deploy rapid-response teams to crash scenes within hours, long before victims even think about calling a lawyer.
Iowa Law: The Clock is Ticking and the Rules are Strict
In Iowa, you have just two years from the date of your trucking accident to file a lawsuit. Wait longer, and you lose your right to compensation forever—no matter how catastrophic your injuries. This statute of limitations applies to both personal injury and wrongful death claims in Jones County.
The comparative negligence system in Iowa is unforgiving. Unlike some states where you can recover even if you’re mostly at fault, Iowa cuts you off at 50%. The trucking company and their insurers will use every resource to push you over that line—claiming you were speeding on I-80, that you didn’t signal properly on the county roads, or that you should have seen their truck despite their blind spot.
Our associate attorney Lupe Peña knows exactly how insurance companies evaluate claims because he used to work for them. He understands the Colossus algorithms and the playbook adjusters use to minimize payouts. Now he fights for you, using that insider knowledge to anticipate every defense strategy and protect your recovery.
Unlike some states that cap damages, Iowa imposes no limit on punitive damages in trucking cases. When a carrier knowingly puts a dangerous driver on the road or falsifies hours-of-service logs, we can pursue every dollar necessary to punish that behavior and protect other Iowa families.
The Types of 18-Wheeler Accidents We See in Jones County
Jackknife Accidents on Icy Interstates
Iowa winters bring black ice, whiteouts, and treacherous conditions on I-80 and I-380. When a truck driver hits their brakes too hard on slick pavement, the trailer swings out perpendicular to the cab, creating a massive obstacle across multiple lanes. These jackknife accidents often result from 49 CFR § 392.3 violations—operating while fatigued or impaired—or § 392.6—driving too fast for conditions. The results are catastrophic multi-vehicle pileups, especially during the busy winter freight season when truckers push through storms to meet delivery deadlines.
Rollovers on Rural Curves and County Roads
Jones County’s agricultural landscape means plenty of two-lane highways with sharp curves and limited shoulders. When tankers hauling liquid manure or ethanol take these curves too fast—often violating 49 CFR § 392.6—the liquid cargo sloshes and shifts, causing the center of gravity to change instantly. The truck tips, sometimes crushing vehicles in adjacent lanes or spilling hazardous materials across cornfields. These accidents frequently involve 49 CFR § 393.100-136 cargo securement violations.
Underride Collisions at Highway Speeds
Rear underride accidents happen when a passenger vehicle strikes the back of a trailer and slides underneath. Despite 49 CFR § 393.86 requiring rear impact guards on trailers manufactured after 1998, many older trailers still lack adequate protection. When these happen on I-80 at 70 mph, the results are often decapitation or catastrophic head trauma. Side underride accidents are equally deadly and, shockingly, carry no federal guard requirements—though we hold trucking companies liable for failing to install optional guards that could have saved lives.
Rear-End Collisions from Fatigued Driving
An 80,000-pound truck traveling at 65 mph needs nearly two football fields—525 feet—to stop. When drivers violate 49 CFR Part 395 Hours of Service regulations—driving beyond the 11-hour limit or the 14-hour duty window—they simply cannot react in time to slowed traffic on I-80. These rear-end collisions often violate 49 CFR § 392.11 (following too closely) and § 392.3 (operating while impaired by fatigue).
Wide Turn Accidents in Small Towns
When trucks navigate intersections in towns like Monticello, Wyoming, or Onslow, they often swing wide left before turning right—a maneuver known as “squeeze play.” Passenger vehicles entering the gap get crushed against curbs or other vehicles. These accidents typically violate 49 CFR § 392.11 and state traffic laws, often compounded by inadequate mirror checks or failure to signal.
Brake Failures on Steep Grades
While Iowa isn’t known for mountains, the hills approaching the Mississippi River and certain overpasses can cause brake fade when drivers fail to properly maintain their systems. 49 CFR § 396.3 requires systematic inspection and maintenance, yet we’ve seen cases where carriers deferred brake repairs to save money, leading to catastrophic downhill crashes.
Tire Blowouts and Cargo Spills
Iowa’s agricultural economy means trucks haul heavy loads—grain, livestock, equipment. Overloaded trucks or improperly secured cargo violate 49 CFR § 393.100-136, causing blowouts that send 18-wheelers careening across lanes or spilling tons of cargo onto highways. The debris creates secondary accidents, and the shifting weight causes rollovers.
