Truck claims are different in three ways: the money (interstate carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage — 30 times Georgia's car minimum), the evidence (federal logs and electronic records that can be preserved or lost in weeks), and the law (since July 2024, Georgia no longer lets most victims sue the trucking insurer directly). You still have two years to file — but truck evidence doesn't wait.
Bigger policies, higher stakes
A crash with an 18-wheeler on I-75 through Marietta is not a bigger version of a car accident — it's a different kind of case. Start with the money: federal law requires interstate freight carriers to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage (49 C.F.R. § 387.9), and $1 million to $5 million for hazardous loads. Compare that to the $25,000 minimum Georgia requires of car drivers (O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11), and you understand why trucking insurers deploy investigators and defense lawyers within hours of a serious crash.
The stakes are real in Georgia: federal crash data counted 264 large trucks involved in fatal Georgia crashes in 2022 — and the I-75 corridor through Cobb County carries some of the heaviest freight traffic in the Southeast. When the injuries are catastrophic, that $750,000 floor is often just the starting point, with layered policies above it.
The evidence that only exists in truck cases
Federal rules create a paper trail cars don't have. Since December 2017, most carriers must run electronic logging devices (ELDs) that record driving time minute by minute (49 C.F.R. § 395.8) — the tool for proving a driver blew past the federal limits: 11 hours of driving in a 14-hour window, capped at 60/70 hours a week (49 C.F.R. § 395.3). Add engine data most modern rigs record, dashcams, driver qualification files, drug-test records, and maintenance logs.
Where the crash happened matters too: on I-75 and the express lanes through Cobb County, traffic cameras and other drivers' dashcams may have captured the wreck — but only if someone asks for that footage before it's overwritten. None of that evidence is yours automatically — carriers are only required to keep some records for months, and equipment gets repaired, sold, or scrapped. The first move in a serious truck case is a spoliation letter ordering the carrier to preserve everything. Days matter here more than in any car accident claim.
Who you can sue — and what changed in 2024
In Georgia you can pursue the driver, the trucking company (both for its driver's negligence and for its own — negligent hiring, training, supervision, and entrustment remain live claims after the Georgia Supreme Court's decision in Quynn v. Hulsey), and sometimes brokers or shippers. But one famous Georgia rule changed: for decades, victims could name the trucking company's insurer as a defendant directly. Senate Bill 426 ended that for crashes on or after July 1, 2024 — the insurer can now be joined only if the carrier is insolvent or bankrupt, or can't be served despite reasonable diligence. Plenty of older articles still say otherwise; they're out of date.
The fundamentals still apply: two years to file suit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33), recovery barred if you're 50% or more at fault (§ 51-12-33) — which is exactly where trucking defense teams aim. At Dream Team Law, our Atlanta-area team handles truck accident claims across the I-75 corridor, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Frequently asked questions
How is a truck accident claim different from a car accident claim?+
Three ways: far larger insurance policies ($750,000 federal minimum vs. $25,000 for Georgia drivers), federally mandated evidence like ELD driving logs and hours-of-service records that must be preserved quickly, and more potential defendants — the driver, the carrier, and sometimes brokers or shippers.
Can I sue the trucking company's insurance company directly in Georgia?+
Generally no longer — for crashes on or after July 1, 2024, SB 426 limits joining the insurer to cases where the carrier is insolvent or bankrupt or can't be served. For older crashes, Georgia's traditional direct-action statutes may still apply, so the crash date matters.
What evidence should be preserved after a truck crash on I-75?+
The ELD driving logs, engine and event data, dashcam footage, the driver's qualification and drug-testing file, maintenance records, and the truck itself before repair. A spoliation letter from an attorney puts the carrier on legal notice to keep all of it.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice; reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines depend on the specific facts of your case — consult a licensed attorney in your state about your situation. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.