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Who Is Liable for Injuries Sustained in a Truck Accident?

 Posted on February 12, 2021 in Personal Injury

Wake County personal injury attorney truck accident

Large commercial trucks are a vital part of our American way of life. However, trucks can also cause severe, often deadly auto accidents. Truck collisions and crashes caused by fallen truck cargo injure and kill thousands of people every year in the United States. If you or a loved one were hurt in a truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages. However, before you can recover compensation, you must determine who is liable, or legally responsible, for the accident.

Truck Drivers May Cause an Accident By Acting Negligently

Semi-trucks and other large commercial trucks can cause catastrophic damage in a collision. Truck drivers have an extremely important responsibility to other motorists. A truck driver who fails to follow traffic laws and signals puts his or her own life and the lives of others in danger. A truck driver may be liable for your damages if the driver’s negligence caused the collision. Examples of truck driver negligence include:

  • Texting and driving

  • Eating and drinking while driving

  • Driving while too fatigued to drive safely

  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Trucking Company Negligence May Be to Blame for Your Accident

The driver is not always the at-fault party in a truck accident. The trucking company may be liable if the company failed to hire qualified drivers or neglected important truck maintenance and inspections. The trucking company may also be liable if the company allowed truck drivers to violate the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Hours of Services rules. These rules limit the number of consecutive hours that truck drivers may operate the vehicle without resting. Fatigued driving is a major contributor to serious truck accidents; however, trucking companies may allow or even encourage drivers to violate Hours of Service rules in order to meet deadlines.

Other Potential Liable Parties in a Truck Accident Claim

It is possible that the fault for your truck accident lies with the manufacturer or designer of faulty truck parts. Defective brakes, steering systems, hydraulics, or tires may lead to devastating truck accidents. Broken or damaged securement devices can cause truck cargo to spill onto the road below. Liability for a truck accident can fall to a multitude of parties. A government entity’s failure to maintain the road or design safe intersections may even be to blame for your truck accident.  

Contact a Johnston County Truck Accident Lawyer

Establishing liability for a truck accident is often quite complex. If you or a loved one were hurt in a crash involving a semi-truck or tractor-trailer in North Carolina, contact a skilled Smithfield, NC personal injury attorney from Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC for help identifying the liable party and holding them accountable. Call 1-844-YO-PELEO or 844-967-3536 for a free consultation today. Hablamos Español.

 

Source:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-of-service

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