Determining Fault In An Accident With A Semi Truck
Semi trucks do no behave like other vehicles on the road. They are so big and have so much mass that if you get into an accident with a semi, chances are that your vehicle will be mangled, and you and your passengers will be seriously injured. On the other hand, just because truck accidents tend to be gruesome does not mean the truck driver is any more at fault than other drivers on the road. In fact, neither you nor the truck driver may have been at fault for the accident.
Driver Error
When you are facing the aftermath of a truck accident, you may be overwhelmed with medical costs, vehicle costs, and other expenses, but you need to be ready to accept the fact that you may have been at fault for the accident. If you don't give a semi its proper respect, it is easy to put yourself in a situation that could cause a serious accident. On the other hand, barring driver error on your part or on the truck driver's part, there are several other entities that could be responsible for a truck accident.
The Trucking Company
Most truck drivers do not own the truck they drive. Instead, it is owned by the trucking company they work for. This trucking company might be tempted to put off maintenance for their trucks in order to keep costs down. If a trucking company did not take proper care of the truck the driver was driving, and there was an equipment failure that led to the accident, then the trucking company should be held at fault for the accident.
Equipment Manufacturers
Truck drivers use a lot of equipment in the course of their work. To name a few, you have the truck itself, the trailer, hydraulic hoses, and tie downs. A failure with any one of these components could cause complications that lead to an accident. Thus, if the cause of an accident can be traced to a specific piece of equipment, and the trucking company was performing the appropriate maintenance on the vehicle, then your suit should be directed at the manufacturer of that equipment.
The descriptions above of conditions that could lead to an accident are not meant to cover all the possible situations that could lead to an accident. Instead, they are meant to illustrate just how important it is to study the facts of your case, and then determine fault based on who is most responsible. An experienced truck accident lawyer will understand these complications and will understand how to gather and sift through evidence to build a solid case.