18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers in Hickman County, Kentucky

When 80,000 Pounds Changes Your Life: Hickman County Trucking Accident Attorneys Who Fight to Win

The Mississippi River runs heavy with grain barges and towboats. Out on Highway 51, a line of combines shares the blacktop with loaded cattle trucks. And on the narrow farm-to-market roads that crisscross the Purchase Area, an 80,000-pound semi doesn’t give you a second chance. If you’re reading this from your hospital bed in Clinton, or from your kitchen table in Fulton, you already know what we’re talking about. You didn’t ask for this fight—but now you need someone in your corner who knows how to win it.

We’ve seen what trucking crashes do to families in Hickman County. The medical bills don’t wait. The pain certainly doesn’t wait. And here’s what you need to know right now: the trucking company already has lawyers working to protect them. They called their insurer before the ambulance arrived. What are you doing?

At Attorney911, we’re not just any law firm. We’re Ralph Manginello and Associates—trucking litigation specialists with over 25 years of federal court experience. We’ve recovered over $50 million for families devastated by commercial truck accidents. We know the shortcuts trucking companies take that cause these crashes, and more importantly, we know how to make them pay for it.

But you don’t have forever to decide. Kentucky gives you just one year from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. That’s the shortest deadline in America—shorter than Texas, shorter than Louisiana. Wait too long, and you lose your right to compensation forever. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 or keep reading to learn how we protect Hickman County families after catastrophic trucking accidents.

Why Hickman County Trucking Accidents Are Different

Most legal websites talk about 18-wheeler accidents like they happen on interstate highways. But out here in Western Kentucky, the danger looks different. You’re not dealing with typical I-75 corridor traffic. You’re dealing with:

• Agricultural convoys: Combine harvesters, grain trailers, and livestock haulers sharing narrow county roads
• River port traffic: Heavy trucks hauling soybeans, corn, and manufactured goods to and from the Hickman-Fulton County Port on the Mississippi
• Rural delivery routes: Amazon, FedEx, and UPS trucks rushing through unincorporated areas where GPS turns two-lane roads into shortcuts
• Oil and gas transport: Equipment haulers serving the region’s energy infrastructure

These aren’t just “accidents.” They’re usually the result of a trucking company cutting corners—and when that happens on a rural Kentucky road with no shoulder and no guardrail, the results are catastrophic.

Ralph Manginello has been handling these exact cases since 1998. From our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas, we’ve built a reputation for taking on the biggest trucking companies in America—and winning. Now we bring that experience to families in Kentucky, including right here in Hickman County.

The One-Year Deadline: Kentucky’s Cruel Reality

Let’s be brutally honest about your situation. Kentucky has the shortest statute of limitations for personal injury cases in the entire United States—just one year from the date of your accident. That’s it. Twelve months. No exceptions.

What does this mean for you? If your accident happened on December 1st, 2024, you have until December 1st, 2025, to file your lawsuit. Miss that date by even one day, and the courts will throw your case out—no matter how badly you were hurt, no matter how obvious the truck driver was at fault.

This is why evidence preservation is critical. Unlike car accidents, trucking cases involve electronic data that disappears fast:

• ECM/Black Box Data: Overwritten in 30 days or with new engine events
• ELD Logs: Required for 6 months only
• Dashcam Footage: Often deleted within 7-14 days
• Witness Memories: Fade within weeks

We send spoliation letters immediately—within 24 hours of taking your case—to lock down this evidence before the trucking company can destroy it. But we can’t send those letters if you don’t call us.

Call 1-888-ATTY-911 today. Don’t let Kentucky’s one-year deadline steal your right to justice.

Who We Are: Meet the Attorney911 Team

Ralph Manginello – Managing Partner, Federal Court Litigator

When an 80-wheeler jackknifes across the Purchase Parkway, you need more than a local lawyer who handles speeding tickets. You need a trial attorney with federal court admission and experience taking on Fortune 500 companies.

Ralph Manginello founded Attorney911 in 1998 after earning his J.D. from South Texas College of Law. With over 25 years of litigation experience, he’s one of the few personal injury attorneys in the country who’s been admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas—a critical advantage when your trucking case involves interstate commerce regulations.

