Who Pays When You’re Rear-Ended by a Moving Truck in Tempe?
Moving day in Tempe often means big rental trucks navigating narrow residential streets, student-heavy neighborhoods, and complex intersections. Whether it’s a DIY U-Haul rental or a commercial moving company, these oversized vehicles pose serious risks—especially when operated by inexperienced or distracted drivers. If you’ve been rear-ended by a moving truck, you’re likely dealing with more than just car damage—you’re facing a mess of liability questions.
Understanding who pays for your injuries, property damage, and other losses starts with figuring out who was responsible for the vehicle and whether insurance applies. Here’s how a car accident lawyer would begin unpacking that situation in a Tempe crash.
Rear-End Collisions and Liability Basics
In nearly all rear-end crash scenarios, the driver of the trailing vehicle is presumed to be at fault. Arizona law expects drivers to leave enough distance to stop safely. When the vehicle behind fails to do so, whether because of speeding, inattention, or overloaded cargo, they’re generally considered liable.
That presumption often holds true when it’s a passenger car rear-ended by a moving truck—but moving truck cases come with extra complications. Was the truck rented? Was the driver insured? Was it being operated commercially? All of those factors influence who ends up paying.
When the Driver Rented the Truck Themselves
In many Tempe neighborhoods like North Tempe and Meyer Park, people often use rental trucks to move short distances. In these cases, the individual driver typically bears legal responsibility for the crash—but whether their insurance applies depends on what kind of coverage they had.
Personal auto policies usually exclude coverage when the vehicle involved is over a certain weight or classified as a commercial vehicle. That means your claim might be denied unless the driver bought insurance from the rental company.
Rental companies like U-Haul and Penske often offer supplemental liability coverage at checkout. However, these policies vary in their limits, exclusions, and scope. If the driver declined coverage, you may be stuck pursuing them directly—which may or may not lead to a recovery, depending on their assets and insurance.
What If the Moving Truck Was Being Used for Business?
It’s not uncommon to see local movers operating out of rental trucks as part of a small business or side hustle. In that case, if the crash happened during a paid job, there may be commercial insurance coverage in play—even if the vehicle was technically a rental.
Commercial auto policies tend to carry higher liability limits and are designed to cover situations involving paid transport of goods. The challenge is proving that the driver was using the truck for work at the time of the crash. Text messages, invoices, GPS data, or even social media posts can help establish that context.
If the driver was employed by a moving company with its own fleet and coverage, that company may be directly liable under the theory of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for on-the-job negligence.
What If the Crash Caused Serious Injuries?
Rear-end collisions involving moving trucks can be especially dangerous due to the size and weight of the vehicle. Even a low-speed impact can cause significant trauma, especially if the truck was carrying heavy cargo. Tempe crash victims in these situations often experience injuries like:
Herniated discs or spinal trauma
Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
Whiplash or neck strain
Internal injuries or broken bones
Long-term complications like paralysis
Because these injuries may take time to fully diagnose, it’s critical not to accept a fast settlement before the full extent of your condition is clear. Truck-involved crashes often justify higher damage awards because of the increased force and long-term consequences.
What If the Driver Was Uninsured?
Unfortunately, some rental truck drivers are completely uninsured at the time of the crash—either because they didn’t purchase the offered rental coverage or because their personal policy excluded the situation. In this case, you may need to rely on your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage if it applies.
Arizona does not require UM coverage, but many drivers carry it for exactly this reason. If you do, it may step in to cover:
Medical bills
Lost income
Pain and suffering
Long-term care costs
You can read more about handling crashes involving underinsured or uninsured drivers here.
Gathering the Right Evidence After a Moving Truck Crash
Proving fault and finding the correct insurer often depends on solid documentation. After a crash with a moving truck in Tempe, be sure to:
Take photos of both vehicles, the road, and any skid marks or debris
Ask the driver for rental agreement documents, not just their ID
Get a photo of the license plate and any business branding on the truck
Note whether it’s a commercial or personal move
File a police report that clearly identifies the vehicle as a rental truck
Also try to determine whether the crash occurred near known traffic conflict zones, such as poorly marked intersections or high-turnover apartment complexes in areas like South Tempe. This can help contextualize the collision if you end up filing a formal claim.
Can You Sue the Rental Truck Company?
It’s very rare. Under federal law, rental vehicle companies like U-Haul and Budget are largely shielded from liability unless they were directly negligent—such as by knowingly renting out a truck with faulty brakes or expired registration.
You cannot sue them simply because they own the vehicle. Your case would need to involve some kind of provable failure in how they maintained or rented the vehicle.
Final Thoughts
Crashes involving moving trucks present a web of liability questions that can’t be answered by looking at a police report alone. You’ll need to investigate whether the driver was acting personally or commercially, whether they had valid insurance, and whether any secondary parties—like an employer or rental agency—could be involved.
Rear-end collisions may seem straightforward, but when a 10,000-pound truck is involved, the damage is anything but minor. Whether your wreck happened on a residential street, a freeway on-ramp, or a busy corridor near Downtown Tempe, taking the right steps now can protect your ability to recover the full compensation you deserve.
For additional resources on what to document and how to begin a claim, visit our legal resources page.
