One-million dollars isn’t nearly as much as it seems — not when tallying up the costs of medical care, property damage, funeral arrangements or lost future earnings. Is $1 million enough to compensate for the death of a husband, father, grandfather?
Most families will never grapple with this question. The Card family did.
After William “Bill” Card was catastrophically injured by a semi tractor-trailer, his family mourned their loved one and tried to picture life without him. They also faced an ugly truth: Most trucking companies carry meager insurance coverage, and the wrecks they cause can be devastating.
Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents: A Growing Problem in Indiana
In Indianapolis, on April 16, 2021, Bill Card was on his way to grab some parts for a tractor. He was 69 years old, the owner of a landscaping business and former diesel mechanic.
Mr. Card had worked on semi-trucks his whole life. That Friday, one plowed through a red light and crashed into his pickup truck.
The wreck left Mr. Card unconscious with a severe brain injury. Twelve days after the crash, he passed away in the hospital. His family was devastated. This shouldn’t have happened, they thought. How could this have happened?
Although witnesses reported that Mr. Card had been turning left at a green light when he was struck — that the semi ran the red light — the trucker denied it. He claimed Mr. Card was the negligent driver, that he’d been responsible for his own death.
The Card family contacted personal injury and wrongful death law firm Craig, Kelley & Faultless. The firm’s investigation revealed that the semi driver had neither stopped nor braked when he approached the red light. He drove straight through it and into Mr. Card’s vehicle.
Financial Burdens After a Fatal Truck Accident
Mr. Card spent 12 days in the hospital before the severe brain injury killed him. During this time, his family wasn’t thinking about a lawsuit. They were grieving.
To a family that has lost one of its cherished members, each day is a battle. It becomes about survival, about making it through the world without the person they lost.
Meanwhile, financial stressors begin to mount. In Mr. Card’s case, this included more than $500,000 in medical bills and property damage of about $50,000. But the trucker still denied responsibility.
How could the family pay for all of this?
Truck Accident Insurance Limits: How Victims Pay the Price
Unfortunately, while families recover from a loved one’s death, “the trucking company is doing everything in their power and their capacity to evade and avoid responsibility,” said David Craig, managing partner of Craig, Kelley & Faultless.
By hiring an attorney early on, like the Cards did, families are more likely to get justice. Negligent trucking companies often hide, move or destroy evidence after a wreck. In Mr. Card’s case, the Craig, Kelley & Faultless team accessed the vehicle data before it was tampered with, proving the trucker’s liability.
After an attorney has established fault, they pursue compensation from the trucking company’s insurer.
This is where a long-lasting issue in commercial trucking becomes apparent.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which governs commercial trucking, requires interstate motor carriers to have a minimum of $750,000 of insurance coverage. This standard was set in 1980 and has not changed since then.
If adjusted for medical-cost inflation, this requirement would amount to more than $5 million today.
Victims and families of victims of semi-truck wrecks face multiple costs, including:
- Medical bills
- Funeral arrangements
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering and/or loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost wages and loss of future earnings
Often, these costs far exceed $750,000.
In Mr. Card’s case, the negligent trucking company carried $1 million in insurance coverage — $250,000 more than is legally required. Yet this still was not enough to compensate for the damages.
Truck Crash Victim’s Family Advocates for Insurance Reform
When he saw his mother struggling after his father’s death, Chris Card realized the implications of inadequate insurance coverage for truckers.
“The other people who are left behind — it shouldn’t be a burden to them to have to figure out how they’re going to make ends meet,” Chris said on episode 46 of the podcast, After the Crash.
Since Mr. Card’s death, his family members have become advocates for higher insurance minimums for trucking companies.
The landscaping business that Mr. Card owned carried a $2 million insurance policy. How is it acceptable, Chris wondered, that a semi-truck — capable of much more destruction than a lawn mower — have such insufficient insurance coverage?
Why Federal Truck Insurance Minimums Are Too Low
The Card family and the Craig, Kelley & Faultless law firm believe that the FMCSA must increase the minimum requirement for motor carrier insurance coverage.
Many of the worst trucking companies carry only $750,000 in coverage. They employ under-trained, inexperienced, and irresponsible drivers. Their equipment is poorly maintained.
Innocent people die as a result.
Raising the insurance minimum raises the stakes. It encourages companies to hold their drivers to higher standards. The drivers themselves would understand that they can no longer cause wrecks and evade responsibility.
“Trucking companies are extraordinarily important, and the majority of them are good people who just want to get home to their own families,” David Craig said. “But the bad ones make it bad for everybody…and they’re out there endangering all of us.”
State Trucking Insurance Laws: Recent Updates and Changes
Though the federal minimum has not changed, some individual states are pushing for progress.
As of July 1, 2024, New Jersey doubled its minimum liability insurance for heavy trucks, raising it from $750,000 to $1.5 million. The bill failed several times before passing in early 2024. Legislators are slow to make changes in the trucking industry, despite the urgency of these issues.
Recently, on April 22, 2025, the Nevada Senate approved a bill that would double its minimum trucking insurance coverage. By 2030, the state’s truck drivers would be required to carry at least $1.5 million in insurance.
The Nevada Trucking Association President Paul Enos called it “a bad bill,” “arbitrary,” and “burdensome,” according to a Land Line article.
Opponents of these bills claim the change will put small, local operators out of business. They fear the added financial burden will destroy family-owned companies.
Doubling the minimum may sound extreme, but it is actually beneficial to small operators. Having adequate insurance coverage protects these businesses from bankruptcy if a catastrophic event occurs.
Some members of Congress continue to fight for change on a federal level.
In December 2023, Congressmen Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) and Hank Johnson (GA-04) introduced the Fair Compensation for Truck Crash Victims Act. In early 2024, the act was referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
This act would strengthen motor carrier insurance requirements in two ways:
- Raise motor carriers’ minimum insurance requirement to $5 million
- Index the new minimum to inflation, so it keeps pace with rising costs over time
Craig, Kelley & Faultless supports this legislation and encourages lawmakers to lobby for change in the commercial trucking industry. Too many people have been killed or catastrophically injured by negligent truck drivers and trucking companies.
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help After a Fatal Crash
After Mr. Card passed away, his family was crushed.
If they had not hired experienced truck accident attorneys, they would not have received financial compensation to help with Mr. Card’s medical bills and property damage. The truck driver who struck him would not have been held accountable.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed by a semi-truck, find a qualified and experienced lawyer. Look for someone who is board certified in truck accident law and has taken commercial trucking cases to trial.
The attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are nationally recognized and have helped clients across the country recover from life-altering wrecks. They are prepared to fight insurance companies and motor carriers on your behalf.
Contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless for Help Today
For a free case consultation, contact the team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless today by calling (800) 746-0226 or submitting an online form.
David W. Craig is a nationally recognized truck accident lawyer who sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. He was the recipient of the National Thurgood Marshall “Fighting for Justice” Award for his work helping victims of truck wrecks. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.
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