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Multiple parties: the driver, the trucking company (respondeat superior), the truck owner if separate, the cargo loader, the maintenance contractor, and the manufacturer of defective components. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) violations often expand liability.
ECM/black-box data, driver hours-of-service logs, dashcam footage, maintenance records, drug and alcohol test results, and the bill of lading. Send a preservation letter immediately; trucking companies routinely overwrite data on a rolling window. Waiting a week can erase the case.
Often yes, because commercial policies carry higher limits (federal minimum $750,000 for interstate motor carriers, typically $1M+), injuries are more severe due to mass differential, and multiple defendants mean stacked coverage. Catastrophic cases routinely exceed seven figures.
Two years from the crash under ARS 12-542. Wrongful death is also two years from date of death. Claims against government-owned vehicles require a 180-day notice of claim under ARS 12-821.01. Miss the notice and you lose the claim.
Generally no, you sue the driver and company, and the insurer defends. Arizona does not have a direct-action statute for trucking. But you negotiate with the insurer throughout. Coverage disputes and bad-faith issues sometimes create a separate claim against the insurer.