No one expects that driving on a public street or highway will lead to a serious collision with a big truck. However, trucking accidents do happen throughout the year and you could be one of many victims. If so, as you recover, exploration of your options is natural. The law could be on your side if you take someone to court, but you'll need to be accurate with your choice of defendant. Who's responsible? It may be one of these parties:
1-The Driver
The immediate culprit may seem to be the most obvious one: the driver. Just like you, they were operating a vehicle. Their actions could clearly be blamed for the situation, especially if official police accident reconstructionists agree. Stopping short, rushing through lights or illegal turns may have caused your collision.
2-The Company
The driver may have been responsible for the truck on the road, but they may not be the ultimate guilty party here. If it's possible the truck needed routine maintenance or specific repairs that were ignored, their employer is likely involved. In addition, the company may have ignored signs that the driver shouldn't have been driving. Mile log records, drug tests and witness accounts may reveal that the company knew the driver shouldn't have been on the road.
It's possible that the company had used a freelance driver, in which case they might have an agreement with them to not be at all responsible for accidents and other events; you'll need to research whether this is relevant for you.
3-The Product Owner
In some cases the only culprit is the product owner of the shipped load who failed to properly package their own items. If liquid started spilling into the bed of the truck and out onto the ground or there was a minor explosion that caused you to swerve and damaged your vehicle, the product owner is very well liable.
4-The Town
Potholes, construction and other problems with the physical road itself could have caused the truck to make movements that affected your vehicle. As a result, it's possible that it wasn't the driver, company or manufacturer that caused the problem, but the town or city you were both driving in. In that case, the town is the right party to sue.
Knowing the right people to hold responsible here can help your legal case. The best person to discuss these trucking issues with is a lawyer familiar with these issues Contact a firm, like The Outlawyer - Abbott Law Firm, for more help.
