Anyone who’s been out on the main city streets or highways has likely seen semitrucks sharing the road with them. These vehicles are very large and can be very heavy, especially when they’re fully loaded.
Most truckers are safe drivers, but there are times when semitruck crashes occur. These can lead to significant injuries for the victims. At that point, the victims may opt to pursue a compensation claim, which means they need to know the causes of the crash.
1. Trucker error
Trucker errors, which can include speeding, driving while fatigued or being distracted, as well as others, can cause wrecks. Impaired driving can also be a problem. In some cases, trucker may share the blame for the crash with the trucking company, depending on the policies the company has. This would be the case if the crash was caused by the trucker rushing to make an unrealistic or inflexible deadline that encourages them to violate the hours of service or drive unsafely.
2. Lax maintenance
Semitrucks require considerable maintenance. When that’s provided or isn’t handled properly, components on the rig can fail. In this case, the maintenance company may be partially to blame for the crash.
3. Defective components
Defective components, such as a faulty hitch, can cause significant crashes. In these cases, the manufacturer of the defective component would likely be the liable party.
Determining who to name as a defendant in the case can be a complex undertaking. It may behoove victims to work with someone who can help them to do this so the victim can focus on healing from their injuries while the case is handled.