Commercial-vehicle cases move slowly. We fund plaintiffs while they wait. $500–$25,000. Non-recourse.
Commercial truck cases (semis, 18-wheelers, delivery trucks, dump trucks) are among the highest-value personal-injury cases in Ohio — and among the slowest to resolve. Federal FMCSR discovery, corporate defendants, and layered insurance stacks routinely push these cases past 18–36 months. Pre-settlement funding exists exactly for this timeline mismatch: real injuries, real medical bills, no realistic settlement date. This page explains how we fund Ohio trucking cases and what makes them different from a passenger-car crash.
A truck-accident lawsuit typically pursues both the driver and the motor carrier (the trucking company that employed the driver or whose logo appeared on the trailer). Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) create liability theories (hours-of-service violations, faulty maintenance, driver-qualification failures) that don't exist in a typical car case. Recoveries are correspondingly larger — and so is the underwriting scope.
The Ohio Turnpike and I-70/I-71 corridors produce a steady volume of rear-end trucking cases. Common defense: 'driver had a medical emergency.' We fund these cases regularly; the ELD download and driver medical card are almost always outcome-determinative.
Side-underride and rear-underride crashes routinely become catastrophic-injury cases. Recoveries are large but timelines are long — plaintiffs often need repeated smaller advances rather than one large one. Instabridge structures repeat funding when the case supports it.
The employer-vs-contractor question is often disputed. We can fund on the driver's individual coverage while the DSP/contractor determination is litigated, then evaluate additional advances once the coverage picture clears.
Two-year statute for bodily injury (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10) applies. Wrongful-death claims from a trucking fatality run two years from date of death (§ 2125.02). Cases involving federal agencies (USPS trucks, VA fleet) may run under the Federal Tort Claims Act — different rules, six-month administrative-claim window.
Ohio trucking-case settlements typically start higher than car cases because of the $750K–$1M FMCSR minimum coverage and common excess layers. Moderate-injury cases with clear liability commonly settle in the $150K–$500K range; catastrophic-injury and wrongful-death trucking cases in Ohio have settled in the $1M–$10M+ range. Instabridge caps advances at $25K regardless — we lend a bridge, not a substantial fraction of the case.
Trucking-case underwriting takes slightly longer than a car case because of the coverage-stack review. We ask your attorney for the crash report, the demand letter or complaint, current medicals, and — if available — the FMCSA carrier snapshot and any preservation-of-evidence letter sent to the carrier. Turnaround is typically 24–48 hours from a complete file.
Yes — but in a good way for the plaintiff. The higher available coverage means higher expected recoveries, which supports more responsible funding limits. The trade-off is timeline: trucking cases take longer, so plan the advance around your total wait.
The primary liability insurer (typically Great West, Progressive Commercial, Sentry, or a specialty carrier) generally pays the settlement, not the carrier itself. Even a small carrier is required to carry $750K–$5M in liability coverage depending on cargo type. We look at the coverage, not the company balance sheet.
Yes — a timely spoliation letter (typically within 30 days of the crash) is a strong signal that the case is being worked properly. It also protects the ELD/EDR data that often drives settlement value.
The motor carrier can still be liable under federal regulations and negligent-hiring theories. We can fund cases where the contractor-vs-employee dispute is still open — we underwrite the coverage picture, not the label.
Instabridge offerings that support commercial truck accident cases.
commercial truck accident cases we've funded across Ohio.