Can I Sue the Trucking Company?
March 28, 2019 | Truck Accidents
In certain instances, the employer of a negligent employee is eligible to be sued for the employee’s actions. If you are injured in a truck accident, you could be eligible to claim damages from the driver and their employer. The best way to make sure that your case produces the best results possible is by consulting a lawyer about the accident and exploring the options available to your case.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?
There are many elements involved in a truck accident. Answering the following questions can determine who you can sue for liability in your truck accident. Was the truck driver operating as an employee when the crash happened? Did the truck’s cargo cause the accident? Were any of the truck’s parts defective? If you are injured in a truck accident, you could be eligible to claim damages from the following parties:
- The truck driver
- The truck driver’s employer
- If the truck driver leased their truck or trailer and a defect caused the crash, you could be eligible to sue the person the leasing company
- The manufacturer of a truck’s defective parts
- The manufacturer of the cargo that the truck was hauling at the time of the accident
The leading causes of truck accidents are speeding, drugs and alcohol, and truck defects. If a truck driver is at fault in an accident, they can face serious consequences including the loss of their license, fines, jail time, and more depending on the circumstances of the crash.
When Can You Sue the Trucking Company for an Accident?
If a truck driver caused your damages, you could be eligible to claim damages from the driver and their employer with an experienced truck accident lawyer by your side. Not only can your lawyer help you file an insurance claim, but they can obtain proof of the truck driver’s employment to support your claim. If proof of employment is obtained, you can sue the trucking company and the driver for full compensation under, “respondeat superior.” Recovering damages from more than one party can be difficult, but an experienced attorney can negotiate and mediate for the highest settlement possible with ease.
What Damages Can I Recover From Suing the Trucking Company?
If you are injured in a truck accident, you could be eligible to recover damages such as medical expenses, mental or emotional distress, lost wages, or other expenses caused in the crash. While no amount of compensation can repay you for your injuries, recovering damages can help offset present and future costs caused by the accident.
To increase your chances of recovering damages, it’s crucial to gather as much evidence as possible from the scene, call the police, get checked out by a physician, and hire a lawyer. When your lawyer helps you write a demand letter and file an insurance claim for the accident, the more evidence they have to work with the better supported your claim will be. If evidence isn’t gathered from the crash, this leaves the door open for details from the accident to be altered, blame shifted, and other consequences.
Speak with a Lawyer About Your Case Today
Consulting a lawyer about an accident holds the other driver accountable for their negligence and could increase your chances of recovering damages. The average commercial truck is 20-30 times larger than a passenger vehicle, and when an accident happens between the two, this can cause severe injuries and financial damages. If you are ready to sue the trucking company and the truck driver that caused your pain and suffering, contact the Dixon Injury Firm today. Our attorneys offer free consultations and will do everything possible to recover the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries and financial damages from a truck accident.