Who Can We Hold Liable? It’s Not Just the Driver
Most law firms identify the driver and the trucking company and call it a day. We dig deeper. In Jones County agricultural accidents, multiple parties often share blame:
The Truck Driver: For speeding, distracted driving, fatigue, or impairment. We subpoena cell phone records, ELD data, and drug test results to prove negligence.
The Trucking Company: Under respondeat superior, employers are liable for their drivers’ actions. But we also pursue direct negligence claims for negligent hiring (failing to check CDL status or driving history), negligent training (inadequate safety instruction), and negligent supervision (ignoring HOS violations).
The Cargo Owner/Shipper: When a grain elevator or ethanol plant overloads a truck or demands unrealistic delivery schedules, they create dangerous conditions. We investigate bills of lading and loading instructions.
The Loading Company: Third-party loaders who fail to properly secure grain, livestock, or equipment violate 49 CFR § 393.100. Unbalanced loads cause rollovers and loss of control.
Truck and Parts Manufacturers: Defective brakes, steering systems, or tires cause accidents regardless of driver skill. We preserve failed components for expert analysis and review NHTSA databases for recall history.
Maintenance Companies: Third-party mechanics who sign off on faulty repairs or use substandard parts can be liable for resulting crashes.
Freight Brokers: These middlemen must verify carrier safety records under 49 CFR § 371. When they hire carriers with poor CSA scores to save money, they put lives at risk.
The Truck Owner: In owner-operator arrangements, the individual truck owner may carry separate insurance and liability for negligent entrustment.
Government Entities: In limited circumstances, poor road design or lack of signage on county roads may create liability, though sovereign immunity protections apply.
The 48-Hour Evidence Preservation Protocol: Why We Move Fast
Trucking companies don’t wait. Within hours of a crash on I-80, they dispatch rapid-response teams—lawyers, investigators, and insurance adjusters—to the scene. Their goal? Protect their interests, not yours.
Critical evidence disappears fast:
- ECM/Black Box Data: Can be overwritten in 30 days or with subsequent driving events
- ELD Logs: Federal regulations only require 6-month retention
- Dashcam Footage: Often deleted within 7-14 days
- Surveillance Video: Nearby businesses typically overwrite cameras in 7-30 days
When you call 1-888-ATTY-911, we send spoliation letters within 24 hours to every potentially liable party, putting them on legal notice that evidence must be preserved. Destroying evidence after receiving our letter triggers sanctions, adverse jury instructions, and punitive damages.
We immediately subpoena:
- Driver Qualification Files (employment applications, medical certs, drug tests, training records)
- Maintenance logs and inspection reports (49 CFR § 396.3)
- ELD data proving Hours of Service violations (49 CFR Part 395)
- Cell phone records for distracted driving (49 CFR § 392.82)
- GPS and telematics data
- The physical truck itself for inspection
As client Donald Wilcox told us after another firm rejected his case: “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.”
FMCSA Regulations: The Rules They Broke
Federal law governs every commercial truck on Iowa highways. When carriers violate these rules, they create liability. The six critical parts of 49 CFR we cite in every case:
Part 390 (General Applicability): Establishes that these rules apply to all commercial motor vehicles over 10,001 pounds operating in interstate commerce—virtually all trucks on I-80.
Part 391 (Driver Qualifications): Requires trucking companies to maintain Driver Qualification Files proving their drivers are medically fit, properly licensed, and trained. We frequently find Iowa carriers hiring drivers without valid CDLs or current medical certificates.
Part 392 (Driving Rules): Prohibits operating while fatigued (§ 392.3), driving under the influence (§ 392.4-5), speeding (§ 392.6), following too closely (§ 392.11), and texting while driving (§ 392.82).
Part 393 (Vehicle Safety): Mandates proper cargo securement (§ 393.100-136), functioning brake systems (§ 393.40-55), adequate lighting (§ 393.11-26), and rear impact guards (§ 393.86).
Part 395 (Hours of Service): Limits property-carrying drivers to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, with a 14-hour maximum duty window. Violations here are smoking-gun evidence of fatigue.
