Truck Accident Liability
If you’ve recently been injured in a truck accident, are you looking for a truck accident lawyer Tysons VA residents trust to help you settle an injury claim? If so, the lawyers at Cohen & Cohen may be able to help. We have fought for countless clients who have sustained injuries and we have helped them recover financial losses after a serious accident.
While no one can say that they are “the best” truck accident lawyer Tysons VA has to offer, our firm is known for providing trustworthy legal counsel to residents in and around Tysons. We understand that an injury resulting from a truck accident can be very severe and it could take a great deal of time to heal. It might be very important — even absolutely essential — for an injured victim to receive financial compensation to cover medical costs. Without this compensation, as an experienced truck accident lawyer Tysons VA can provide might attest, medical bills can pile up very quickly. A single accident caused by another person could potentially uproot a whole family’s financial stability.
As many truck accident victims have discovered in the past, it is not always easy to obtain compensatory damages after an accident. Liability can be a big problem in any type of auto accident, but liability disputes tend to be especially complicated when a large commercial truck is involved.
Liability in Truck Accidents
As any skilled truck accident lawyer Tysons VA can offer might attest, there are many potential parties that could be liable in a trucking accident.
Firstly, it’s important to determine how big of a role the truck driver played in the collision. If another driver on the road — a driver in a passenger vehicle — initially caused the accident, it is less likely that any parties connected to the truck driver will be held liable.
It is possible, however, for the truck driver to make a mistake and be directly responsible for causing an accident. Truck drivers are often driving for long stretches of time and might not fully concentrate on the road at certain times. Some trucking companies pay their drivers according to how quickly the driver can deliver the cargo, causing some drivers to skip rest periods or go without sleep. Drivers might fall asleep at the wheel or become distracted while attempting to keep themselves awake (e.g., flipping through radio stations or eating a snack while driving).
It’s also possible that the truck driver wasn’t directly responsible for causing the crash — but something malfunctioned or was loaded improperly into the truck, thereby causing an accident. There are several parties that could potentially be held liable in these situations.
When the truck driver causes an accident, who can be sued?
When a truck driver causes an accident, it’s possible for injured victims to sue the driver. However, as an experienced truck accident lawyer Tysons VA can provide might explain, a single truck driver might not have an insurance plan that goes high enough to cover the costs of a severe injury. This is especially prevalent if the accident caused a fatal injury and the family of the victim wishes to pursue a wrongful death claim.
Trucking companies are often aware that if an accident occurs, they could potentially be held liable. In an attempt to avoid liability, some truck companies outsource jobs to third-party contract services instead of directly employing the drivers. This could potentially cause a liability dispute during an injury claim but as a seasoned truck accident lawyer in Tysons VA might know, legislation has been passed to limit the amount of liability a trucking company can circumvent through outsourcing.
What if the truck driver indirectly caused an accident?
It might also be possible for an accident to happen because of the truck — but not necessarily because the driver made a mistake. It’s possible for an accident to happen because of equipment failure, faulty parts in the truck’s structure, or improper packaging/loading of the items in its cargo hold.
When one of these situations occurs, it is likely that injured parties would be directed to pursue damages against the trucking company. However, it’s also possible that one or more parties tied to the truck company could also be held liable. When multiple parties possibly hold partial liability for an accident, injured victims might wish to seek assistance from a truck accident lawyer Tysons VA can provide.
When there is a faulty part or engine malfunction, the company that owns the truck might be held liable. In addition to outsourcing driving jobs, some truck companies also rent their vehicles and equipment from third-party companies. Any repair service or technician in charge of repairing or inspecting the truck could also potentially be liable. When the accident is caused by a part that is inherently faulty and could not have been fixed by a mechanic, the company (or companies) that designed, manufactured, or sold the part and/or the vehicle might be liable.
When cargo has been loaded improperly, it’s possible that the truck company also outsourced its packaging and shipping tasks to another transportation company. In this case, the company in charge of loading the cargo might be held liable.
Contact a Local Tysons VA Truck Accident Lawyer Today
When a truck accident liability dispute arises, it might be in the individual’s best interest to contact a truck accident lawyer Tysons VA has to offer. At Cohen & Cohen, our legal team has helped many truck accident victims fight for and win the financial settlements that they deserve. We understand that these accidents can be especially traumatic for victims and their families. It is important for these individuals to focus on recovering and not worrying about finances.
At Cohen & Cohen, we welcome new clients who have sustained an injury from a truck accident. To learn more about how we’ve helped clients obtain compensation after an accident, or to schedule a no-obligation case evaluation (free of charge) with a truck accident lawyer Tysons VA residents trust, contact our local office today.
