Truck Accident Laws in Maryland (2026): Deadlines & Liability

A collision with a tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck in Maryland is shaped by two sets of rules at the same time. Maryland statutes and case law set the deadline to sue, how shared fault is treated, and the auto insurance framework, while federal regulations under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) govern how the truck and driver are supposed to operate. This guide covers both, with citations to the Maryland Code, Maryland's highest court, and the federal rules.

This is general legal information, not legal advice, and it does not predict any outcome in a specific case. Maryland's fault rule is among the strictest in the nation, and deadlines are firm, so confirm the current law and speak with a licensed Maryland attorney about your situation.

Deadline to file: Maryland's statute of limitations

Maryland sets a three-year clock for most personal injury claims. Under CJP 5-101, a civil action at law must be filed within three years from the date it accrues unless another provision sets a different period. For a truck accident injury, that period generally runs from the date of the crash, though Maryland recognizes a discovery rule in cases where the injury was not immediately apparent.

Wrongful death has its own provision. Under CJP 3-904, a wrongful death action must be filed within three years after the death of the injured person, with a limited exception when the death resulted from an undisclosed homicide. Because these deadlines are strict and missing one usually ends the claim, it is wise to act well before any deadline expires.

Maryland's negligence rule: pure contributory negligence

Maryland's fault rule is the single most important feature of its injury law. Maryland is one of only a handful of jurisdictions, along with Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, that still applies pure contributory negligence. Under that rule, if an injured person's own negligence contributed to the crash at all, even slightly, that person can be barred from recovering any damages.

Maryland's highest court reaffirmed this doctrine in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013), declining to replace contributory negligence with a comparative fault system and leaving any change to the legislature. The practical effect is significant: in a Maryland truck case, the trucking company's insurer often argues the injured person was even minimally at fault to defeat the claim entirely. Building a clear record that the truck driver or carrier was responsible is therefore central to the case.

No-fault status and Maryland auto insurance

Maryland is an at-fault, or tort, state, not a no-fault state. While Maryland requires insurers to offer personal injury protection, a driver can waive PIP in writing, and PIP does not create a no-fault threshold. There is no monetary or serious-injury hurdle you must clear before suing the party who caused the crash; you can pursue the at-fault driver and trucking company directly.

Maryland requires minimum liability coverage of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage. Maryland also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and PIP of at least $2,500 per person unless waived. These passenger-car minimums are far below the federal coverage required of interstate trucking companies, discussed below.

Damage caps in Maryland

Maryland does not cap economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages, but it does cap non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Under CJP 11-108, Maryland's non-economic damages cap rises by a set amount each year, so the figure that applies depends on when the cause of action arose. Wrongful death and survival actions are subject to a separate, higher cap that increases when multiple eligible beneficiaries are involved. Because these caps adjust annually, confirm the current figure for the year of the claim.

Federal trucking rules: the FMCSA framework

Large commercial trucks operating in interstate commerce must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, enforced by the FMCSA. These rules frequently supply the evidence of fault in a truck case, which can be especially important under Maryland's strict contributory negligence rule. Key areas include:

• Hours of service (49 CFR Part 395), which generally limit a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour on-duty window after 10 hours off duty, to combat fatigue.
• Electronic logging devices (ELDs), which most interstate drivers must use to record driving hours automatically, making it harder to falsify a logbook.
• Driver qualification and commercial driver's license (CDL) standards, plus mandatory drug-and-alcohol testing for safety-sensitive drivers.
• Vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance requirements (49 CFR Part 396), which require carriers to keep trucks in safe operating condition.

A violation of any of these rules, such as a driver exceeding hours-of-service limits or a carrier skipping required maintenance, is commonly used as evidence of the carrier's negligence.

Who can be liable in a Maryland truck accident

Unlike a typical car crash with one other driver, a commercial truck case often involves several potentially responsible parties. These can include the truck driver, the motor carrier (both for the driver's conduct and for its own negligent hiring, training, or supervision), a broker or shipper, the company that loaded the cargo, and a manufacturer of a defective part. Because the carrier is usually a business with substantial federally required insurance, identifying every responsible party early is important.

Federal minimum insurance for trucks

Federal law requires far more coverage from interstate trucking companies than from ordinary drivers. Under 49 CFR 387.9, a for-hire carrier transporting non-hazardous general freight in interstate commerce must maintain at least $750,000 in public liability insurance. Carriers hauling oil must carry $1 million, and those transporting the most dangerous hazardous materials must carry $5 million. These minimums dwarf the $30,000 bodily injury minimum that applies to a Maryland passenger car.

Preserving evidence after a truck crash

Some of the most important evidence in a truck case can disappear quickly. A truck's electronic logging device, the engine control module (often called the black box), dashcam footage, and maintenance and inspection records can be overwritten or routinely destroyed on a short schedule. Sending the carrier a written preservation, or spoliation, letter early can help keep that data from being lost. In a contributory negligence state like Maryland, this objective evidence can be decisive in showing the truck driver, not the injured person, was at fault.

It also helps to preserve your own evidence: the police crash report, photographs of the vehicles and scene, witness contact information, and your medical records. These materials, combined with the carrier's records, are often what establishes a federal-rule violation and links it to the crash.

How to evaluate a Maryland truck accident claim

Because truck cases mix Maryland tort law, an unusually strict fault rule, and federal trucking regulations, and frequently involve corporate defendants and insurers, many people consult a licensed Maryland personal injury attorney. Most personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency fee, meaning they are paid a percentage of any recovery rather than upfront. No attorney can guarantee a result or a dollar amount.

If you are considering a claim, keep your medical treatment documented, save anything related to the crash, and be mindful of the deadlines above. Acting promptly protects both the legal deadline and the physical evidence that a truck case depends on, which matters even more given Maryland's contributory negligence rule.