Truck Accidents can have Multiple Responsible Parties
Most auto accidents have two parties that could be liable. There is an at-fault driver and a victim of the wreck.
But truck accidents can get a lot more complicated. There can be a number of different parties that are held liable, and when third party liability comes into play, it’s hard to navigate these claims. That’s when you will want a Texas truck accident lawyer on your side.
How Third Party Liability Occurs in a Truck Accident
In most two vehicle accidents, there are only two parties involved. However, truck accidents are different. They can involve one, or more, parties outside of the passenger vehicle driver and the truck driver. Parties can include:
- Maintenance worker on the truck
- Parts manufacturer
- Cargo loader
- The driver
- The driver’s employer
- The trucking company
- The truck owner
Of course there could be some overlap, such as an owner/operator. And often vehicle maintenance is assumed to be the driver’s responsibility. But there are other factors that come into play.
If you are involved in a truck accident, do you know how to determine which party has at least partial liability?
What happens if Multiple Parties are Involved?
If you are rear ended by another passenger vehicle, and nobody is injured, that’s a pretty straight forward wreck: the at-fault driver’s insurance should pay to fix your rig.
How does a wreck look in a truck accident?
The truck driver may not have followed Federal Trucking Regulations; that negligence could have led to your wreck.
But the owner of the truck may not have maintained the vehicle properly, or ignored parts that needed to be replaced because he or she was trying to save money; their negligence could have led to your wreck.
Those that loaded the cargo onto the truck might not have loaded it properly, or secured it properly. That negligence could have led to more strain on the truck than it could handle, and resulted in your wreck.
Or even if the truck was driven within legal limits, maintained properly, and loaded correctly, if a replacement part wasn’t manufactured right, it could break prematurely and lead to your wreck.
Often, however, it’s a combination of many different factors. All of them building on each other, and culminating in a tragic accident.
If you’re involved in a truck accident, where multiple parties are held liable, that’s a much bigger issue, and multiple insurance companies need to be informed with claims submitted to each one.
Get Herbert Law Group on Your side
With so many different factors, and potential third party liability, truck accidents can be difficult to navigate. The insurance companies are counting on that, so when a settlement is offered, you’re so overwhelmed that you accept it even though it may not fully suit your needs.
That’s why you need a Texas truck accident lawyer on your side. That’s why you need Herbert Law Group to help get you through this tough time. Leave the mess to us; you focus on healing from injuries.
Let’s get started on your free consultation. Give us a call at 214-414-3808zz, or fill out the contact form on our site and we will be in touch.