Michigan Truck Underride Accident Lawyers
Underride crashes are among the most devastating wrecks on the road. When a car slides beneath a truck, 1-800-TRUCK-CRASH holds the trucking company — and negligent equipment makers — accountable.
Detroit & Michigan Truck Underride Accident Attorneys
At 1-800-TRUCK-CRASH, Michigan trial attorney Solomon Radner and our team represent families devastated by truck underride accidents across Metro Detroit and throughout Michigan. An underride happens when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the body of a tractor-trailer — under the rear of the trailer or along its side — often shearing into the passenger compartment.
These are some of the most catastrophic crashes that happen on our highways, and far too many are survivable only when the truck is equipped and maintained the way federal safety rules require. Our Michigan truck accident practice takes on both the trucking companies and the equipment manufacturers whose missing or defective underride guards turn a crash into a tragedy. Below is what causes underride accidents, who can be held responsible, how a Michigan claim works, and how we fight for the families left behind.
Related truck accident cases: Jackknife Accidents · Truck Rollover Accidents · Rear-End Truck Accidents
What Is a Truck Underride Accident & Why Are They So Dangerous?
An underride accident happens when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the body of a tractor-trailer — under the rear of the trailer (rear underride) or along its side (side underride). Because the car passes below the height of its own bumper, airbags, and crumple zones, the trailer can intrude directly into the passenger compartment. That is why underride crashes are among the most severe and most often fatal wrecks on the road.
What causes underride truck accidents?
Underride crashes are frequently tied to equipment and visibility failures the trucking industry is required to prevent:
- Missing, weak, or damaged rear underride guards — the bar across the back of a trailer.
- The absence of side underride guards along the length of the trailer.
- Poor reflective tape or broken lights that make a trailer hard to see at night.
- A truck stopped or moving slowly in a travel lane without adequate warning.
- Trucks turning or crossing traffic so the trailer blocks the road.
In many underride cases the trailer’s safety equipment failed to do its job — which can make the trailer manufacturer responsible alongside the driver and carrier.
Why underride crashes are so catastrophic
A passenger vehicle is engineered to protect occupants in a bumper-to-bumper collision. An underride bypasses every one of those protections, letting the trailer strike at the level of the windshield and cabin. The result is too often a fatal injury or a permanent, life-altering one.
Common injuries in underride truck accidents
The injuries we see in these cases are frequently life-altering: traumatic brain injuries, severe head and neck trauma, spinal cord injuries and paralysis, and, far too often, fatal injuries that give rise to a wrongful death claim. Injuries this serious bring lasting medical needs, time away from work, and profound strain on a family.
Underride accidents often involve the most serious outcomes imaginable — severe head and spinal injuries, or the loss of a loved one. Families are left grieving and overwhelmed while facing medical bills, funeral costs, and a sudden loss of income all at once.
In the middle of that, the trucking company’s insurer and the equipment manufacturer’s lawyers move quickly to limit what they pay. They may argue the crash was unavoidable or try to blame the smaller vehicle’s driver. You should not have to fight that battle alone while you are grieving. We step in to carry the legal fight, protect the evidence, and make sure the companies responsible are held to account.
How a Michigan Truck Underride Claim Works
Most Michigan underride claims move through the same stages:
- Care and family come first. Whether you are recovering or coping with a loss, your wellbeing comes before anything else; we handle the legal side.
- We preserve the truck and its evidence fast. We act quickly to inspect the trailer and its underride guards, secure the black box data and driver logs, and document the scene before anything is repaired or destroyed.
- We investigate the equipment, not just the driver. Underride cases often hinge on whether the rear or side guard was missing, damaged, or poorly designed — which can bring the trailer manufacturer into the case alongside the carrier.
- We identify every responsible party. That can include the driver, the trucking company, the trailer’s owner or manufacturer, and any maintenance company that let a damaged guard stay in service.
- We handle Michigan No-Fault and the larger claim. We coordinate your No-Fault benefits while pursuing full compensation from the at-fault parties. Here is how Michigan No-Fault works.
- We prepare every case for trial. Carriers and manufacturers take a case seriously when they know your lawyer is ready to try it. We always are.
Michigan limits the time you have to bring a claim, and No-Fault benefits carry their own deadlines — so reaching out early gives us the most room to help.
Who is liable for an underride truck accident?
