Conroe truck crash lawyers note that you might be surprised to learn that there could be more than one party at fault for causing your devastating accident. If your 18-wheeler crash attorney can prove your claim against those defendants, you could hold them all liable and financially accountable for your injuries.
Then each defendant would owe you a share of your financial compensation award. Each party’s share of the damages award would be proportional to their degree of fault in causing your accident as found during trial. Some of the parties potentially at fault in your Conroe 18-wheeler accident might include:
The truck driver: The driver in charge of the 18-wheeler at the time of your accident can almost always be found liable for a share of your damages. A truck driver might make driving mistakes just like any other driver. He might run a stop sign or a traffic light, exceed safe speeds, lose control of the truck on a curve or a turn, or miscalculate when trying to avoid other drivers on the road.
The truck driver might even fall asleep behind the wheel. Long-haul truckers might drive many consecutive hours and hundreds of miles in a single day. Our Conroe truck crash lawyers point out that rules mandate that long haul truck drivers take adequate rest breaks to avoid fatigue. But delivery deadlines and incentive rewards for quick deliveries sometimes encourage them to skip their required breaks.
Some drivers have been known to take amphetamines or other drugs to enhance their alertness on the road. Others might have a few drinks before taking the wheel to resume their journey. If the truck driver that caused your accident was intoxicated at the time of the wreck, you might also be able to hold the establishment that served him alcohol liable for your accident damages under the Texas dram shop. Proving dram shop liability is quite challenging and requires the services of an experienced Conroe truck crash lawyer.
The trucking company: Trucking companies hold responsibility for the conduct of their drivers based on the legal doctrine of “respondeat superior.” Therefore the trucking company that employed the truck driver who caused your wreck generally might be a named respondent in your accident injury lawsuit.
Sometimes the trucking companies stand directly liable for your damages in their own right. The company might have sent the driver out in a truck that was inadequately serviced or maintained. The trucking company might have sent the driver out with a flawed route plan to follow.
The company might use negligent hiring practices and put drivers on the job who already have a string of bad accidents behind them. The trucking company might be negligent in conducting regular drug and alcohol testing of drivers. The company might encourage the drivers to drive excessive hours by providing inappropriate incentive rewards or unrealistic delivery targets.
You need a thorough investigation by a Conroe truck crash lawyer that is well versed in trucking accidents in order to discover all of the parties at fault for causing your 18-wheeler accident. The Conroe truck crash lawyers have 12 years of successful experience in such cases behind them and they know where to look to obtain the evidence you need to prove liability in your case.
Continued in Part 2.