Why does federal court admission matter for your Hickman County case? Most commercial trucking accidents involve interstate commerce—trucks crossing state lines on I-24 or carrying goods between ports. Federal court jurisdiction applies, and having an attorney who knows his way around federal civil procedure gives you a massive advantage.

Ralph’s track record includes:

• $10 million active litigation: University of Houston hazing lawsuit (2025)
• $2.1 billion total settlements: Involvement in BP Texas City Refinery litigation (2005 explosion)
• $50+ million recovered: Total for clients across all practice areas
• Multi-million dollar settlements: $5+ million for TBI victims, $3.8+ million for amputation cases, $2.5+ million for trucking crashes

But credentials only matter if they translate to results for you. As client Glenda Walker told us: “They fought for me to get every dime I deserved.” That’s the Attorney911 promise.

Lupe Peña – Associate Attorney, Your Insider Advantage

Here’s what most law firms won’t tell you: they don’t know how insurance companies think. We do. Because our associate attorney, Lupe Peña, used to work for them.

Before joining Attorney911, Lupe spent years at a national insurance defense firm. He sat in the strategy sessions. He learned how adjusters are trained to minimize your claim. He knows exactly what the trucking company’s insurer will offer first—and why it’s always a lowball.

Now Lupe uses that insider knowledge against them. When the insurance adjuster says, “This is our final offer,” Lupe knows if they’re bluffing. When they claim your injuries are “pre-existing,” Lupe knows how to prove they’re new damages from the crash.

This is your unfair advantage. While other firms are learning how trucking insurers operate, we’ve got a former defense attorney who knows their playbook by heart.

And for our Spanish-speaking clients in Hickman County—hablamos español. Lupe provides direct representation without interpreters, ensuring nothing gets lost in translation. Llame al 1-888-ATTY-911.

The 18-Wheeler Accidents We Handle in Hickman County

Jackknife Accidents on I-24 and Rural Highways

A jackknife happens when the truck’s trailer swings out perpendicular to the cab, creating a deadly wall of steel across the roadway. On I-24 near Paducah, or on the narrow curves of Highway 51, a jackknifed semi blocks all lanes with nowhere for passenger cars to go.

Common causes we see:

• Sudden braking on wet roads (common during Kentucky’s frequent ice storms)
• Speeding through curves without accounting for the trailer’s momentum
• Empty or lightly loaded trailers that lose traction
• Brake failures from deferred maintenance

The FMCSA Connection: Under 49 CFR § 393.48, trucking companies must maintain brake systems to prevent exactly this type of failure. When they don’t, we prove negligence.

Underride Collisions: The Most Deadly Crashes

In an underride collision, your car slides underneath the trailer, shattering the windshield and often shearing the roof off the passenger compartment. These happen at intersections when trucks make wide turns or when a truck stops suddenly on Highway 51.

The statistics are horrifying:

• 400-500 underride deaths annually in the US
• Passenger vehicles are 3-4 times more likely to be decapitated in underride crashes
• Rear underride guards are required under 49 CFR § 393.86, but many are poorly maintained

We investigate whether the trucking company violated federal rear impact guard requirements or failed to maintain proper lighting that could have prevented the crash.

Rollover Accidents in the River Valley

The rolling hills and river bluffs around Hickman County create perfect conditions for rollover accidents. When a trucker takes a curve too fast on a county road—or when improperly secured grain shifts during transport—the 80,000-pound vehicle tips onto its side, often crushing anything in its path.

Evidence we pursue:

• Cargo manifest showing weight distribution (49 CFR § 393.100 violations)
• ECM data proving speed through the curve
• Driver training records on rollover prevention

Brake Failure Accidents on Steep Grades

While Hickman County doesn’t have mountain passes, the bluffs approaching the Mississippi River create steep grades. Brake failure on a loaded descent creates a runaway truck scenario with catastrophic results.

Under 49 CFR § 396.3, motor carriers must systematically inspect, repair, and maintain brake systems. We subpoena maintenance records to prove when companies knew their brakes were failing but put drivers on the road anyway.

Tire Blowout Debris Strikes

You’ve seen them on the roadside—”road gators,” the long strips of tire tread that peel off from retreaded truck tires. When these blowouts occur, the debris can strike your windshield at highway speeds, or cause the driver to lose control.

