Who Can Be Held Liable Besides the Driver After a Commercial Truck Accident?
Getting into a commercial truck accident can come with devastating consequences, especially if you’ve sustained serious bodily injuries. When this is the case, you will need to determine truck accident liability for your claim so that you can get the compensation you deserve. However, in these types of accidents, liability doesn’t always fall on the driver alone. So, keep reading to find out how to prove truck accident liability and the different parties who may be at fault.
Identifying the At-Fault Party After a Commercial Truck Accident in NY
Before you submit your commercial truck accident claim, you first need to identify the parties liable for the truck accident. Although the driver often holds a measure of liability, they may not always be entirely to blame for the accident. And if you want to get the most compensation possible, you need to identify all at-fault parties and provide proof to back this up.
So, here is a breakdown of the different parties who could hold liability after a commercial truck accident in New York:
- The trucking company: In many commercial truck accidents, the trucking company will hold a degree of liability. This may be the case due to negligent hiring practices, inadequate training, unsafe scheduling, or company policies that contribute to unsafe driving.
- Vehicle owners & leasing companies: If a different entity owns the truck, they may also be at fault for the accident to a certain degree. For example, they may have failed to provide adequate maintenance to ensure the truck was operational.
- Maintenance & repair companies: Any maintenance or repair companies could be at fault if they failed to provide the necessary repairs or were negligent when performing their duties.
- Cargo loaders & shipping companies: You could hold third-party cargo loaders and shipping companies liable for improperly secured cargo, overloading, and unbalanced cargo.
- Manufacturers: In less common cases, manufacturers may hold liability for defective truck parts that directly contributed to the accident.
How to Prove Liability
It isn’t enough to simply identify the at-fault parties after a truck accident; you need to provide actual proof with your claim. Here are some examples of common forms of evidence you can use when establishing truck accident liability:
- Black box data
- Surveillance footage
- Dashcam footage
- Witness statements
- Expert testimony
- Police report
- Inspection and maintenance records
- Driver records
A truck accident attorney in New York can help you identify and gather the necessary evidence so that you can get the compensation you deserve.
Get In Touch With a Truck Accident Attorney in New York
Commercial truck accidents are notoriously complex and can come with several legal challenges, especially when you are trying to determine liability. Proving liability is an essential step when creating your commercial truck accident claim, as this often determines how much compensation you can receive.
To get the best possible settlement for your truck crash lawsuit in New York, you should work with a commercial vehicle accident lawyer who will have experience with these types of claims.
So, if you’re ready to move forward with your commercial truck accident claim, contact us today at Gash & Associates, P.C., in New York, at 914-328-8800 for a free consultation.
