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Finding out who was running the truck
Large trucks often involve more than one business. One company may own the trailer, another may own the tractor, a third may employ the driver and a broker may have arranged the load. A brand name on the trailer is a starting point, and the claim usually follows the motor carrier that was operating the truck and the employer of the driver.
Photograph the cab door, the trailer, the license plates and any numbers you see. The federal SAFER Company Snapshot shows a carrier’s USDOT number, safety rating, inspection and out-of-service data and crash counts. Our page on looking up a trucking company’s safety record explains the search, and owner-operators vs. company drivers covers who pays.
Federal rules that apply to the carrier
A property-carrying truck driver may drive at most 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive past the 14th hour after coming on duty, and must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 C.F.R. 395.3). A driver may not operate while too tired or ill to drive safely (49 C.F.R. 392.3). These rules matter for long-haul and regional routes.
Carriers must keep a qualification file on each driver, with the application, driving record, road test and medical certificate (49 C.F.R. 391.51). Cargo must be contained, immobilized or secured so it does not shift or fall (49 C.F.R. 393.100). Our page on how hours-of-service logs prove fatigue shows how these records are used in a claim.
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Insurance and who may be responsible
For-hire interstate carriers hauling ordinary freight in trucks rated at 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and more for many hazardous loads (49 C.F.R. 387.9). The carrier may carry more. In California, an employer is generally responsible for an employee’s driving within the scope of the job (respondeat superior).
Other businesses may share responsibility depending on their role, such as the company that loaded the trailer or the shop that maintained the brakes. Fault can be shared with you too. California uses pure comparative fault, so your own share, if any, reduces your recovery but does not bar it (pure comparative fault). A lawyer looks at every party connected to the truck and the load.
Evidence and post-crash testing
Carriers must keep driver duty status records, including electronic logging device data, for six months (49 C.F.R. 395.8). Many trucks also carry engine data and cameras; see truck black box and dashcam evidence. A lawyer can send a preservation letter to the carrier and others early, so this material is kept and not overwritten in the ordinary course.
After certain crashes, the employer must test the driver for alcohol and drugs as soon as practicable. That includes any fatal crash, and a crash where the driver is cited for a moving violation and someone is treated away from the scene or a vehicle is disabled and towed away (49 C.F.R. 382.303). Alcohol tests not done within 8 hours, and drug tests not done within 32 hours, must be abandoned.
What to do now
Get medical care right away and follow the treatment plan. Photograph the truck, trailer, cab door, plates and USDOT number, plus your vehicle and injuries. Get witness names. Write down the police report number; the agency that wrote it must release it to an injured person or their lawyer (Vehicle Code 20012). Keep every bill, receipt and claim number.
Do not sign releases or give recorded statements to the carrier’s insurer before you talk to a lawyer. In California, an injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1). If a smaller delivery van hit you, see Amazon delivery van accidents. Visit our California truck accident lawyer page, call (310) 552-6959 or use the form.
- Photograph the cab door, trailer, plates and USDOT number.
- Get the driver’s name, employer and insurance information.
- Write down witness names and the police report number.
- Get medical care and keep the records.
- Do not sign releases or give recorded statements before getting legal advice.
Common questions
Is Amazon responsible if a truck with an Amazon trailer hit me?
It depends on who was operating the truck, who employed the driver and how the load was arranged. The trailer’s brand alone does not answer that. A lawyer can identify the motor carrier, the driver’s employer and any other business connected to the load, then look at each one’s role and insurance.
How do I find the trucking company from a USDOT number?
Enter the USDOT number on the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot site. It shows the carrier’s name, safety rating, inspection and out-of-service data and crash counts. Some scores for property carriers are not shown publicly. If you only have a photo of the truck, a lawyer can help track down the carrier.
How much insurance does a semi truck in California have to carry?
For-hire interstate carriers hauling ordinary freight in trucks rated at 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage under federal rules, and more for many hazardous loads. A truck that only operates within California may fall under different rules, so a lawyer should check.
How long do I have to file a claim after an Amazon truck crash?
In California, an injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the crash. In Washington, the general limit is three years (RCW 4.16.080). The truck’s logs only have to be kept for six months, so it helps to start well before the filing deadline.
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Car and truck accident lawyer — Beverly Law
If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in California and Washington, talk to a personal injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Amazon Delivery Van Accident · Do Amazon Delivery Vans Have Cameras? · FedEx Truck Accident · UPS Truck Accident · USPS mail truck accident: the federal claim rules · All car and truck accident questions
Sources
- FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot; FMCSA SMS; FAST Act of 2015, Pub. L. 114-94, § 5223
- 49 C.F.R. § 395.3(a)(1)-(3)
- 49 C.F.R. § 392.3
- 49 C.F.R. § 391.51(a)-(b)
- 49 C.F.R. § 393.100(b)-(c)
- 49 C.F.R. § 387.9, Table 1
- CACI Nos. 3700, 3701, 3720; Cal. Civ. Code § 2338
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 828-829; CACI No. 405
- 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k)(1)
- 49 C.F.R. § 382.303(a), (b), (d)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 20012
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.