Adoption 101: The Legal Fundamentals

3 Questions About Liability When Involved In A Truck Accident

16 May 2022

Brayden Miles

If you were involved in an auto accident with a semi-truck, know that this is going to be a different type of auto accident case. Truck accidents have some different rules and considerations, especially when it comes to determining who is liable. Here are a few things that you need to know about your lawsuit.

Who Do You Sue In A Truck Related Auto Accident?

What makes a truck accident different than a normal accident is that the truck driver works for a company. Your lawsuit would not be with the individual that was driving the truck, but with the company that hired them. This can make things a bit complicated getting the lawsuit started as you figure out who is ultimately responsible for the truck driver's actions.

What If The Truck Driver Wasn't Following Regulations?

Another thing that makes a truck accident unique is that the truck driver is responsible for following regulations regarding how they drive their vehicle. This means that they could be liable for causing an accident if they are violating those regulations. 

For example, there are limits on how many hours a driver can be on the road during a single day and during the week. Simply being over these hours can make them liable for a crash, because they would be less alert than a driver that is under the regulated amount of hours.

In addition, there are state rules and regulations that must be followed for each state. One state may require that a driver takes a break after a certain amount of consecutive hours of driving, with those rules being different from state to state. 

What Do You Do If You Suspect Regulations Have Been Violated?

Older trucks require that the drivers keep paper logbooks that indicate when they are on the road and when they are resting. However, newer trucks automate these logs by tracking when the vehicle is active and its GPS position. It helps ensure that the logs are accurate since it can track exactly how many hours a driver has been on the road.

If you were involved in an accident with a truck, it is worth requesting these logs to see how active the drive has been. You'll likely need the help of a lawyer to make a formal request so that the evidence is obtained and preserved after an accident. If you did not know to request this information, you could be missing out on a key piece of evidence in your truck accident. 

If you want to learn more about truck accidents, check it out on this website or a similar one.

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