When is a trucking company liable for a truck accident?

Request Your Free Consultation

It wasn’t the trucking company’s owner or manager who was behind the wheel of the truck when you were hurt in an accident. Not one of the trucking company’s owners or managers was anywhere near the scene of the crash. Yet, it could be the trucking company itself that is responsible for your truck accident injuries and recovery rather than the individual trucker who was behind the wheel.

Three Ways a Trucking Company Can Cause a Truck Crash

The cause of your truck accident injuries may have occurred well before the moment of impact and even before the trucker got in his vehicle. A trucking company may have caused the accident if, for example:

  1. The trucking company was negligent in its hiring practice. If the trucking company hired a driver that it knew, or should have known, could not drive safely, then the trucking company may be liable for an accident.
  2. The trucking company encouraged the trucker to violate hours of service rules or other trucking laws. Some employers pressure their drivers to break federal truck safety regulations in order to get their jobs done faster.
  3. The trucking company failed to properly maintain the truck. Things such as brake failures or tire blowouts can result in dangerous truck wrecks.

A full investigation into the cause of your truck wreck will need to be done in order to determine if the trucking company was partly or solely at fault for the crash and your injuries.

Identify the Right Defendant to Get the Recovery You Deserve After a Truck Crash Injury

Any defendant you name in a lawsuit or pursue a settlement from is likely to be represented by counsel. If you name a defendant who is not liable for your injuries, that defendant’s attorney will motion the court to dismiss your claim and you will be left without a recovery.

However, if you name a defendant who was liable for the crash and your injuries, you may be able to recover damages for your past, current and future medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, physical pain, emotional suffering, and other losses.

For help identifying the right defendant and protecting your rights, please contact our office today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer.

Related Links: