If a truck hits your family vehicle, there’s a high probability you will end up in the hospital. The size difference between trucks and other vehicles means those in the smaller vehicles typically suffer serious injuries when crashes occur. That’s if they survive at all.
The severity of the injuries caused by a crash can drastically increase the cost to treat them and the amount it costs you to go on with life once you leave the hospital. You might need extensive rehabilitation, considerable time off work and perhaps retraining if your injuries make returning to your old career impossible. Hence, it is crucial to understand how to claim compensation from any negligent or reckless parties that caused your harm.
You may ultimately be able to claim from several parties at the same time. Sometimes, the coverage a truck driver has is insufficient to cover a victim’s costs appropriately. Or, the truck driver was not actually at fault. Under these circumstances, you may need to look for others whose negligence contributed to the crash. These parties could include the following.
The trucking company
Trucking companies have a duty to ensure the trucks and drivers they send out on the road are safe. You may be able to hold a driver’s employer responsible if they took shortcuts when hiring or training the driver or maintaining the truck. Pressuring their driver to uphold unrealistic schedules is another reason you might be able to claim against their employer.
The garage that serviced the truck or the truck’s manufacturer
If the brakes failed, it might be the company’s fault for not getting them serviced. It might be the mechanic’s fault for failing to service them properly. Or it might be that the braking system was faulty all along, in which case you may need to hold the manufacturer of the truck or the faulty part to account.
Who you can hold responsible depends on the circumstances of the crash. By seeking legal guidance to discover more, you can increase your chances of receiving adequate compensation for your harm.