Given the mass of commercial trucks, especially when traveling at highway speeds, victims of trucking accidents are likely to suffer life-changing injuries or even death. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Analysis Division, of the 33,808 people who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2009, 10 percent of those individuals died in accidents involving semi-trucks, tractor trailers, and other large trucks. An additional 74,000 people were injured in these accidents.
Macon, Albany, and Warner Robins Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawyers
While no amount of compensation can repair injuries or cause heartache to dissipate, it can provide the necessary financial resources to obtain the best medical treatment, deal with lost income during recovery, or provide the family with financial stability now and into the future. Our attorneys at Westmoreland Patterson Moseley & Hinson L.L.P. can help you in taking the first steps to finding who is responsible for the accident as well as who can — and should — be held financially responsible for the harm they have caused. To discuss the potential of filing a truck accident lawsuit with an experienced lawyer, contact our law firm online or call 888-469-4173.
Who is liable in a truck accident lawsuit?
Pursuing compensation following a truck accident is much more involved than filing a claim following a car wreck or any other motor vehicle accident. That is because the damage is more extensive, the insurance limits are higher, the causes of the accident can be more complex, and there can be multiple potential avenues of financial responsibility.
Depending on the circumstances of the tractor-trailer accident, you may be capable of pursuing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against any or all of the following:
- The truck driver: Speeding, driving too many consecutive hours (and lying about it in log books), failing to properly inspect the vehicle, and driving while distracted or fatigued are just some of the things truckers do that can lead to serious accidents. When a truck driver’s negligence or recklessness causes or contributes to an accident, the truck driver can be held financially liable for injuries and/or fatalities.
- The trucking company: Negligent corporate policies may be contributable to the cause of the accident. For example, paying truck drivers by the mile is a policy that by its very nature influences truckers to speed. Truck companies can also be held responsible for negligent hiring practices, inadequate training, poor truck maintenance, and negligent driving of its truckers.
- The insurance company: The law requires that trucking companies carry a minimum amount of insurance that is much higher than that of passenger vehicles. This insurance comes into play when the trucking company is sued for damages in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit following an accident. However, unlike lawsuits following any other type of motor vehicle accident, the trucking company’s insurance company can be sued directly for compensation following a serious or fatal trucking accident.
Truck accidents can have varying third parties who may also be responsible, such as manufacturers of defective truck parts, truck rig owners, truck-trailer owners, truck loading companies, and other individuals or companies. By working with some of the country’s best investigation and trucking experts, we are able to not only identify the causes of trucking accidents, but also demonstrate clear liability in order to maximize the compensation our clients receive.
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View our proven results and learn how we can put our experience to work seeking the best possible results in your case. Call our semi-truck accident attorneys at 888-469-4173 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation.Free consultations and contingency fee apply to all injury cases.
Representing the Injured and Disabled for Over 50 Years
Thomas Hinson is the contributing attorney to this content.