There are around 5,000 fatal truck crashes per year in the US. A fatal accident with semi truck can cause serious damage to property, as well as other cars due to the truck’s sheer size. According to IIHS and their commercial truck accident statistics, 16% of those fatalities were commercial drivers.
A semi truck or commercial vehicle can have a difficult time maneuvering around in cities due to the small spacing and increase in traffic. Accidents with commercial vehicles often come with a higher price tag due to the damage that can be done to the property and vehicles involved. A trucking accident lawyer is required when an accident with a commercial vehicle happens.
The average cost of a car crash semi truck accident is around $147,000 dollars with one injury and costs only rise from there. The big difference when consulting a lawyer during a commercial trucking accident is the commercial truck may not be the vehicle at fault. The commercial vehicle will need to get the business involved in the proceedings to ensure fairness.
If you’re injured in any sort of accident that wasn’t your fault, you’ll need to consider either an auto accident injury claim or a personal injury lawsuit in order to cover your expenses related to the injury. However, this process becomes much more complicated when you’re involved in a trucking accident, or any sort of collision with a commercial vehicle. This is because determining liability can become much more complicated than in a typical car accident. You’ll want to carefully consider all the evidence and consult with your attorneys before moving forward. But to get you started, here are the major parties that may be considered at fault:
- The DriverIf the driver of the truck was sleeping, under the influence of drugs, working outside federally mandated hours of service, speeding or otherwise driving unsafely, then he or she may be considered negligent.
- The Trucking CompanyBecause companies can be held accountable for the actions their employees take in the course of their job duties, the trucking company itself may also be liable for an accident involving one of its trucks. Companies can also be held responsible if proper maintenance and safety checks were not performed.
- The Vehicle ManufacturerIf a malfunction in the vehicle itself caused the accident (failed brakes, etc.), then the manufacturer of the truck could be held responsible.
- The ShipperIf a shipper improperly loaded cargo into a trailer and that error contributed to the accident, then that company could also be named in a claim or lawsuit.
- Other DriversIf multiple vehicles were involved, then the driver of another passenger vehicle could have caused the trucking accident. In fact, truck accident statistics show that passenger vehicles often cause truck accidents because average drivers don’t fully understand the blind spots and momentum that are inherent to such large vehicles.
What other questions do you have about establishing fault in the case of truck accidents? Is there anything else you’d like to ask truck accident attorneys? Join the discussion in the comments.
