Who may be held liable for a truck accident in Ohio?

You might feel uneasy when you are on the road next to commercial trucks, such as 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers and semi-trucks. These monstrous vehicles moving at fast speeds can injure or kill you or another motorist with a simple sideswipe. Fortunately, motorists involved in truck accidents or a multi-vehicle crashes caused by a commercial truck have recourse for injuries because responsibility for the truck accident damage can be assigned.

A truck accident may leave you with injuries that require medical attention, surgery and rehabilitation and other related expenses, entitling you and other injured parties to compensation. Before filing a personal injury claim to collect any award, it is important to determine who the potential defendants might be in a truck accident case. In many cases, the driver operating the truck is usually blamed for damages suffered by the victims. However, liability for a truck accident may not be limited to the driver. There have been successful cases where contractors, employers, insurance companies and trucking companies have also been found accountable for accident damages.

For example, a truck accident caused by a truck driver may hold the driver responsible for the accident, particularly if a driving error, recklessness or negligence contributed to the incident. If that truck driver was employed by another company or another person, the company or employer may be found liable, too. If the truck driver is an independent contractor for a large transportation company, identifying who is responsible can be complicated. In such a case, it is important for truck accident victims to highlight the degree of supervision performed by the company.

Manufacturers of trucks and parts can be liable if equipment failure is to blame for the accident. Liability may arise if hazardous materials carried by a commercial truck cause injuries to victims. In the event that a manufacturer, driver and trucking company contributed to an accident, liability will be divided among all parties.

Source: FindLaw.com, “Truck Accident Overview,” Accessed Aug. 21, 2014