FMCSA regulations under 49 CFR § 393.75 require minimum tread depths: 4/32″ on steer tires, 2/32″ on other positions. We examine pre-trip inspection records to prove drivers ignored worn tires.

Wide Turn Accidents at Rural Intersections

Big rigs need room to turn. When they swing wide at intersections without proper signaling, smaller vehicles get caught in the “squeeze play,” crushed between the trailer and guardrail or oncoming traffic.

This is particularly dangerous at uncontrolled intersections in rural Hickman County where sight lines are limited by crops or tree lines.

Driver Fatigue Crashes

Here’s a dirty secret: truck drivers often violate federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. Under 49 CFR Part 395, property-carrying drivers are limited to:

• 11 hours maximum driving time after 10 consecutive hours off duty
• 14-hour maximum duty window (cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty)
• 30-minute break required after 8 cumulative hours of driving
• 60/70-hour weekly limits

We download ELD (Electronic Logging Device) data to prove when drivers exceeded these limits. In Kentucky, where I-24 serves as a major corridor between St. Louis and Nashville, fatigued drivers pushing to make delivery deadlines create deadly risks for local families.

All the Parties Who Might Owe You Money

Most law firms will sue the driver and the trucking company. Then they’ll settle for whatever the insurance company offers. We don’t play that game.

In a typical Hickman County trucking accident, up to ten different parties might share liability:

Why does this matter to you? Every additional liable party means an additional insurance policy. Trucking companies carry $750,000 to $5 million in coverage. Brokers carry additional coverage. Manufacturers carry product liability coverage. We pursue them all to maximize your recovery.

As our client Donald Wilcox said 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 don’t leave money on the table. We investigate until we find every party who contributed to your injuries.

The Evidence That Wins Cases (And Why It Disappears Fast)

The “Black Box” Data

Commercial trucks contain Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) that record:

• Speed seconds before impact
• Brake application timing and pressure
• Throttle position
• Engine RPM
• Cruise control status
• GPS location history

Critical fact: This data can be overwritten with new driving events or lost within 30 days if the truck returns to service.

ELD Logs

Since December 2017, federal law requires Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) to track Hours of Service compliance. These devices:

• Automatically record driving time
• Sync with the truck’s engine
• Cannot be altered after the fact (unlike old paper logs)
• Record GPS location and speed

These logs prove when a driver violated the 11-hour driving limit or skipped required breaks.

The Driver Qualification File

Under 49 CFR § 391.51, every trucking company must maintain a Driver Qualification (DQ) File containing:

• Employment application and background checks
• Motor vehicle records from all states
• Medical examiner’s certificates ( proving physical fitness)
• Annual driving record reviews
• Previous employer inquiries (3-year history)
• Drug and alcohol test results

When these files are incomplete, we prove negligent hiring. If the company hired a driver with a history of DUIs or failed drug tests, that’s not just an accident—it’s a choice they made that endangered your family.

The Spoliation Letter: Your Evidence Insurance Policy

Within 24 hours of taking your case, we send a spoliation letter to the trucking company, their insurer, and all potentially liable parties. This legal notice:

1. Puts them on notice of their duty to preserve evidence
2. Creates serious legal consequences if evidence is destroyed
3. Demands preservation of ECM data, ELD logs, maintenance records, and physical evidence

Once this letter is sent, destroying evidence becomes “spoliation”—which can result in:

• Adverse inference instructions (the jury is told to assume destroyed evidence was unfavorable)
• Monetary sanctions against the trucking company
• Default judgment in extreme cases

But we can’t send this letter if you wait three months to call us. By then, the truck has been repaired and resold, the logs have been overwritten, and the evidence is gone forever.

Call 1-888-ATTY-911 immediately. Preserve your rights before the evidence vanishes.

Catastrophic Injuries: The Life-Changing Reality

An 80,000-pound truck against a 4,000-pound car isn’t a fair fight. The physics ensure catastrophic injuries. We’ve handled cases involving:

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The force of a semi-truck impact often causes the brain to collide with the skull, resulting in concussions, contusions, or diffuse axonal injuries.

