There are all different types of truck accidents, including ride under, rear-end, front-end, T-bone, jackknife and countless others. Each of these can result in catastrophic injuries.
Your general inclination may be to hold the trucker accountable for the crash since they were directly involved. However, you may also be able to hold their employer, the trucking company, liable for the accident in addition to the truck driver or instead of them. Some of the incidents when it may be appropriate for you to do so are:
Poor employee screening
A trucking company has an obligation to thoroughly vet truckers before they hire them. They must perform background checks, ensure they have a valid CDL license, verify their clean driving record, complete a DOT physical, have insurance and are on top of all training and continuing education requirements.
Failure to enforce regulations
Truckers have certain regulatory requirements that they must adhere to, such as rest periods, pre-trip inspection requirements and load carry permits. Some fleet companies may encourage their truckers to violate their rules and even go as far as to give their truckers bonuses for violating them.
Poorly maintained vehicles
While all truckers must perform pre-trip inspections no matter their role, it doesn’t check for everything that could cause a crash. You might be able to hold a trucking company that fails to maintain its fleet of trucks liable for mechanical failures that resulted in your injury accident.
The three reasons outlined above are only a few of the many reasons you might want to hold a trucking company liable for accident-related injuries you suffered. Key to proving liability in truck accident cases is getting your hands on evidence to solidify your position. Time is of the essence in such situations.