State-specific settlement ranges, South Dakota's pure comparative fault rule, and attorney resources for all 12 accident types.
Fault Rule
Pure Comparative Fault
Time to File
3 Years
2022 Fatalities
35
Federal Min. Insurance
$750,000
South Dakota follows pure comparative fault — truck accident victims can recover damages regardless of their fault percentage. I-90 runs the full width of South Dakota from the Wyoming border to Sioux Falls, serving as the primary freight corridor through the northern Great Plains. South Dakota's agricultural economy — dominated by corn, soybeans, and cattle — generates heavy seasonal truck traffic, particularly during fall harvest when grain trucks and semi-trucks share rural two-lane roads.
Pure Comparative Fault
Most plaintiff-friendly
South Dakota follows pure comparative fault.
Major South Dakota freight corridors: I-90 · I-29 · US-83 · US-14 · SD-44
Select your accident type for state-specific settlement ranges, fault law analysis, and liability factors.
A jackknife accident occurs when a tractor-trailer folds at the hitch point, causing the trailer to swing perpendicular to the cab — forming an angle resembling a folding jackknife blade.
Typical settlement
$180K – $420K
Rear-end collisions involving commercial trucks are among the most common and deadliest crashes on US highways.
Typical settlement
$95K – $280K
Rollover accidents occur when a truck tips onto its side or roof, often blocking multiple lanes and posing catastrophic risks to surrounding vehicles.
Typical settlement
$220K – $580K
Head-on collisions between passenger vehicles and commercial trucks are among the deadliest crash types in the United States, with fatality rates far exceeding other crash configurations.
Typical settlement
$410K – $980K
T-bone accidents occur when the front of a truck strikes the side of another vehicle — or vice versa — at an intersection or merge point.
Typical settlement
$150K – $390K
An underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the rear or side of a trailer during a collision.
Typical settlement
$350K – $850K
Wide turn accidents, also called "squeeze play" accidents, occur when a truck driver swings left to initiate a right turn, creating a gap that nearby vehicles enter — then getting trapped as the truck arcs right.
Typical settlement
$85K – $220K
Commercial trucks have four large blind spots — directly behind, directly in front, the entire right side, and the left rear quarter.
Typical settlement
$110K – $310K
A tire blowout on a commercial truck — especially a steer or drive axle tire — can cause sudden loss of directional control, trailer sway, or truck rollover.
Typical settlement
$120K – $340K
Hazardous materials incidents involving commercial trucks range from fuel spills to catastrophic releases of toxic chemicals, flammable gases, or corrosive substances.
Typical settlement
$140K – $380K
Brake failure on a commercial truck can result in runaway truck incidents — most commonly on steep mountain grades where brake fade from overheating renders the vehicle uncontrollable.
Typical settlement
$260K – $620K
Multi-vehicle pileups involving commercial trucks often unfold as chain-reaction crashes triggered by a primary event — a tire blowout, jackknife, or sudden stop.
Typical settlement
$290K – $710K
Select your injury type for state-specific compensation ranges, treatment cost data, and how South Dakota law affects your recovery.
Traumatic brain injury is the most catastrophic non-fatal outcome of commercial truck accidents.
Multiplier
7–10× damages
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) from truck accidents are among the most life-altering injuries in personal injury law.
Multiplier
8–10× damages
Wrongful death claims arise when a truck accident fatality is caused by another party's negligence.
Special Formula
$450K–$10.0M
Bone fractures are among the most common serious injuries in commercial truck accidents.
Multiplier
2–4× damages
Internal organ damage in truck accidents is particularly dangerous because symptoms are often delayed — victims may walk away from a crash site feeling relatively intact, only to deteriorate rapidly as internal bleeding progresses.
Multiplier
5–8× damages
Burn injuries from truck accidents occur through multiple mechanisms: post-crash fire from fuel ignition, steam/coolant scalding when the engine compartment is breached, chemical burns from HAZMAT spills, and friction burns (road rash) from occupant ejection.
Multiplier
5–9× damages
Whiplash is a cervical soft-tissue injury caused by rapid hyperextension-hyperflexion of the neck — the characteristic "cracking of a whip" motion that occurs when a vehicle is struck from behind.
Multiplier
1.5–3× damages
Lumbar (lower back) injuries are the most common category of serious non-fatal injury in commercial truck accidents.
Multiplier
3–6× damages
Traumatic amputation — loss of a limb or digit at the crash scene or through surgical amputation following crush injury — is one of the most severe non-fatal outcomes of commercial truck accidents.
Multiplier
8–10× damages
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe emotional distress are recognized and compensable injuries in truck accident cases.
Multiplier
1.5–4× damages
Based on typical economic damages. Assumes 0% plaintiff fault. Amounts vary significantly.
| Severity | Estimated Range |
|---|---|
| Minor | $53K – $101K |
| Moderate | $263K – $506K |
| Severe | $1.1M – $2.0M |
| Catastrophic | $4.2M – $8.1M |
| Wrongful Death | $3.8M – $7.4M |
Ranges do not account for South Dakota's fault deductions. Use the calculator for a personalized estimate.
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Enter your specific damages and fault percentage. Our calculator applies South Dakota's pure comparative fault rule to your exact numbers.
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