How Trucking Companies Try to Dodge Responsibility After Wrecks

After a serious truck wreck in Oklahoma, you’d expect the truth to come out quickly. But trucking companies — and the insurers who back them — often move fast to protect themselves, not the injured victims. Their goal is simple: minimize their liability and pay as little as possible.

If you were hit by an 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle, understanding these tactics can help you protect your rights from day one. At Aldridge Teasdale, we’ve spent decades fighting these strategies and securing justice for Oklahoma families.

1. Sending Their Team to the Scene Immediately

While you’re dealing with the shock of the crash, trucking companies may already be deploying:

• Insurance adjusters
• Defense attorneys
• Private investigators
• Reconstruction experts

Their job? Gather evidence that benefits the company — and sometimes, evidence that hurts your claim. Meanwhile, you may still be in an ambulance or ER.

This is why calling a lawyer early is critical: you need someone preserving evidence for your side, too.

2. Trying to Blame the Victim

One of the most common tactics is shifting fault onto the injured person. Trucking companies may argue that you:

• Stopped suddenly
• Failed to check your blind spot
• Were speeding or distracted
• Contributed to the wreck in any way

Even if it’s not true, they may push this narrative to reduce your compensation under Oklahoma’s comparative negligence laws.

3. “Losing” or Withholding Crucial Evidence

Key evidence in truck wrecks includes:

• Driver logbooks
• Black box (ECM) data
• Maintenance records
• GPS data
• Cargo and weight information
• Hiring and training documents

These records can prove violations like fatigue, speeding, or failed maintenance — but trucking companies sometimes delay or deny access, hoping the information becomes harder to retrieve.

A legal team can send immediate preservation letters to stop the destruction of evidence.

4. Using Multiple Insurance Policies to Confuse Victims

Truck wrecks often involve layers of coverage, such as:

• Driver’s individual policy
• Trucking company’s commercial policy
• Cargo company coverage
• Broker/third-party liability policies

Trucking companies may point fingers at each other to delay the claim, hoping you give up or settle for less out of frustration.

5. Pressuring Victims to Give Recorded Statements

Adjusters often call within hours of the crash, sounding helpful. What they’re really doing is collecting statements to use against you later.

They may ask leading questions like:

• “You’re not seriously hurt, right?”
• “You seemed fine at the scene — is that correct?”
• “You may have slammed on your brakes, correct?”

Never give a recorded statement to a trucking insurer without a lawyer on the line.

6. Offering a Fast but Extremely Low Settlement

Trucking companies often offer a quick check hoping you’ll take it before:

• Injuries worsen
• Medical bills add up
• You speak to a lawyer
• Evidence reveals full liability

If they offer fast money, it usually means your case is worth far more.

Why Legal Representation Matters

Trucking companies have legal teams who handle wrecks every day. You should have someone fighting just as hard on your side. At Aldridge Teasdale, we:

• Secure black box and logbook data immediately
• Investigate every contributing factor
• Handle all communication with insurers
• Calculate the true value of your injuries
• Fight for full compensation — not a quick, cheap check

Get a Free Case Review Before You Talk to the Trucking Company

If you were injured in a truck wreck anywhere in Oklahoma, don’t let the trucking company get a head start. We’ll protect your rights from day one.

Request your Free Case Review or call (405) 447-HURT. You pay nothing unless we win.

Internal Link: Truck Accident Overview