Each year, accidents involving commercial vehicles cause thousands of deaths and even more injuries around the world. NHTSA’s data for the first half of 2024 reports about 2,523 fatalities in large truck crashes in the United States alone.
If you’re involved in a commercial vehicle accident, you may face serious medical and financial challenges. Working with a knowledgeable truck accident attorney can help you sort through your options and figure out who can be held responsible. This choice could determine how quickly you recover, how your family manages the fallout, and if you can regain stability after a traumatic experience.
In this blog, we’ll break down what makes commercial vehicle accidents different, who might be responsible, and how you can protect your rights after a crash.
How Commercial Vehicle Accidents Differ from Regular Crashes
Accidents with commercial vehicles can be much more complex than regular car crashes. Commercial vehicles include delivery trucks, tractor-trailers, buses, company vans, and other business-used vehicles. Because these vehicles are larger and used for work, both the risks and the legal challenges tend to be greater.
Common Causes of Commercial Vehicle Crashes
Many commercial drivers have to meet tight delivery schedules and spend long hours behind the wheel. Fatigue, distracted driving, skipped maintenance, and pressure to break traffic laws are all issues that raise the risk of a crash.
According to the World Health Organization, about 1.19 million people lose their lives on roads every year, with commercial vehicles involved in a large share of deadly and severe crashes. Large trucks, in particular, are part of a higher percentage of crashes that cause serious injuries. These collisions stem from a mix of factors, including driver error (like speeding or distraction), company policies, mechanical failures, or even poor road conditions.
Injuries Unique to Truck Accidents
Trucks and buses are much heavier than regular cars, which means accidents can cause devastating injuries or death. Victims may face traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, broken bones, or internal injuries.
Recovery can last months or years, and expenses may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars or more with ongoing medical care and lost wages. If the trucking company’s negligence contributed to your injuries, you may have the right to sue a trucking company after an accident to seek the compensation you deserve.
Who Can Be Held Responsible
In California and many other states, several parties might share responsibility, depending on how and why the crash occurred. Speaking with a commercial vehicle crash lawyer in Orange County can help uncover every potential source of liability.
The Driver’s Liability
You may have a claim against the commercial driver if they were speeding, distracted, under the influence, or broke safety laws.
In many cases, the driver is also an employee or contractor. If the driver was working at the time of the crash, the law gives you the option to seek damages from the business as well as the driver.
The Trucking Company’s Responsibility
Trucking and delivery companies are responsible for their drivers’ actions. If the company failed to screen, train, or supervise a driver, or encouraged unsafe driving by setting unrealistic schedules, that company could be liable.
When a company owns the vehicle involved, it is also responsible for keeping it safe and well-maintained. Poor maintenance that contributes to a crash can also be grounds for a lawsuit.
Third-Party Liability in Crashes
Other groups might also share responsibility. These can include agencies responsible for road repairs, the company that loaded the truck’s cargo, or a manufacturer of a defective part.
Some cases have more than one at-fault party and identifying all possible sources of liability is important to seeking the compensation you deserve. A skilled truck accident attorney can sort through these details and build the strongest case on your behalf.
When to Sue a Trucking Company
Although it may seem easy to sue the individual driver, there are times when filing a claim against the trucking company makes more sense and may result in better compensation.
Employer Liability for Driver Negligence
Employers are generally responsible for accidents their drivers cause while performing their work duties. This principle, known as “vicarious liability,” allows victims to access larger insurance policies and improves the chances of full financial recovery.
To find out if vicarious liability applies to your accident, a knowledgeable commercial vehicle crash lawyer in Orange County can review the details of your case.
Unsafe Hiring or Training Practices
A trucking company could also be held accountable if it failed to properly screen, train, or monitor its drivers. Putting an unqualified or unsafe driver on the road exposes the company to additional claims based on its own negligence.
Faulty Vehicle Maintenance
Commercial trucks need routine inspections and timely repairs. When companies neglect maintenance or delay necessary fixes, they endanger everyone on the road.
If an accident happens because of a mechanical problem that should have been addressed, the business can be held responsible for the resulting injuries. In these situations, victims may need to sue the trucking company after an accident rather than just the driver.
How a Commercial Vehicle Crash Lawyer Can Help
Claims involving commercial vehicle accidents have more layers than standard injury cases. Victims face legal teams from large companies, tough insurance policies, and strict regulations.
Investigating Commercial Vehicle Accidents
An experienced attorney will conduct a thorough investigation, gathering police reports, retrieving vehicle data, interviewing witnesses, and consulting accident reconstruction experts. Taking action quickly is essential, as evidence and memories can fade with time.
Negotiating with Trucking Insurance Companies
Trucking companies typically have aggressive insurance teams. These insurers may minimize or deny your claim by arguing over who was at fault or questioning the extent of your injuries. A truck accident attorney familiar with these tactics knows how to gather strong evidence and will fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Working with a Truck Accident Attorney
The right attorney understands both state and federal rules for commercial vehicles. This knowledge helps make sure you meet all deadlines and identify every possible source of compensation. In California, there may be several parties who share responsibility, which can increase your chances of recovery but also adds to the complexity of the case.
To Sum Up
A collision with a commercial vehicle can disrupt your life and bring unexpected challenges. Understanding your rights and the steps to take after a crash can help you regain control and work toward recovery.
If you’re thinking about getting legal help, hiring a commercial vehicle crash lawyer in Orange County means you’ll have someone by your side, guiding you through the process. A skilled attorney will gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and, if necessary, help you file a lawsuit to get the maximum compensation you deserve.