Kokomo truck accident lawyer

Kokomo is an industrial city on the U.S. 31 corridor between Indianapolis and South Bend, and Poynter & Bucheri has an office there at 600 East Markland Ave. Semi and commercial truck crashes are a primary focus of our practice. If a truck hurt you in Kokomo or anywhere in Howard County, call our Kokomo office at (765) 814-1000.

How truck crashes happen around Kokomo

• The U.S. 31 corridor. U.S. 31 runs as a freeway bypass east of the city and carries through-freight between Indianapolis and northern Indiana. High speeds and merging traffic at interchanges raise the stakes when a semi changes lanes or brakes late.
• Plant and shift-change traffic. Auto-industry and battery-manufacturing plants generate heavy truck traffic, and shift changes put many passenger cars on the same roads at the same time.
• Two-lane state roads. U.S. 35, State Road 22, State Road 26, and State Road 931 carry local and truck traffic, often with left turns, driveways, and limited shoulders.
• Rural Howard County. Grain trucks and farm equipment use county roads, especially at harvest, and slow-moving or wide loads can surprise faster drivers.

After a truck crash in Howard County

Depending on where it happened, a crash may be investigated by the Kokomo Police Department, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, or the Indiana State Police. Get the report number and the agency name at the scene if you can. Photograph the company name and USDOT number on the cab, the trailer number, and both license plates, because the tractor, the trailer, and the motor carrier can belong to different companies. Our step-by-step guide covers the rest: what to do after an Indiana semi crash.

Federal records that can disappear

Federal rules require trucking companies to keep certain records, but some retention periods are short. That is why a written preservation demand should go out quickly:

• Post-accident drug and alcohol tests (49 CFR 382.303). After a fatal crash, or a crash where the driver is cited and someone is injured and treated away from the scene or a vehicle is towed, the carrier must test the driver. If the alcohol test is not done within 8 hours or the drug test within 32 hours, the carrier must stop trying and document why.
• Driver vehicle inspection reports (49 CFR 396.11). Kept for only three months.
• Hours-of-service records and supporting documents (49 CFR 395.8(k)). Kept for at least six months.
• The carrier’s accident register (49 CFR 390.15). Kept for three years after each crash.

Engine data and video can be lost even sooner if the truck is repaired, returned to service, or salvaged. Read more about truck black box and ELD evidence.

Who may be responsible

Responsibility can extend beyond the driver to the motor carrier, the owner of the trailer, a shipper or loader that overloaded or failed to secure cargo, or a maintenance shop. See who can be liable in an Indiana truck crash and cargo spill and unsecured load crashes.

Courts and deadlines for Kokomo truck cases

Howard County injury cases are typically filed in Howard Superior or Circuit Court in Kokomo, though venue rules can allow other courts depending on where the defendants are located. Most Indiana injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash (IC 34-11-2-4). Indiana’s modified comparative fault law reduces damages by your share of fault and bars recovery only if your fault is greater than the combined fault of everyone else (IC 34-51-2-6). Claims involving a city, county, or state vehicle require written notice within 180 days (local) or 270 days (State).

Our Kokomo office is at 600 East Markland Ave, Kokomo, IN 46901 · (765) 814-1000. See also our Kokomo office page and Indiana truck accident lawyer page.

General information only—not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different; deadlines can be shorter in some situations. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.