If an 18-wheeler hits you, you will probably suffer serious injuries that cost a lot to treat. Once you are out of the hospital, you may need months or years of therapy and rehabilitation. You may also require medication on a long-term basis. If you did not cause the crash, there is no reason you should pay for any of this yourself.
If a truck hits you, your first thought should be to hold the truck driver responsible. Yet, they may claim it was not their fault at all. They may claim something happened that led them to lose control of the vehicle.
DRIVING A TRUCK IS NOT A ONE-PERSON OPERATION
Anyone involved in sending a truck out on the road could contribute to a crash:
- Mechanics: If someone failed to tighten a bolt, put in the wrong fluids or made another error, it could cause a mechanical failure en route, which the truck driver can do little to control.
- Loaders: While the driver must check their load is secure and well balanced, they might not notice everything the loading bay staff have done. If a load moves when the truck brakes or goes around a corner, the weight shift could send the truck over. If the trailers are top-heavy, a wind gust could also topple them.
- Trucking firms: They need to check the drivers’ qualifications, experience and record before letting them loose. They need to avoid pressuring the driver when tired or late. They also hold overall responsibility for the vehicle’s safety if they own it.
Working out who should pay for your injuries in a truck crash is not straightforward, and it is wise to get legal help to evaluate your options.