Part 396 (Inspection & Maintenance): Requires systematic vehicle upkeep, pre-trip inspections (§ 396.13), and annual inspections (§ 396.17). Brake violations—found in 29% of truck crashes—violate this section.
Catastrophic Injuries and Your Recovery
The injuries from 18-wheeler accidents in Jones County often change lives forever:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): From concussions to severe trauma requiring lifelong care. Symptoms include memory loss, personality changes, and cognitive deficits. We’ve recovered $1.5 million to $9.8 million for TBI victims.
Spinal Cord Injury: Paraplegia and quadriplegia requiring wheelchairs, home modifications, and 24/7 care. Lifetime costs can exceed $5 million.
Amputation: Whether traumatic (severed at the scene) or surgical (due to crushing injuries), amputees face prosthetics, rehabilitation, and permanent disability. Our settlements for amputation cases range from $1.9 million to $8.6 million.
Severe Burns: From fuel tank explosions or hazmat spills, requiring multiple skin grafts and leaving permanent scarring.
Wrongful Death: When negligence takes a loved one, Iowa law allows recovery for lost income, loss of consortium, mental anguish, and funeral expenses. We’ve recovered $1.9 million to $9.5 million for grieving families.
As Glenda Walker, one of our clients, said: “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.”
Iowa’s Trucking Insurance Requirements: There is Coverage Available
Federal mandatary minimums for commercial trucks:
- $750,000 for non-hazardous freight
- $1,000,000 for oil and large equipment
- $5,000,000 for hazardous materials
Many carriers carry $1-5 million or more. Unlike car accidents with $30,000 minimums in Iowa, trucking accidents have substantial insurance pools—but accessing them requires proving FMCSA violations and documenting catastrophic damages.
Frequently Asked Questions: Jones County Trucking Accidents
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Iowa?
Two years from the accident date. For wrongful death, two years from the date of death. Don’t wait—the sooner we preserve evidence, the stronger your case.
What if I was partially at fault?
Iowa follows Modified Comparative Negligence with a 51% bar. You can recover if you’re 50% or less at fault, but your damages are reduced by your percentage of blame. If you’re 51% at fault, you recover nothing. This makes aggressive evidence preservation critical.
Should I talk to the trucking company’s insurance?
Never give a recorded statement without an attorney present. Remember—our Lupe Peña used to train these adjusters. He knows every trick they use to minimize your claim.
What is an ELD and why does it matter?
Electronic Logging Devices are federally mandated to track driver hours. They prove whether the driver violated the 11-hour driving limit or 14-hour duty window. This data can be overwritten in 30 days—another reason to call immediately.
Can I afford an attorney?
Yes. We work on contingency—33.33% pre-trial, 40% if litigation is required. You pay nothing unless we win. We advance all investigation costs. As Chad Harris told us: “You are NOT a pest to them and you are NOT just some client… You are FAMILY to them.”
Do you handle cases in rural Jones County?
Absolutely. With offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont—and Ralph Manginello’s dual licensure in Texas and New York—we handle interstate trucking cases across Iowa and the nation. We’re familiar with the Jones County Courthouse, Iowa’s Eighth Judicial District, and the specific challenges of rural trucking accidents.
Hablamos Español?
Sí. Nuestro abogado Lupe Peña habla español. Llame al 1-888-ATTY-911 para una consulta gratis.
Your Fight Starts With One Call
The trucking company that hit you has already called their lawyers. Their insurance adjuster is already looking for ways to pay you less. Evidence is disappearing while you read this.
But you don’t have to fight alone. Ralph Manginello has spent 25 years securing multi-million dollar verdicts against the largest trucking companies in America. We’re currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against a major university, demonstrating our capability to handle complex, high-stakes cases. Our 4.9-star rating from 251+ Google reviews reflects our commitment to treating every client like family—not a case number.
We know the I-80 corridor through Jones County. We know the agricultural trucking industry that defines our economy. And we know how to make trucking companies pay when they put profits over safety.
Call 1-888-288-9911 today. The consultation is free. We answer 24/7. And remember—you pay nothing unless we win.
1-888-ATTY-911. Because trucking companies shouldn’t get away with it.
