In this post, we’re going to look at the insurance requirements in trucking cases and how much insurance a trucking company has to carry to operate and drive on the road.
In many trucking accident cases, insurance limits may be all the available funds to recover.
The Form MCS 90
The federal government has set a minimum limit for insurance for trucking companies.. These limits are contained in the form MCS 90. This form sets a limit of $750,000 for “non-hazardous material” that’s used “for hire.” These are both legal terms of art and their meaning could potentially be debated in your case and could determine whether insurance coverage is available. The limits increase to $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 where the trucking company carries certain kinds of “hazardous materials.” There is a long list defining such materials in the Code of Federal Regulations. Examples include combustible fuel products and flammable aerosols.
The insurance limits were set as of January 1, 1985, nearly forty years ago. There have been some proposals to increase these limits in recent years, but such proposals have not succeeded, and as of this writing (March 2023), the limits remain as discussed above.
Tennessee Trucking Accident Attorneys at DRS Law
Our firm has decades of experience as trucking attorneys in Tennessee and the surrounding areas, including Kentucky and Georgia, where our attorneys are licensed.
For more information on trucking insurance limits, please watch this video from our YouTube channel.
If you or a loved one has been in a trucking accident and need a Tennessee lawyer, contact us today.