Each year over 30,000 trucks engaged in interstate commerce are involved in accidents resulting in death, injury and/or damage to property in excess of $2000. As the magnitude of this problem clearly indicates a need for greater understanding of risk factors for injury, we analyzed data from the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety (BMCS) 1984 accident data base. Using accidents which resulted in death as the case group and accidents which were limited to property damage as the control group, we analyzed the association of time, place, driver factors, vehicle factors and environmental factors with fatal commercial truck injury.