Settlement Range: $1.5 million to $9.8 million+

TBI symptoms include memory loss, confusion, personality changes, mood disorders, and permanent cognitive impairment. These cases require lifetime care plans and economic experts to calculate future costs.

Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis

When a truck crushes a passenger vehicle or forces it off the road into a ditch, spinal fractures and severed cords result in:

• Paraplegia (loss of use of legs): $1.1 to $2.5 million+ lifetime costs
• Quadriplegia (loss of use of all limbs): $3.5 to $5 million+ lifetime costs

Amputation

Crushing injuries from underride accidents or rollovers often require surgical amputation of limbs. Beyond the initial trauma, victims face:

• Prosthetic costs ($5,000-$50,000 per limb, replaced every 3-5 years)
• Phantom limb pain
• Career limitations
• Home modifications

Settlement Range: $1.9 million to $8.6 million

Wrongful Death

If you’ve lost a loved one in a Hickman County trucking accident, Kentucky law allows wrongful death claims for:

• Lost future income and benefits
• Loss of consortium (companionship)
• Mental anguish of surviving family
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Punitive damages (if gross negligence is proven)

Settlement Range: $1.9 million to $9.5 million+

We know money doesn’t bring back your loved one. But it does hold the trucking company accountable and provides financial security for the family they destroyed.

Kentucky Law: What Makes Your Case Unique

Pure Comparative Fault

Kentucky follows “pure comparative fault,” which means you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident—even if you were 99% at fault. Your recovery is simply reduced by your percentage of blame.

Example: If your damages are $1 million and you’re found 30% at fault, you recover $700,000.

This differs from states like Tennessee (50% bar) or Illinois (51% bar). In Kentucky, you always have a right to recovery unless you’re found 100% at fault.

No Cap on Punitive Damages

Unlike states that limit punitive damages (Texas caps them at $750,000 or 2x economic damages), Kentucky has no statutory cap on punitive damages in personal injury cases.

This matters when we prove gross negligence—like a trucking company knowingly putting a driver with multiple DUIs behind the wheel, or falsifying maintenance records to hide brake defects. In those cases, juries can award unlimited punitive damages to punish the company and deter future misconduct.

The Kentucky Riverport Factor

If your accident involved trucks hauling goods to or from the Hickman-Fulton County Riverport on the Mississippi, or transfers between the port and distribution centers, your case may involve:

• Maritime jurisdiction issues
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations specific to port operations
• Additional liable parties (stevedores, port authorities, freight forwarders)

Ralph Manginello’s federal court experience and our firm’s history with maritime cases (including Jones Act and BP litigation) gives us the expertise to handle these complex jurisdictional issues.

Why Hickman County Families Choose Attorney911

We Take Cases Other Firms Reject

Greg Garcia came to us after another attorney dropped his case. We won. Angel Walle told us: “They solved in a couple of months what others did nothing about in two years.”

We don’t shy away from difficult liability cases or complex multi-party litigation. If you have a legitimate injury and the trucking company was at fault, we’ll fight for you.

Former Insurance Defense Attorney on Staff

Lupe Peña’s background defending insurance companies means we know their tactics before they use them. When the adjuster tries to blame you for the accident, we know how to shut that down. When they offer a lowball settlement, we know exactly what your case is worth.

Federal Court Ready

Most trucking accidents involve interstate commerce, giving you the option to file in federal court. Many local lawyers lack federal court admission. Ralph Manginello is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and has the experience to handle federal litigation when it benefits your case.

Multi-Million Dollar Results

We don’t just talk about big verdicts—we’ve won them. From the BP Texas City explosion litigation to our current $10 million University of Houston hazing lawsuit, we have the resources and experience to take on the biggest defendants.

Family Treatment, Not Case Numbers

Chad Harris put it best: “You are NOT a pest to them and you are NOT just some client… You are FAMILY to them.”

We return calls. We explain the process. And when you’re dealing with catastrophic injuries, we treat you with the compassion you deserve while fighting aggressively for your rights.

Frequently Asked Questions: Hickman County 18-Wheeler Accidents

How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Kentucky?

One year. Kentucky has the shortest statute of limitations in the United States for personal injury cases. You have exactly 12 months from the date of your accident to file, or you lose your right to compensation forever. Don’t wait—evidence disappears faster than you think.

