Hit by a Commercial Truck in New York: How Do You Find Out Who Is Responsible?

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November 3, 2026 | By William Mattar Accident Lawyers

How do you identify the company behind a commercial truck that hit you in New York?

Start with the truck itself. Federal rules require every self-propelled commercial motor vehicle subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Chapter III, Subchapter B) to be marked with the legal name or a single trade name of the motor carrier operating it and with the identification number FMCSA issued to that carrier, preceded by the letters "USDOT." With that number, the carrier can be looked up in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's public SAFER Company Snapshot and, for interstate for-hire carriers, its Licensing and Insurance system.

Key facts

FMCSA describes the USDOT number as a unique identifier when collecting and monitoring a company's safety information.
FMCSA lists New York among the states that require their intrastate commercial motor vehicle registrants to obtain a USDOT number.
Buying a crash report through the DMV's online crash report search costs a $7.00 search fee and a $15.00 report fee for each report.
According to the DMV, it takes at least 14 days after the crash before an electronically filed police report from one of New York City's five boroughs is available for purchase, and at least 30 days for a paper police report.

Image for Blog PostImage to use (Envato). Envato Elements search for commercial truck cab door Pick a photo with no recognizable people or readable license plates.Alt text to set on the image: Side of a commercial truck cab

Where must the carrier's name and USDOT number appear?

Under 49 CFR 390.21T, the marking must appear on both sides of the self-propelled vehicle, in letters that contrast sharply in color with the background, and must be readily legible during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet while the vehicle is stationary. Other identifying information may also be displayed if it is not inconsistent with the required name and number.

At the scene, if it is safe, photograph both sides of the cab, the license plates and anything written on the trailer before the truck leaves.

What if the truck was rented or leased?

When a motor carrier operates a truck under a rental agreement with a term of 30 calendar days or less, the truck may display the lessor's name and USDOT number instead, but only if several conditions are met, including that the rental agreement is carried on the truck for its full term and conspicuously states the renting carrier's name, the complete physical address of its principal place of business and, if it has been issued one, its USDOT number (or certain other information in its place).

The federal leasing rules in 49 CFR Part 376 apply when motor carriers registered with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to transport property lease equipment to perform federally regulated transportation. Subject to exemptions, during the lease the carrier must identify the equipment under FMCSA's Part 390 identification rules, and unless a copy of the lease is carried on the equipment, it must keep a statement with the equipment certifying that it is operating it and giving the owner's name, the date and length of the lease, any restrictions on the commodities to be transported, and the address where the original lease is kept.

Unless an exemption applies, the written lease must provide that the carrier leasing the equipment has exclusive possession, control, and use of it, and assumes complete responsibility for its operation, for the duration of the lease. That required provision is not intended to affect whether the lessor, or a driver the lessor provides, is an independent contractor or an employee of the carrier.

What can FMCSA's public databases tell you about the trucking company?

FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot is free, works one carrier at a time, and can also be searched by MC/MX number or company name. It gives the company's identification, size, commodity information and safety record, including the safety rating (if any), a roadside out-of-service inspection summary, and crash information.

FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance (L&I) Carrier Search includes carriers that have been granted authority or have applications pending. Where bodily injury and property damage liability insurance is required, it shows the dollar amount required and the dollar amount on file. It also lists the active or pending insurance on file with FMCSA, including the insurance company, the policy or surety number, the coverage, the effective date and, for pending cancellations, the cancellation date.

Print or save the search results and note the date you ran them.

What must the truck driver give you at the scene?

Under Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600(2)(a), a driver who knows or has cause to know that a person was injured in an incident involving the vehicle he or she was operating must, before leaving the place of the injury, stop, show his or her license and the insurance identification card for the vehicle (when such a card is required), and give his or her name, residence address, insurance carrier, and insurance identification information, including the number and effective dates of the insurance policy, and license number to the injured person, if practical, and also to a police officer. If no police officer is in the vicinity, the driver must report the incident as soon as physically able to the nearest police station or judicial officer.

How do you get the police crash report?

The DMV sells certified crash reports online for immediate download; a search needs at least one identifying item to start, such as the DMV case number, the date or county of the crash, the vehicle identification number, or the plate number of one of the involved vehicles. Reports of crashes in which no one was hurt and there was no property damage over $1,000 are not available through the online search, and reports can also be ordered by mail on form MV-198C.

For collisions the New York State Police investigated on the Thruway, requests for a copy of the police accident report (MV-104A) go to the New York State Thruway Authority on form TA-W4310; for State Police collisions on other New York roads, requests go to the DMV on form MV-198C.

Frequently asked questions

What does "operated by" on the side of a truck mean?

If the name of any person other than the operating carrier appears on the truck, the operating carrier's name and USDOT number must also be shown, preceded by the words "operated by."

What does an "Inactive" status mean in FMCSA's L&I system?

It means the operating authority has been revoked and for-hire interstate operations are illegal. By contrast, an "Active" status in the Common, Contract or Broker fields means the carrier is currently registered and has complied with applicable insurance regulations.

Can you see a trucking company's past insurance?

Yes. The L&I insurance history lists all historical insurance for the carrier that was on file with FMCSA since 1995.

About William Mattar, P.C.

William Mattar, P.C. was founded in 1990 by William K. Mattar in Williamsville, NY. The firm states that it has experience handling cases involving out-of-state drivers and trucking companies, including the jurisdictional issues that may arise, and the initial consultation costs nothing.

Sources

49 CFR 390.21T (Marking of self-propelled CMVs and intermodal equipment): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-390/subpart-B/section-390.21T
FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number?: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/do-i-need-usdot-number
FMCSA SAFER, Company Snapshot: https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx
FMCSA Licensing & Insurance, Carrier Search Help: https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_li_std_routines.prc_help
FMCSA Licensing & Insurance, Carrier Search: https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_menu.prc_menu
FMCSA, How can I check the status of my operating authority?: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/how-can-i-check-status-my-operating-authority-mcffmx-number-registration-andor-application-and
49 CFR 376.1: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-376/subpart-A/section-376.1
49 CFR 376.11: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-376/subpart-B/section-376.11
49 CFR 376.12: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-376/subpart-B/section-376.12
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/600
NYS DMV, Order and Access Motor Vehicle Crash (Accident) Reports: https://dmv.ny.gov/records/order-and-access-motor-vehicle-crash-accident-reports
New York State Police, Get a Copy of an Accident Report: https://troopers.ny.gov/get-copy-accident-report

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