One of the most valuable things a truck accident lawyer does is uncover every responsible party — because more liable parties can mean more insurance coverage available to pay for your injuries. Underride cases are unusual in that they often involve the equipment as much as the driver. Responsibility may fall on the truck driver, the trucking company, the owner or manufacturer of the trailer (for a missing or defective underride guard), or a maintenance company that let damaged safety equipment stay in service. Federal regulations also hold trucking companies responsible for their drivers and their equipment in many situations, which can be a powerful tool in your case.
Compensation you may be able to recover
While no two cases are alike, people injured in truck accidents in Michigan can often pursue compensation for:
- Medical expenses — emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and future treatment.
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity — income lost now and your ability to earn going forward.
- Pain and suffering — the physical pain and emotional toll of a serious injury.
- Long-term and life-care costs — in-home care, assistive devices, and home modifications after catastrophic injuries.
- Wrongful death damages — when a family has lost a loved one.
Because of the severe injuries and the larger insurance policies that commercial trucks carry, these claims are often worth substantially more than a typical car accident claim.
Michigan truck accident laws that affect your claim
A few features of Michigan law shape almost every truck accident case. Michigan is a No-Fault state, so your own auto policy pays personal injury protection (PIP) benefits for medical care and lost wages no matter who caused the crash, while a separate claim against the at-fault trucking company can recover pain and suffering once your injury meets Michigan’s “serious impairment” threshold. Michigan also follows a modified comparative fault rule — being partly at fault can reduce your recovery, and being found more than 50% at fault can bar you from certain damages. The statute of limitations for most auto injury lawsuits is generally three years from the date of the crash, but No-Fault benefits carry their own much shorter deadlines, and important exceptions can apply. Because one missed deadline can end an otherwise strong case, the safest step is to talk with us as soon as possible.
Truck Underride Accident FAQs
What is a truck underride accident?
An underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle slides underneath a truck’s trailer — either the rear (rear underride) or the side (side underride). Because the car’s safety features are bypassed, these crashes often cause severe or fatal injuries to the occupants.
What causes underride accidents?
Common factors include missing, damaged, or weak rear underride guards, the absence of side guards, poor reflective markings or lighting on the trailer, a truck stopped or moving slowly without warning, and trucks turning across traffic. Often the trailer’s safety equipment failed to do its job.
Who can be held liable for an underride accident in Michigan?
Depending on the cause, responsible parties may include the truck driver, the trucking company, the owner or manufacturer of the trailer, and any maintenance company. When a missing or defective underride guard contributed, the equipment manufacturer may also be liable.
Can I bring a wrongful death claim after a fatal underride crash?
Yes. Michigan law allows the family or estate of someone killed in a truck crash to pursue a wrongful death claim for losses such as medical and funeral expenses, lost financial support, and the loss of companionship. We handle these claims with care and determination.
How long do I have to file a claim in Michigan?
Michigan sets firm deadlines for both injury and wrongful death claims, as well as for No-Fault benefits, and missing one can bar your claim. Because the timeline depends on your situation, the safest step is to call us as soon as possible.
What should I do after an underride truck accident in Michigan?
If you are able, call 911 so police document the scene, and get medical care right away. If someone can help, photograph the trailer (especially its rear or side guard), your vehicle, and the roadway, and note the trucking company and trailer markings. Most important, do not give a recorded statement to the insurer and speak with a truck accident lawyer quickly — the trailer and its safety equipment need to be preserved as evidence before they are repaired or scrapped.
Are underride guards required by law?
Rear underride guards are required on most trailers under federal motor vehicle safety standards, and they must be kept in working condition. Side underride guards are not yet federally mandated, though their absence can still factor into a case. When a required guard was missing, weak, or poorly maintained, that failure can be central to proving liability.
Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault?
Possibly. Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule, which means your compensation can be reduced by your share of fault, and being found more than 50% at fault can bar certain damages. Even if you think you were partly to blame, it is worth having a lawyer review the facts; fault is often not what the insurer first claims.
What does it cost to hire 1-800-TRUCK-CRASH?
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee — there is no cost unless and until we win, and your consultation is always free.
Talk to a Michigan Truck Underride Lawyer — Free
If an underride crash has injured you or taken someone you love, you deserve answers and a team that will fight for accountability. Get a free, no-obligation case review today. You pay nothing unless we win.