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Personal Injury Law – Truck Accident Injuries

Who is to Blame for Your Damages and Pain after a Serous 18-Wheeler Wreck?

When filing an insurance claim or civil case after you have been seriously injured in an 18-wheeler accident, anyone, or several different parties, can be responsible and held liable for your accident: The list includes:

The truck driver
The company he or she works for
The company that loaded the trailer
The person who planned the truck’s route
Maybe even a manufacturer of a truck part

That last bullet point comes into play rather often. Trucks are made up of many parts. All must operate as they should operate safely on the road. Design defects or manufacturing flaws in parts used by a truck may be the manufacturer’s fault, in which case a product liability claim or case might be brought against that company. For example, if a truck has faulty brakes that are a result of a manufacturing defect that causes the truck to slam into your car, or if a strap holding cargo in place has a design flaw that allows cargo to come loose and topple over on your pickup or SUV as you drive side-by-side on the interstate, a manufacturer may be held responsible for your injuries or other damage.

Another different source of compensation comes from the fact that in the past few years, the state and its counties have begun outsourcing much of their road maintenance and highway construction to private companies. So if that company’s construction zone creates conditions that cause an 18-wheeler to hit you, they may also be a liable party to the accident. All private companies retained by the state to build and maintain Texas roads must provide either direct liability insurance coverage or a liability bond to the state.