With the growing number of companies utilizing ground transport for necessary cargo, 18 Wheelers and other large semi-trucks now take up more of the highways across the nation than ever before. As a result, the chances of being hit by a commercial vehicle and being injured has grown each year. If you were involved in a wreck with a commercial vehicle, and have sustained a spinal cord injury and/or brain injury as a result, a DC truck accident lawyer may be able to pursue fair compensation from the company and person who caused the wreck.
Semi-truck accidents are five times more likely than standard passenger car accidents to result in death and catastrophic injuries. This is because semi-trucks typically weigh between 16,500 and 20,500 pounds, which is more than four times the weight of an average standard passenger vehicle. This increased weight leads to increased impact during a crash, which can lead to serious, and sometimes fatal, injuries.
Typically, commercial vehicle accident cases lead to more compensation for the injured party than do standard vehicle accident cases. This may be because commercial vehicle accidents tend to cause more serious, and therefore, more costly injuries than standard accidents. However, the main factor for this increased compensation in commercial vehicle accident cases lies in the extensive state and federal regulations that are in place for commercial vehicle drivers across the nation.
State and federal regulations are in place to monitor the trucking industry and ensure driver and passenger safety on the roads. These regulations include requirements regarding maintenance of the vehicle, certain weight limits for cargo, and driver eligibility. Under these regulations, drivers, trucking companies, trucking manufacturers, and businesses responsible for the truck’s cargo can be held liable for commercial vehicle accidents and any resulting injuries.
The truck driver may be held liable for the wreck and the injuries sustained during the accident. To find the driver liable, a DC truck crash attorney must prove one or more of the following:
The trucking company may also be held liable for the wreck and the resulting injuries. A trucking company can be held legally responsible for an accident if a legal team proves that the company was knowledgeable of a driver’s ineligibility to drive or of the driver’s negligence while driving. The company can also be held liable if the company is proved to not have been keeping up with state and federal regulations on their vehicles.
A trucking manufacturer can be held liable for a wreck and the injuries sustained in the wreck if any part of the commercial vehicle was defective. A legal team must prove that a defect in the vehicle, such as the brake pads, tires, or engine, caused or contributed to the accident.
Lastly, the company that owns the truck’s cargo may be held responsible in a court of law if the cargo is shown to have contributed to the wreck. If the cargo had exceeded the state or federal weight limit for the vehicle, or if any defects in the cargo caused the wreck, the company may be found liable for the accident. A DC truck wreck lawyer must prove that the cargo somehow contributed to the wreck in order for a company to be held legally responsible.
If you are a loved one were involved in a wreck with a commercial vehicle, and have sustained a spinal cord injury or brain injury as a result, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries from the driver, trucking company, trucking manufacturer, and/or the company in charge of the cargo. With skilled advocacy by a DC truck accident lawyer, you may be able to hold the at-fault parties accountable for your catastrophic injury. Please call The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm at 1-877-SCI-FIRM immediately for a free consultation to discuss your legal options.
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