Your Legal Options After A Truck Accident
Thousands of truck drivers use Connecticut highways every year. The volume of large trucks contributes to the prevalence of truck accidents in the state, which can have tragic consequences for the victims involved.
Types And Causes Of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents often involve a heavy truck (between 60,000 and 80,000 pounds) and a standard passenger vehicle. Depending on the angle of collision and the speed at which the vehicles are traveling at the time of impact, types of truck accidents include head-on, underride, override, rollover accidents, T-bone accidents, rear-end, jackknife and side-impact collisions.
The cause of each of the truck accident types above vary, but in many cases, a truck accident can be blamed on driver negligence. Taking a turn too fast, speeding, driving while distracted and more all can cause truck accidents. In some cases, a truck accident may be caused by an equipment or auto part malfunction, such as a tire blowout.
Injuries And Damages In A Truck Accident
When traveling at high speeds, all car accidents can be deadly. When a vehicle as large as a truck is involved, the accident is almost sure to be devastating. Driver and passenger injuries in truck accidents can include crush injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bone injuries, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, facial injuries and other serious injury types. In addition to physical injuries that can cost thousands of dollars in medical expenses to treat – often for the remainder of the victim’s life – property damage and other damages are inevitable.
Who May Be Liable For A Truck Accident?
While one of the drivers involved in a truck accident crash is almost always to blame, sometimes another third party may be liable. Parties that may be liable in a truck accident include the following.
- The trucking company
- The truck driver or co-driver
- Another driver
- The manufacturer of a defective auto part
- The shipper or loader of the cargo
Knowing who’s liable is determined by understanding the exact cause of the accident. For example, a trucker who is fatigued at the wheel can cause an accident for which the trucker is responsible. A tire blowout may leave the tire or vehicle manufacturer liable.
Keep in mind as well that a trucking company that employs a negligent trucker may be vicariously liable for the trucker’s negligent behavior. In other cases, the truck company may be directly liable, such as if it required the truck driver to drive beyond federally-allowable hours-of-service limits.
Rights To Recovery Following A Truck Accident
Connecticut follows an at-fault car insurance system. This means that the party responsible for the accident is responsible for the damages they cause to other drivers. Recovering damages often requires filing an insurance claim with the at-fault party’s insurer. It may then require filing a lawsuit if the claim is unsuccessful in recovering damages.
All claims for damages for personal injury or death (if the truck accident results in fatal injuries) must be filed within two years of the accident, per Connecticut General Assembly Statutes Section 52-584.
Truck Accident Attorneys Ready To Represent You
Recovering compensation after a truck accident isn’t as simple as merely filing a claim. Instead, proving the negligence of the at-fault party, connecting the negligence as the cause of the accident and showing that damages were a direct result takes research, evidence and determination. At Murphy, Laudati, Kiel & Rattigan, LLC, our attorneys can assist with all aspects of your truck accident claim. If you’re ready to learn how we can represent you, call us today at 860-689-1195.