In the aftermath of either a passenger car or commercial tractor-trailer crash, an experienced personal injury attorney is necessary to help you get the compensation you deserve. While these two types of crashes may seem similar at first, there several key differences to understand before taking the next steps in recovering damages.
How Car Crashes Differ From Commercial Truck Collisions
First and foremost, the severity of injuries sustained in a truck accident is often significantly worse. Victims may experience longer recovery times away from work and a higher likelihood of permanent, life-altering repercussions. When dealing with heavy trucks that may rollover or jackknife on highways, there is a serious risk of broken bones, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, loss of limbs, and permanent disfigurement.
The second major difference is in who ultimately bears responsibility for the crash. In cases of car accidents on a city street, typically the driver in the other vehicle is responsible for your injury. With a commercial truck collision, however, the potential defendants in a court case could include any of the following:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company that hired the driver
- Third-party loading crew that improperly loaded or stored cargo
- Manufacturer of a specific faulty part
- Maintenance crew that performed an improper repair
How you obtain compensation may change depending on the actual root cause of the accident, which might involve driver log violations, improper repair schedules, or lax hiring and training practices.