If you were involved in a Toledo trucking accident, you may have suffered serious injuries. Being hit by a truck is a traumatic event due to the size of the truck in comparison to the size of your vehicle. A passenger car is certainly not built to withstand the force of an impact from a semi-truck. The passenger vehicle can be crushed by the force of impact from a truck.
Determining Liability in a Truck Accident
When you’re hit by a semi-truck, your first priority is to seek medical attention for any injuries you’ve sustained. Both the insurance company and the trucking company should send a team to investigate the accident and secure necessary evidence.
As the accident victim, you will also need a team of professionals on your side. Your Toledo truck accident attorney can conduct their own investigation and help preserve key evidence that can prove fault on the truck driver. It’s possible there may be more than one liable party, including the following:
- The trucking company
- The loader or shipper
- The manufacturer of the truck or truck parts
- A body shop or mechanic
In many situations, the driver will be at least partially to blame for the accident due to driver error, such as drowsy driving, impaired driving, speeding, reckless driving, or distracted driving. The trucking company could be partially blamed if they did not conduct a proper background check of the driver, require routine truck inspections, or encouraged the driver to break laws pertaining to driving hours.
In cases involving defective truck parts or lack of repairs, you may be able to prove that there was defective workmanship on the part of the truck manufacturer that caused the accident. The shipper can also be held liable if the cargo was improperly loaded, shifted, and eventually caused the accident.
There are a number of ways liability can be determined including medical records, the truck’s black box, repair records, and more. In order for you to understand how you can seek compensation for your injuries, reach out to a Toledo truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Ohio Accident Attorneys can get you in contact with an experienced truck accident attorney that can analyze your case and pursue necessary legal action. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.