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Ohio Truck Accident Lawyer

Ohio truck accidents may be governed by Ohio or federal law, depending on whether the truck was involved in intrastate or interstate transport. Listed below are some Ohio laws that affect truck accidents. For a more comprehensive list of truck laws, click here.


Large trucking companies and their insurance companies work quickly to protect themselves when one of their trucks is involved in an accident, often sending investigators directly to the scene.

To protect your rights, it's imperative to have knowledgeable legal council to begin investigating immediately, preserve evidence, and help you get the best possible result in pursuing your claim against the trucking company. E.J. Leizerman and Associates is a law firm that accepts semi truck accident cases across the country.

E.J. Leizerman & Associates are familiar with exceptions to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (title 49, Parts 350-399) that affect trucks operating only in Ohio, as there are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicles are involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Ada may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382-384 and 390-399 of the federal regulations with a few notable provisions, including:

Driver Qualification:

Ohio has adopted Part 391 of the Federal Regulations with some exceptions. Intrastate drivers must be at least 18 years old, a deviation from the 21-year-old age requirement. Also, a person driving a truck on or before December 7, 1988 who doesn’t meet a medical requirement may be eligible for provisional medical certification if he’s not transporting hazardous materials.

Hours of Service:

Ohio has adopted Part 395 of the Federal Regulations with a few modifications. For example, a driver driving for a private motor carrier and transporting construction materials intrastate are allowed to drive for 12 hours (instead of 10) following 8 consecutive hours off duty. He can’t drive after being on duty for 16 hours (instead of 15) following 8 consecutive hours off duty.

Vehicle Marking/Identification:

Ohio doesn’t apply Sec. 390.21 of the Federal Regulations to intrastate vehicles. All intrastate vehicles subject to the rules have to have the company name, city and state, and company vehicle number displayed on both sides in contrasting letter at least two inches in height and 3/8th inch in width. Company vehicle numbers should be consecutive and should be retired with the vehicle.

Crash reports are available from:

State Highway Patrol
Central Records Section, 1st Floor
P.O. Box 182074
Columbus, OH 43218
(614) 752-1593


If you have been involved in a truck accident in Ohio, contact one of our Ohio lawyers or attorneys to help you with more information or to answer any questions you have.

In the event this material is not deemed to fully comply with the provisions of the rules of professional conduct of any particular state, this firm will not accept clients or representation that derive from the distribution of this material within those jurisdictions.

"If each time a rig is inspected it is done in an identical fashion the driver will be less likely to omit a key element of the process during a future inspection."

Learn more about State and Federal Trucking Laws