Truck Accident Lawyers in Raleigh, NC

Truck Accident Liability: Who’s Responsible?

Despite these precautionary measures, not everyone complies with traffic laws, trucking regulations, or their duty of care – all of which can come with major consequences when they involve cargo carriers. Fortunately, victims injured by the negligent or wrongful acts of others, and families who lose loved ones in preventable crashes, have the right to seek compensation for their damages by holding at-fault parties financially responsible.

Determining who can be held liable for a semi-truck accident is a fact-specific matter that varies from case to case. Even if wrecks are caused by negligent truckers – which they often are – truck drivers may not be the only party to bear financial responsibility for damages. That’s because trucking operators are often responsible for their employees, and because they may have been negligent as well.

While investigations into fault and liability are crucial to trucking accident cases, there are a number of common causes, violations, and negligent acts attorneys look for to determine who can be held responsible. Examples include:

• Truck drivers who were negligent when operating their vehicles.
• Trucking companies that negligently hired unfit drivers, violated Hours-of-Service rules, or committed other regulatory violations.
• Vehicle maintenance companies responsible for inadequate truck maintenance.
• Third party companies or distributors that overloaded delivery trucks / big rigs, or loaded unsecured cargo.
• Truck or auto part manufacturers that made defective products.

Because there may be multiple potentially liable parties – and because the stakes are often elevated when victims suffer serious injuries or wrongful death – truck accident claims can be complex. Our tractor-trailer accident attorneys have the experience and resources to help.