Can You Sue a Trucking Company After an Accident?

Enormous fear and confusion fill your life after you’ve been in a crash with a truck. You may be in a hospital bed with broken bones or at home with a concussion, wondering what happens next. And you probably have lots of questions like “what will happen to my family?” and “how will I pay these medical bills?”

You may also be wondering “can you sue a trucking company after an accident?” The answer is, yes. And that might be what you need to do.

Being in a truck collision turns your world upside down and can have lifelong consequences. You may be off work (or even in a wheelchair), which means you’re experiencing lost wages. Medical bills are piling up and you have no idea how you’ll pay them. Your vehicle has major property damage or is totaled and you don’t know how soon it will be replaced. And undoubtedly, your family is filled with worry and uncertainty.

That’s why you may need to talk to attorneys that handle truck accident cases. Whether you’ve already made up your mind to sue or you just want to gather information, a truck accident lawyer can answer your questions and explain your legal options. For more information, contact the accident and injury law office of Terry Bryant at 1 (800) 444-5000.

Can You Sue a Trucking Company After an Accident?

Many people decide to sue a trucking company after an accident because there’s no other way to move forward with life. You and your family have experienced a tremendous setback that threatens your future hopes and opportunities. If you are injured, or a family member has been killed in a truck crash, how will this affect homeownership, your children’s college plans, and your hopes for travel and retirement? All of your dreams can be dashed in seconds if you’re hit by a truck on the road. This situation is made even worse if the crash was caused by someone’s carelessness or negligence.

That’s why courts uphold your right to sue trucking companies and vehicle manufacturers when you’ve been in a crash. You have the opportunity to seek financial compensation for all that you have lost.

Common Injuries in Truck Accidents

Because trucks are so large and heavy, they almost always fare better in crashes than the passenger vehicles they collide with. Most often it is the driver and passengers of the car that are killed and severely injured. Common injuries that occur in truck accidents include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Internal organ damage
• Amputation and loss of limbs
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Wrongful death.

Not only is there tremendous grief caused by injury or the loss of life, but there can also be a crippling of your future opportunities and earnings potential.

Why can trucking companies be sued?

Trucking companies are responsible for the quality of drivers they hire and the continued maintenance of the trucks they own. If a trucking company hires unqualified or careless drivers, then they can be liable for any accidents that these drivers cause. If trucking companies skimp on vehicle maintenance to save time and money, then they can be liable if a truck malfunctions and causes an accident.

That’s why trucking companies have insurance. If they are sued, there is money available to pay an innocent person who is injured or killed in a truck accident. Courts allow lawsuits to be filed not only to provide compensation for innocent victims but also to create an incentive for trucking companies to hire responsible drivers and provide proper maintenance for their trucks.

If the trucking company has a history of safety violations (or there are other circumstances), courts can also award punitive damages, which are designed to punish companies for their negligence and send a warning message to other trucking companies that might be tempted to do the same.

If it turns out that the accident was caused by a defective truck engine, brakes, or other components, then the truck manufacturer can also be sued. Large multinational truck manufacturers are responsible for the safety and design of the vehicles they sell. If they manufacture a defective product, then they are liable for financial damages that may be awarded by a judge or jury.

Truck Accidents Can Be Deadly

Every year hundreds of people across the nation are maimed and killed due to truck accidents. Because of the sheer size of big trucks and 18-wheelers, passenger vehicles are often flipped over or crumpled beyond recognition when crashes occur. That’s why you must have a special driver’s license and hours of training to become a truck driver. It’s because big trucks can be deadly if placed in the wrong hands. A fully loaded semi weighs 80,000 pounds, compared to a passenger car that weighs about 4,000 pounds. Even worse, motorcycle accident lawyer emphasize that motorcycles weigh only about 500 pounds. The difference in size is staggering, and it is not hard to see why the occupants of the smaller vehicles are on the losing end of truck crashes..

Because of their size, it can take big trucks almost two football fields, or 720 feet, to stop. It takes even longer if the pavement is wet, there is snow on the roadway, or there are high winds and low visibility.

When all of these factors are taken into consideration, it becomes apparent why crashes with big rigs are so deadly.

Contact a Truck Accident Attorney Today

Rather than suffering in silence and giving up on your dreams for your family’s future, talk to a truck accident attorney to learn more about your legal options. You can sue a trucking company after an accident to seek financial compensation. Courts recognize that you should not have to pay the price for someone else’s negligence, and that’s why they award monetary damages to innocent crash victims. To learn more about suing a trucking company after an accident and the compensation you may be entitled to, call the accident and injury law office of Terry Bryant toll-free at 1 (800) 444-5000.