Can I sue if I was partially at fault?

Yes. Kentucky follows “pure comparative fault” rules. You can recover damages unless you’re found 100% at fault. Your percentage of fault simply reduces your recovery. So if you have $500,000 in damages and are found 20% at fault, you still recover $400,000.

Who pays for my medical bills while I wait for the case to settle?

We can help you receive medical treatment under a Letter of Protection (LOP), where doctors agree to wait for payment until your case settles. We also work with your health insurance and can help navigate Medicare/Medicaid liens to maximize your net recovery.

Do I have to pay anything upfront to hire you?

Absolutely not. We work on contingency—33.33% if we settle pre-trial, 40% if we go to trial. You pay nothing unless we win. We advance all case costs, including expert witnesses, court filings, and investigation expenses.

Will my case go to trial?

Probably not. Most trucking cases settle before trial. But we prepare every case as if it’s going to trial. Insurance companies know which lawyers are actually willing to go to court—and they offer better settlements to those attorneys. We have the resources to take your case all the way if that’s what it takes to get justice.

How much is my case worth?

It depends on several factors: the severity of your injuries, the clarity of liability, the amount of insurance coverage available, and whether we can prove punitive damages. Trucking cases typically involve higher insurance limits ($750,000 to $5 million) than car accidents, meaning there’s more money available for serious injuries.

Can you handle cases for Spanish-speaking clients?

Sí, hablamos español. Lupe Peña provides direct representation in Spanish without interpreters. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 and ask for Lupe.

What if the trucking company is from out of state?

That’s common. Many trucking companies operating in Kentucky are based in Tennessee, Texas, or Illinois. We can sue them in Kentucky federal court under diversity jurisdiction, or in state court if they do business here. Ralph Manginello’s dual-state licensure (Texas and New York) and federal court admission make him uniquely qualified to handle multi-jurisdictional trucking cases.

What if my loved one was killed in the accident?

You may have a wrongful death claim under Kentucky law. Eligible claimants typically include the surviving spouse, children, and parents. Damages include lost future income, loss of consortium, mental anguish, funeral expenses, and punitive damages if the trucking company acted with gross negligence.

Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?

Never. The first offer is always a lowball. Insurance companies hope you’ll accept before you know the full extent of your injuries or hire a lawyer. Once you accept, you can’t go back for more money—even if you discover your injuries are worse than you thought. Talk to us first.

Your Next Step: Call Before the Evidence Disappears

You’ve already suffered enough. You shouldn’t have to fight the trucking company, their insurance adjusters, and their lawyers alone while you’re trying to heal.

Here’s what happens when you call 1-888-ATTY-911:

1. Immediate Consultation: We speak with you 24/7. If you’ve been hurt, we want to know about it now.
2. Evidence Preservation: Within 24 hours, we send spoliation letters to preserve ECM data, ELD logs, maintenance records, and physical evidence.
3. Investigation: We deploy investigators to the crash scene, interview witnesses, and subpoena the trucking company’s safety records.
4. Medical Care Coordination: We help you get the treatment you need under LOPs so you can heal without worrying about upfront costs.
5. Aggressive Negotiation: We build your case for maximum value and negotiate from a position of strength.
6. Trial if Necessary: If they won’t offer fair compensation, we’re ready to take your case to a Kentucky courtroom.

The clock is ticking. Kentucky’s one-year deadline means you can’t afford to wait. And every day you delay, more evidence disappears—black box data gets overwritten, witnesses move away, and memories fade.

Call 1-888-ATTY-911 now. Or 888-ATTY-911. Or (888) 288-9911.

We answer the phone. We fight for families. And we’ve recovered over $50 million in settlements and verdicts for people just like you.

Hablamos Español

Si usted o un ser querido sufrió lesiones graves en un accidente de camión de 18 ruedas en Hickman County, tenemos abogados que hablan español. Llame a Lupe Peña al 1-888-ATTY-911 para una consulta gratuita y confidencial.

Attorney911 | The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC
25+ Years Fighting for Trucking Accident Victims
Federal Court Experience | Multi-Million Dollar Results
1-888-ATTY-911 | Available 24/7

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. The outcome of your case depends on the specific facts and circumstances; past results do not guarantee future outcomes.