What Indiana Commercial Truck Insurance Requirements Are and How a Hammond Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help

May 15, 2025

Large trucks supply Hammond with essential goods each day, though the fact remains that truck accidents are among the most devastating events on the city’s roads. Fortunately, trucks and semi-trailers engaged in commerce are obligated to hold insurance policies that may be substantial enough to compensate you if you get seriously hurt by one of these behemoths, and a skilled attorney could significantly increase how much you obtain. Let Hensley Legal Group explain what Indiana commercial truck insurance requirements are and how a Hammond truck accident lawyer can help with your trucking injuries.

Commercial Truck Insurance Coverage Can Vary

The insurance coverage for a truck or semi-trailer being used for commercial purposes in the State of Indiana can vary based both upon the size of the vehicle itself and the kind of cargo that is being transported.

On the low end of the spectrum, a “for-hire carrier” that weighs a maximum of 10,000 pounds and hauls “nonhazardous property” is permitted to travel in the Hoosier State with only $300,000.00 worth of insurance. However, the minimum coverage shoots up to $750,000.00 the moment the vehicle weighs a single pound more, and that figure assumes that the truck’s freight is still classified as nonhazardous.

In contrast, a “private and/or for-hire carrier” that is moving “hazardous material” is not allowed to operate within Indiana’s borders without a liability insurance policy of $1 million to $5 million to reimburse the victims if an accident should occur. This is obviously higher than the state minimum coverage for passenger vehicles, which is set at $25,000.00 for per person and $50,000.00 per incident for bodily injury, though the sheer size of commercial trucks means that they can wreak considerably more havoc too. Indeed, there may be no such thing as a “fender bender” with a semi-trailer weighing upwards of 127,500 pounds, especially if you are the occupant of a small car.

And even if the insurance coverage on the truck that hit you does provide sufficient compensation for your losses, it could also provide a strong incentive for the insurance company to curb its own losses, a task that could be more easily accomplished if you have nobody in your corner.

Chances are this is your first truck accident, but it won’t be the first for a veteran truck insurance adjuster, who could take advantage of your relative inexperience to resolve your claim for less or deny it outright, possibly tipping you over the edge if you are already teetering on the brink of ruin.

The Benefits of Retaining a Hammond Truck Accident Attorney

Yet if this won’t be the adjuster’s first truck accident, neither will it be the first for a seasoned Hammond truck accident attorney, who should be able to meet the insurers on a level playing field, a key reason why 85 percent of the funds those insurers disburse go to claimants with lawyers.

Once retained, your attorney will conduct a thorough investigation to unearth the root causes of your Hammond truck accident and the defendants who may be responsible for it, a list that could be more extensive than you might think and may include the:

• Truck driver
• Truck owner
• Business deploying the truck
• Loader
• Servicing agent
• Manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of a defective truck or component part
• Government body that neglected to repair conditions impeding traffic safety

In some instances, multiple defendants could share blame simultaneously, but a tenacious Hammond truck accident lawyer will establish valid claims and/or file suit against them all within the time allotted by law.

After putting together a rock-solid Hammond truck accident case, your attorney will enter into exhaustive negotiations for a settlement that reflects that everything that has been taken from you, like your:

• Medical bills
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Psychological trauma
• Mobility limitations
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Reduced quality of living
• Loss of consortium

In the face of compelling evidence of your damages and the insured’s wrongdoing, a sensible truck insurance adjuster may prefer to put forth a generous offer rather than risk a disastrous outcome at trial, though a battle-tested litigator will be critical if a trial can’t be avoided.

While plaintiffs who represent themselves in the courtroom lose approximately 96 percent of their cases, plaintiffs with professional representation are statistically favored to win and could potentially be awarded the resources they need to get their lives back to normal.

Turn to Our Hammond Truck Accident Lawyers

Hensley Legal Group has been fighting for the hardworking men and women of Indiana for more than 25 years. If your world has been upended by the reckless actions of a Hammond area trucker, turn to our Hammond truck accident lawyers to learn more about your legal options.

For a free case review with a knowledgeable Hammond truck accident attorney, just call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form now.