Who is Responsible for Damages in a Tennessee Trucking Accident?
One thing which makes a trucking accident different from a typical passenger vehicle accident is that there are often multiple individual and corporate parties who may be responsible for the damages which resulted from the crash. This can make obtaining financial recovery after a trucking accident a complicated and time consuming process. Experienced trucking accident attorneys know how to investigate trucking accidents and how to sort through the evidence to determine which parties are likely to have caused your injuries. They also know how to help you obtain the financial recovery that you deserve from those parties who are responsible for your injuries.
In many trucking accidents, the trucking company is at least partially responsible for the damages experienced by the accident victims. Trucking companies can be liable to victims for a few different reasons. If the trucking company was negligent in hiring, training, or supervising the driver who was involved in the accident, the company is liable for the harm that the victims experienced as a result of that negligence. Sometimes, the trucking company’s negligence arises not from a problem with the truck driver themselves, but from a problem with how the truck was maintained. This can involve maintenance which is incorrectly performed by company mechanics, who may have failed to inspect trucks frequently enough or to make necessary repairs in a timely manner. Trucking companies can sometimes be held liable for punitive damages as well, if they engaged in conduct that was particularly atrocious, such as requiring drivers to falsify records, overload trucks, or drive so many hours that they become fatigued.
Truck drivers can be liable to trucking accident victims because of the choices that they make while they are behind the wheel. Sometimes, drug and alcohol use, excessive speed, and other negligent actions made by truck drivers contribute to horrific accidents where victims are severely injured or killed.
Another party which could be partially or fully responsible for the damages that were caused by a trucking accident is the manufacturer of the truck. Just like automobile manufacturers can be held liable when their cars contain a dangerous defect, the manufacturers of commercial vehicles are responsible for designing and building vehicles that are safe to operate on the roads.
The manufacturers of truck parts can also be liable to trucking accident victims. Tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles are made up of many parts like tires, brakes, and engine components, which are manufactured by a variety of domestic and foreign companies. When one of these parts contains a defect which causes an accident, the manufacturer of the defective part may be held responsible for the injuries and damages to the accident victims.
Truck repair facilities are another type of party which may be responsible for the damages in your trucking accident case. Some trucking companies do not perform their own maintenance. Instead, they subcontract the care of their vehicles out to truck repair facilities. If improper maintenance by someone at a truck repair facility played a role in the crash which injured you, the repair facility may be liable for some of your damages.
The knowledgeable and experienced trucking accident attorneys at Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC know exactly how to investigate trucking accidents like the one which caused your injuries. Trucking accident cases can be complicated, but we know how to identify and pursue the party or parties who are responsible for your injuries. Our attorneys know exactly what kinds of evidence to look for, which experts to work with, and how to present our findings in order to obtain the best possible results for our clients. We will do what it takes to get you the compensation that you deserve. Please call us today, at (888) 470-9143 to schedule a consultation. At Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.