Cleveland sits on Lake Erie at the confluence of I-90, I-80, I-71, and I-77, making it a critical freight waypoint between the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley, and the Northeast. Steel, manufacturing, and logistics operations keep commercial truck volumes high, and Ohio’s two-year limitations window makes early legal action important. Below are five highly rated law firms in Cleveland that handle truck accident and personal injury cases.
1. Elk & Elk Co., Ltd.
About the Firm: Elk & Elk is one of Cleveland’s most recognized personal injury firms, representing tractor-trailer accident victims throughout Ohio. Their team includes attorneys, paralegals, medical providers, accident reconstruction experts, and economists, enabling a multifaceted approach to truck accident cases. The firm is experienced with Cleveland’s major interstate highways (I-90, I-80, I-71, and I-77) which funnel heavy commercial truck traffic through the city year-round.
Services:
- Tractor-trailer and semi-truck accidents
- Commercial vehicle collisions
- Wrongful death
- Catastrophic injury cases
- Accident reconstruction and expert investigation
Address: Cleveland, OH (multiple Ohio locations)
Phone: (216) 313-9774
Website: https://www.elkandelk.com/cleveland/cleveland-car-accidents/truck-accidents/
2. Paulozzi, Alkire & Condeni Personal Injury Lawyers
About the Firm: Paulozzi, Alkire & Condeni is an award-winning Cleveland personal injury firm that has taken over 350 cases to trial, including a $24 million wrongful death verdict. The firm’s reputation as skilled trial lawyers has resulted in significant, high-value settlements across all types of serious injury cases including truck accidents. They serve all of Ohio, offer free consultations, and make house calls throughout the state.
Services:
- Commercial truck and tractor-trailer accidents
- Wrongful death
- Catastrophic and serious injury cases
- Multi-million-dollar litigation
- Statewide Ohio representation
Address: Cleveland, OH (contact for office address)
Phone: (216) 777-8888
Website: https://law-ohio.com/
3. Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., L.P.A.
About the Firm: From their Cleveland offices, Mishkind Kulwicki Law represents people injured in truck crashes throughout Ohio. The firm responds quickly to crash scenes, sending investigators to gather evidence and interview witnesses. When needed, they hire accident reconstruction experts. The firm is known for understanding both Ohio state laws and the complex federal regulations that govern commercial trucking.
Services:
- Semi-truck and tractor-trailer accidents
- Accident scene investigation and reconstruction
- Spinal cord, brain, and catastrophic injury claims
- Wrongful death
- FMCSA and federal trucking regulation violations
Address: Cleveland, OH (contact for office address)
Phone: (216) 595-1900
Website: https://www.mishkindlaw.com/truck-accidents/
4. Triscaro & Associates, Ltd.
About the Firm: Triscaro & Associates has been winning truck accident cases for victims in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Northeast Ohio for years. The firm handles personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and probate disputes, with truck accident cases representing a significant part of their practice. They work on a contingency fee basis with no fees unless they recover for clients.
Services:
- Tractor-trailer and commercial truck accidents
- Wrongful death
- Serious and catastrophic injury claims
- Multi-party liability investigations
- Northeast Ohio regional representation
Address: 6325 Cochran Road, Suite 8, Solon, OH 44139
Phone: (440) 248-8811
Website: https://www.triscarolaw.com/cleveland/Ohio-Truck-Accident-Lawyer.html
5. Eshelman Legal Group
About the Firm: For over 40 years, the Eshelman Legal Group has been assisting accident victims in Cleveland and across Ohio. Their truck accident attorneys act promptly to preserve evidence, investigate accidents, and file claims before statute of limitations deadlines. The firm emphasizes that accident victims should never speak with insurance adjusters before consulting a lawyer, and provides free consultations to help victims understand their rights.
