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In A Truck-Car Crash, Who Is Liable For Your Injuries?

You will agree with us that one of the difficult parts of a truck-car crash is figuring out the party responsible for the crash. More often than not, a truck-car crash involves multiple parties, making it difficult to identify the culprit.

So, how do you deal with the whole situation? Let’s find out.

Causes of Truck-Car Crashes

Although there could be various reasons for a truck-car crash, here are some of the common causes:

Driver Error

Drivers often end up making wide turns and changing lanes unsafely, leading to accidents.

Speeding

Speeding is a common issue. According to a report, in 2017, 26% of traffic fatalities in the US happened due to speeding.

Distracted Driving

Truck drivers often drive for long distances, which leaves them tired and exhausted. Although federal regulations limit the number of hours a truck driver can drive, they may break the rules.

Impaired Driving

Some car-truck crashes occur because either or both the drivers were under the influence of alcohol. According to federal trucking regulations, truck drivers must pass drug screening tests before they are employed and after an accident.

Distracted Driving

Driving for long distances leaves drivers fatigued. They might want to check their cellphones or explore alternative sources of entertainment. As a result, they often get distracted, leading to accidents.

Overly Loaded Cargo

Often, truck accidents happen because the cargo is improperly loaded or it is overloaded. An improperly loaded cargo can fall out of the truck or cause the vehicle to tip over.

Who Is Liable For Your Injuries?

So, if you have met a truck-car crash and have ended up with a broken arm, it is important to know who is liable for your injuries.

Overloaded Cargo

As we mentioned earlier, overloaded cargo is more prone to crashes. Truck companies should be diligent enough to determine what their trucks carry. In various cases, it is not just the cargo that adds to a truck’s load, but other external equipment and supplies as well, which altogether exceed the weight that a truck can handle.

As a matter of fact, overloading is one of the most common reasons for trucking accidents. Once a truck gets off balance, it becomes hard to control the vehicle. The chances of accidents increase when the driver takes a sharp turn. As a result, the distance needed to bring the truck to a halt also increases, leaving the driver in jeopardy as to how much braking pressure should he apply.

Dealing With Claims

Undoubtedly, when you have sustained injuries, it is imperative for you to claim compensation for the damages incurred by you. You want to make them responsible for your medical bills and loss of wages due to your absence at work.

However, your claims depend on the take of your insurance company. Your insurance company might offer you a lowball settlement, or even worse, reject your claim outright. This is when you need a legal team to take care of the situation legally and collect evidence to prove your point.

Assigning Negligence

A collision between a truck and a car is often a high-impact accident that involves multiple parties and companies. Suppose your car has got into an accident with an overloaded truck. In that case, the responsible parties could include the company that owns the vehicle, the truck driver, the person who has loaded the cargo, and even other employees involved in the loading practices.

It is important to mention here that overloading is against the Federal and State rules but is still practiced.

Hire A Truck Accident Lawyer

A car-truck crash could be caused by the reasons we mentioned above or a combination of several of them. This is what makes dealing with lawsuits in such cases extremely complex. Things could be further complicated if you have any liability in the accident.

Insurance companies, including your own, will always want to pay out as little as possible. This is when a personal injury lawyer will help you out. He will represent your interests in the best way possible. Even if you have some role to play in the crash, an attorney will help you minimize your role so you can still recover for the liability of the other parties. Further, if it was not your fault, a lawyer will help you find out the person responsible through their discovery process.

If you are looking for a truck-car crash accident lawyer in Lawrenceburg, Young, Reverman & Mazzei is here to help you out. Contact us today to learn more.

Jay A. Bolotin is a partner at the injury law firm of Young, Reverman & Bolotin. Serving the people of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, Jay dedicates his career to helping clients in the tri-state area obtain financial compensation after suffering serious injuries. He focuses his practice on cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, dog bites and animal attacks, and other types of personal injury incidents.

Years of Experience: More than 25 years
Registration Status:: Active
Bar Admissions: Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Cincinati Bar Association