Michael Leizerman is a lawyer who's gone the extra mile to better understand the trucking profession, even earning his commercial driver's license. His experience in handling truck accident cases extends to courtrooms nationwide, including Iowa, and his authority on the topic of truck accident trial strategy is recognized by members of the legal community from coast to coast.
Michael wrote a three-volume treatise that examines truck accident litigation from every angle, a publication that has become a top resource for litigators who are preparing a truck accident-related trial. Michael's efforts to protect truck accident victims also include giving lectures to attorneys who can put his years of experience toward more effectively defending clients of their own.
Or contact me online. All information is kept confidential. I will not accept a case in a state where I'm not ethically permitted under the circumstances.
A tractor trailed collided with a passenger vehicle at the Interstate 80 and Interstate 380 junction on Sunday, April 29, killing the woman driving the car. According to WCFCourier.com, the woman was exiting I-380, lost control of her vehicle and … [Read more]
Read more >A tractor trailer rear-ended a passenger car on Highway 14 near Claremont, Iowa, injuring three of the car’s four passengers. According to KAALTV.com, the car’s trunk was crushed in the collision, which left two children and one adult with non-life-threatening … [Read more]
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I am honored that West Thompson—the world’s largest publisher of legal books—asked me to write this multi-volume book on truck accident law in 2004. I had already begun the project for my own reference. My book includes the federal regulations that are the same in each state for interstate tractor-trailer crashes, as well as state law that differs in areas, like whether there are monetary limits or “caps” in the lawsuit, whether you can receive punitive damages, and the varying technical requirements for filing a lawsuit.
I have handled cases across the country. I am licensed in several states, and have local counsel in many states who I trust and work with closely. Select your state to learn more:
Motorists in Iowa contend daily with tractor-trailers, flatbed trucks and other commercial vehicles that fuel the state's agriculture-based industry. Major roads such as Interstate 80 and Interstate 35 and population hubs such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport are a major draw for trucks that move goods both in-state and from one region of the country to another. That traffic leads to more than 1,500 truck-related accidents every year. People who are injured on an Iowa roadway due to a truck accident, or family members of people who are killed in a truck accident in Iowa, can call on Michael to ensure they have the best legal representation. Contact Michael today and take the first step toward putting one of the nation's most highly regarded truck accident attorneys on your side.
Speaking Engagements
I regularly engage in continuing legal education presentations around the country, including the following events in or near Iowa:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.
There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Lost Nation may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382, 383, 384, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, and 399 of the federal regulations.
For an overview of laws that affect trucks operating only in Iowa, visit our Iowa Trucking Laws page.
Your truck accident case may be larger than you think. My experience often enables me to maximize awards, well beyond what the co-counsel originally expected. My book Litigating Truck Accident Cases, published by West Publishing, is considered the definitive work on handling truck accident cases. Contact me if you are seeking co-counsel on your case.
Fatal Truck Accidents: 61 per year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 1,631 per year
Accident Locales: 75%(Rural), 25%(Urban)
Carrier Fact: 28% of Iowa truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not Iowa.
In 76% of Iowa truck accidents, weather conditions were NOT a factor.
Interstate 29: In its travels from Kansas City, Missouri to Pembina, North Dakota on the Canadian border, I-29 spends 161 miles in Iowa, passing through the cities of Council Bluff, Sioux City and the Iowan suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska.
Interstate 35: Spanning the north-south girth from Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota, I-35 spends 217 miles in Iowa, intersecting with I-80 in Des Moines.
Interstate 80: I-80 stretches from San Francisco to just outside New York City making it the second longest highway in America. 303 of its miles pass through Iowa, where it connects with I-35 in Des Moines.