Services:
- Commercial truck and semi-truck accidents
- Evidence preservation and timely investigation
- Insurance company negotiations
- Wrongful death
- Serious personal injury claims
Address: Cleveland, OH (contact for office address)
Phone: (800) 365-0001
Website: https://www.eshelmanlegalgroup.com/truck-accidents.php
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Cleveland, OH
Cleveland sits on Lake Erie and has historically been a major steel and manufacturing freight hub, with I-90 and I-77 serving as primary commercial corridors. Does Ohio’s modified comparative fault system apply the same way in Cleveland as in Columbus or Cincinnati?
Ohio’s comparative fault statute under ORC §2315.33 applies uniformly across the state, and Cuyahoga County courts follow the same 51% bar rules as Franklin or Hamilton County. What differs between Cleveland and other Ohio cities is the specific freight mix and carrier population. Cleveland’s proximity to the steel belt means heavy equipment and raw materials transport represents a larger portion of commercial truck accidents than in a technology-focused metro. Overweight loads, specialized heavy-haul equipment, and industrial component transport all appear more frequently in Cleveland cases, and the mechanical failure and overloading theories that apply to these vehicle types add layers to standard freight carrier liability.
Cleveland’s weather creates specific truck accident patterns in winter. Does Lake Erie’s lake-effect snow create any specific legal arguments about carrier liability for accidents on I-90 or the I-490 interchange?
Lake-effect snow on the I-90 lakeshore corridor is well-documented and predictable. Carriers operating in Northeast Ohio during winter months are on notice that I-90 between Cleveland and the Pennsylvania state line can experience rapid, intense snowfall that dramatically reduces visibility and traction. A carrier that dispatches a truck into a documented lake-effect event without appropriate equipment, driver training, or route modification faces a stronger negligence argument than a carrier surprised by unexpected weather. Ohio’s weather service maintains detailed records of snowfall by corridor and time, and matching the carrier’s dispatch decision against the documented forecast at the time of departure is a standard investigative step in Cleveland winter truck accident cases.
What is Ohio’s statute of limitations for truck accident cases in Cuyahoga County, and does it change if the accident happened near the Port of Cleveland or on a state-managed Lake Erie shoreway?
Ohio gives you two years from the date of injury under ORC §2305.10. Wrongful death claims carry a two-year window under ORC §2125.02. Port of Cleveland operations involve the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, and claims against the port authority for property maintenance failures on port premises follow the Ohio Political Subdivision Tort Liability Act under ORC Chapter 2744, which waives immunity for vehicle operation and road maintenance in most circumstances but requires notice procedures for certain claims. For the Cleveland Lakefront Shoreway, which is an ODOT-maintained facility, ODOT claims require a notice of claim to ODOT within two years of the injury before filing in the Ohio Court of Claims. Private carrier claims on any Cleveland road run under the standard two-year window without pre-suit notice.
Cleveland’s industrial legacy includes a rail and Great Lakes shipping infrastructure that generates significant truck traffic connecting the Port of Cleveland on Lake Erie, the CSX and Norfolk Southern rail yards on the east and west sides of the city, and the manufacturing corridor along I-90 through the inner ring suburbs. Ohio’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Program, which was one of the most aggressive state bridge replacement initiatives in the country following years of deferred maintenance, replaced over 35 Cuyahoga County bridges between 2014 and 2019, and the Ohio Department of Transportation maintains a public database of bridge inspection ratings and replacement histories that constitutes direct evidence in any accident involving bridge infrastructure. Ohio’s pure comparative fault system under ORC §2315.33 apportions recovery proportionally without a bar as long as the plaintiff is not the sole proximate cause, which gives Cleveland plaintiffs a more favorable standard than neighboring Pennsylvania, which also uses comparative fault, but under a framework with different procedural nuances. For accidents involving Port of Cleveland port authority vehicles or the Cuyahoga County Lakefront Shoreway, the Ohio Political Subdivision Tort Liability Act’s immunity waivers and the Ohio Court of Claims procedures for ODOT claims require simultaneous track management, with the private carrier claim running on the two-year ORC §2305.10 window independently of the government notice requirements.