When semi-trucks collide with passenger vehicles, the results can be catastrophic. Smaller vehicles often end up totaled after crashes with commercial vehicles. The occupants of the smaller vehicle are also at risk of severe injuries.
Families may need to recover medical expenses, property damage costs and lost income after a semi-truck crash. Who is typically responsible for the costs generated by a commercial truck collision?
Trucking companies are often liable
People frequently assume that drivers are directly responsible for collision costs, especially if they do something negligent or illegal in traffic. However, the driver’s liability depends in part on their employment status.
If they are an independent contractor or a self-employed owner-operator, then they may be personally responsible for the crash. Many commercial drivers are actually employees. In those cases, the trucking company that hired them could be liable for collision expenses.
Transportation companies and owner-operators are subject to federal insurance requirements that mandate $750,000 or more in liability coverage. Especially in cases where improper hiring practices or insufficient vehicle maintenance contributed to a wreck, the transportation company may ultimately be the party responsible for providing insurance or paying compensation directly to affected parties.
Occasionally, third-party businesses could also be liable. If the collision was the result of a defective vehicle component, an improperly-loaded trailer or poor maintenance performed by a third-party professional, those parties could be liable for the crash.
Reviewing collision reports and other details about a crash with a skilled legal team can help people determine who may be liable and what forms of compensation they could request. An attorney’s assistance can help those affected by semi-truck collisions maximize the compensation that they’re ultimately able to secure.
