When a truck crashes, the outcome can be far worse than when a smaller vehicle crashes. These powerful vehicles essential to keeping the country stocked with goods have taken or ruined many lives.
Because the outcome for people in other vehicles is so grave, they (or their families) may need to claim massive amounts of compensation. To get the full amount due, they may seek to hold more than one party responsible. For example:
The driver
You would usually seek to hold them responsible first. They were in charge (but perhaps not in control) of the 18-wheeler, so you need to look for ways in which they might have been negligent. For example, they were distracted, intoxicated or drowsy. Or they did not check their mirrors properly, were driving too fast or failed to stop at a light.
The truck’s owner
If it was not a driver-owned vehicle, there is a chance you can claim against the company or individual that does own it. Maybe they pushed the driver to work extra hours. Perhaps they did not carry out sufficient checks and hired a driver with a dangerous record because they were struggling to find staff. Or, perhaps they failed to take the vehicle in for its scheduled maintenance, and a mechanical issue contributed to the crash.
Others who worked with the vehicle
Loading a truck needs to be done carefully to avoid a shift in weight on the road that could cause the vehicle to topple or go out of control. If someone was in a rush, they might not have done it with adequate care. Mechanics that worked on the vehicle may also have failed in their role.
Getting experienced legal help to understand who you should claim against will be crucial if you are injured by a truck.