Federal rules require commercial carriers to carry minimum insurance, and the required amount depends on what the truck hauls. Injured people in Nevada should know the minimums that apply to for-hire carriers. The minimums appear in 49 CFR section 387.9.
Federal Rules Set a Minimum for For-Hire Carriers
A table in the regulation sets minimum levels of public liability coverage by type of cargo and vehicle weight. For a for-hire carrier moving nonhazardous property in interstate or foreign commerce in a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, the minimum is $750,000.
49 CFR section 387.9 contains the table, and its amount column carries the date January 1, 1985. Readers should check the current text before relying on any figure.
Hazardous Cargo Raises the Minimum
A minimum of $1,000,000 applies to for-hire and private carriers of listed oil, hazardous waste, and hazardous materials that fall outside the other rows. Certain bulk hazardous substances in cargo tanks, portable tanks, or hopper-type vehicles carry a $5,000,000 minimum.
Drivers hurt in Spring Valley can ask a Spring Valley truck accident lawyer which minimum applied to the carrier involved. The cargo, the weight rating, and the type of commerce each affect the answer.
A Minimum Is Not a Cap on Recovery
The table states minimum levels of coverage, which makes it a floor for the policy and not a measure of what an injury can cost. A serious injury can involve losses beyond the minimum, which is why the policy and any other available coverage need to be identified.
Catastrophic injuries add to the stakes, and the timeline for catastrophic injury case settlements can run long while the injured person reaches maximum medical improvement. Medical bills accumulate during that period, and the policy limit is a separate figure from them.
Information Worth Gathering About the Carrier’s Coverage
Information that helps identify the coverage includes the following:
- The carrier’s name and the identification numbers displayed on the truck.
- The type of cargo the truck was hauling.
- The truck’s gross vehicle weight rating.
- Any insurance information exchanged at the scene.
Injuries can be severe when a car slides under a trailer, and coverage questions arise early in underride accidents, where the trailer’s equipment is also part of the evidence. Photographs of the trailer’s rear and sides help preserve that evidence for later review.
Other Vehicles Face the Same Carrier
The coverage rules apply to the carrier no matter what kind of vehicle it struck. A passenger car, a motorcycle, and a pedestrian all face a carrier held to the same federal minimums, and the minimum depends on the truck and its cargo.
A motorcyclist has no vehicle structure around the body, so injuries can be severe, and motorcycle accident claims against a carrier raise the same coverage questions. A rider’s medical bills can exceed the policy minimum, which makes the limits worth learning early, before any offer is discussed.
When a collision ends in death, wrongful death claims also depend on identifying the coverage. Family members need the carrier’s policy information early, and the carrier’s name and cargo records help point to it. Cargo narrows the applicable row.
When the injuries don’t fit one vehicle type or one kind of loss, Spring Valley personal injury claims still start with the same question about the carrier’s policy. Once the policy limits are known, a claim can be valued against the coverage actually available.
Keith Galliher’s Admissions
Keith Galliher founded our firm in 1974 and has been licensed in Nevada for 52 years. He is admitted to the federal district court in Nevada and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Galliher Law Firm handles personal injury cases for people hurt in car crashes and falls across Nevada. Keith Galliher personally handles every case at the firm.
Asking About Coverage Early
Federal law sets only the minimum, so the policy actually in force has to be requested from the carrier or its insurer. Policy details can be requested in writing, and a dated letter shows when the carrier received it.
To find out which minimum applies and how to request the policy information, anyone hurt in a collision with a commercial truck near Spring Valley can inquire with a Spring Valley truck accident lawyer. The inquiry can include the truck’s identification numbers and the date of the collision so the carrier can locate the correct file.
