Busting 2 Dangerous Truck Accident Myths

Truck accidents are usually very devastating to ordinary motorists due to the size of commercial vehicles and the heavy loads they carry. If you have been involved in a collision with a commercial truck, you may be able to recover damages for your injuries and damaged property by filing a personal injury suit.

Unfortunately, many victims of truck accidents often get conflicting information on how to go about their case from friends, coworkers and even the internet. This article seeks to debunk common myths about truck accident cases to better your chances of filing a successful suit. 

The truck driver is solely responsible for the crash

Many motorists often fail to file truck accident claim because they think the driver of the truck is solely responsible for paying damages, and he may not have much to offer. This is however not true, as you can successfully recover damages from the trucking company if you can prove negligence on their part. 

For instance, failure by the trucking company to properly maintain their trucks or sort out mechanical problems in good time could be considered grounds for negligence. Trucking companies who fail to drug test, train or conduct background checks on their drivers could also be liable for a trucking accident. Additionally, trucking companies could be liable if they break trucking regulations by overloading their trucks or violating driver rest schedules.

An experienced lawyer can help you look at how the trucking company may have contributed to the crash and sue them for damages. To build a strong claim, the lawyer can check the trucking company's maintenance records, driver rest schedules, loading reports and other documents to determine whether you can go after the trucking company for damages. 

You can rely on insurance companies to protect you

This is perhaps one of the most dangerous truck accident myths to buy into. The truth is when a trucking company is liable, their insurers will often work to deny compensating or at best reduce the amount paid to the victim. This is because insurers are typically looking out for their own profits and will likely not be on your side as the victim.

Therefore, the insurer might try to hide evidence regarding to trucking law violations, poor maintenance and so forth or try to prove that you somehow contributed to the accident. That is why it is vital that you have an experienced truck accident lawyer by your side to offer you legal advice and prove your injuries and the driver or trucking company's negligence. 

To learn more, contact a law firm like Clearfield & Kofsky. 

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