Any traffic accident can create problems for those who are involved, but this is particularly true for the victims of accidents caused by commercial trucks. The size and mass of trucks makes it much more likely that serious injury will occur, leaving the victims in pain and wondering what options they have. The answer may depend on who was truly at fault.
Was it the truck driver?
This is usually the first assumption, that the truck driver themselves made some sort of mistake. And it’s often true – truck drivers are just as capable of committing a negligent act as anyone. When they do, the resulting collision is far more likely to hurt the people in the car they collide with. But driver negligence is by no means the only possibility.
Was it the trucking company?
Most commercial drivers work for a company which transports the goods hauled in trucks. They are responsible for things like driver training, truck maintenance and driver hours and schedules. The company can act negligently in any of these or other areas, directly causing the crash which takes place. When they are, they can be held liable too.
What about the loaders?
There can be yet other companies involved, namely those which have contracted the shipping company to ship the goods. It may be this original customer which loads the goods onto the truck and they must do it properly, so that the load does not shift unreasonably during transportation. If the goods are loaded negligently, the originating company may be held liable for their negligence.
Trucking accidents require a thorough investigation of the accident itself and all of the parties involved. They are frequently not as simple as two private parties who hit each other with their cars. It’s only when the actual cause of the accident is determined that you can hold the party at fault responsible for their negligence.
