Commercial vehicle accidents are not at all easy to understand because they are much more complex than regular car collisions. We are talking about vehicles that are much larger and injuries that often end up being catastrophic. At the same time, as the best truck accident lawyer will always tell you, it is possible to be faced with many liable parties. This in itself makes the case much more complicated.
When several parties are involved in an accident, a much more thorough investigation is needed to be successful in your claim process.
Truck Accident Cases – Potential Defendants
In big rig accidents, we often see very serious injuries. They are just much more significant than what you see in the regular car accidents. As a result, it is so much more important than you might think to identify every single party involved and responsible.
When you are injured in a truck accident, there are most likely several parties that will need to pay for damages. Without the help of an experienced truck accident attorney, there is a pretty good possibility you will not even be aware of several parties involved.
As a very simple example, did you know that truck parts manufacturers can be liable for failure that caused or that was involved in an accident? Or that the state government might be liable because it did not fix the road in time when it knew it was damaged?
The truth is the list of potentially responsible parties in serious truck accidents is very long. Liability can include things like the truck manufacturer, the trucking company, the employer of the truck driver, contractors, insurance companies, and so much more.
The Liability Of The Trucker Employer
You might not be aware of this but truckers work tied by various business relationships. For instance, the trucker might work for the company that they deliver for. Alternatively, the trucker might just haul goods for whoever owns the cargo.
When the truck driver is employed by the shipping or trucking company, the employer might be legally responsible for the negligence that caused the accident. For you to prove this was the reality of the situation, your attorney needs to prove one important thing, that the driver was directly driving for the company.
If the truck driver is independent, he/she owns the truck. The driver can accept contracts and is allowed to haul cargo from one point to the next. In this case, your attorney has to investigate the oversight that the contracting company had over the truck driver. This will show the employer’s responsibility in the event that injuries or damages appeared during the collision.
It is very important to accurately determine all parties involved in the truck accident. This is basically the only possible way in which you could receive the full compensation you are entitled to for the damages you suffered.
Keep in mind that as an accident victim in a truck accident, you need to take care of your health and deal with the injuries you suffered. At the same time, you have to follow the claims process, which is so much easier when you have a truck accident lawyer by your side.