When trucks collide with other vehicles or persons, the resulting damage can be catastrophic. Trauma from a truck accident can cause severe disruptions in the lives of those injured and their loved ones on many levels, including physical, financial, and emotional. The wounded victim can seek compensation by filing a personal injury claim, but should they sue the truck driver or the trucking company?
Intricacies exist in the dynamic between truck drivers and their employers. However, in most cases, the truck driver’s trucking firm can be used by those who have been harmed in a truck accident. The truck driver and his or her employer or trucking firm may be held accountable for any damages caused by accident. Discuss your situation with a certified Connecticut truck accident lawyer.
Have You Determined If The Trucking Company Was At Fault In The Accident?
In the event of an accident involving a truck, the trucking business may be held accountable either directly for its own carelessness or vicariously for the negligence of its drivers. Drivers and passengers on the road are protected by federal and state statutes. For instance, they stipulate a maximum number of hours per day a driver can be on the road, require corporations to undertake background checks on prospective drivers, and detail the frequency and method of vehicle inspections and maintenance.
These regulations were put in place to reduce the likelihood of truck accidents; if a trucking business violates them and an accident occurs as a result, the company may be held liable for any ensuing financial losses. The trucking firm could be held accountable even if the driver was to blame for the accident due to their own negligence (driving while tired or impaired, speeding, or being distracted).
Can We Hold The Trucker Accountable For What Happened?
The trucking firm could be held responsible for an accident caused by the driver while on the job. For example, if the truck driver was overworked or intoxicated and the corporation knew or should have known about it, both parties might be held liable. The corporation will try to establish the driver was not working or acting as an employee if the accident was caused by the driver’s willful or unrelated acts.