Being involved in a truck accident in Texas can have some serious consequences. Due to the large size of a truck compared to other automobiles on the roadway, these trucks can wreak more havoc on vehicle drivers and cause more severe injuries. In addition, unlike a traditional auto accident, trucking accidents can be more complicated due to the various types of liability that are involved.
Determining fault
One of the reasons that trucking accident claims take much longer is that multiple parties can be held liable. The various parties include the truck driver, the company that the truck driver works for, the company responsible for the cargo on the truck and even the manufacturer of the truck.
Depending on the specific circumstances revolving around the accident, liability might be placed on one or many of these parties. For example, if a truck driver runs a red light and smashes into a car, the truck driver will be held solely responsible for the accident. However, if there was a defective part on the truck that caused the accident and the trucking company knew about it but did not replace it, the trucking company and the manufacturer might be held liable for the accident.
Don’t get discouraged
Drivers involved in a truck collisions may have to deal with multiple insurance companies for the different people or entities that can be held liable. The various parties on the trucking side of the accident know just how confusing the claims process can be and will likely use this to their advantage to try to discourage you. Do yourself a favor and realize that a trucking accident claim is going to take a while.
Trucking accidents are not as simple as car accidents because there are usually multiple insurance companies involved in the process. Hiring a lawyer to help with your accident claim may save you both time and money throughout the process of seeking compensation.