With most individuals working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are shopping online. In other words, there are more delivery vans and trucks on the road, increasing the possibility of traffic accidents.
When you get injured in a delivery truck accident, you may not know who to hold accountable for the resulting damages. Luckily, hiring a knowledgeable and well-experienced personal injury lawyer can help you identify the at-fault party and recover the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Possible Liable Parties After An Accident Involving a Delivery Truck
The Delivery Company Driver
A driver may be liable for a delivery truck accident. In most cases, this happens if the driver was running personal errands or doing anything else outside their scope of employment when the accident occurred. If the driver was an independent contractor or the accident was intentional, they will also be held responsible for all the resulting damages.
The Company That Owns The Truck
It is common for people to assume that the driver is responsible when a delivery truck accident happens. However, that is not always the case.
The company that owns the delivery truck can also be held responsible in some instances. This often happens when there is sufficient evidence to show that the crash was not intentional and that it happened while the driver was in his line of work – delivering orders to customers or from one store to another.
Additionally, the company that owns the delivery truck may take responsibility for its actions or failure to act. An excellent is if the accident happens due to failure to conduct proper truck inspection and maintenance. Other reasons that may make a delivery truck owner or company responsible for a delivery truck crash include:
- Negligent hiring, training, and supervision of drivers
- Pressuring delivery truck drivers to engage in dangerous practices
- Negligent cargo loading
Truck Manufacturer
Sometimes an accident involving a delivery truck may happen due to a defective vehicle part. When that happens, the truck’s manufacturer, distributor, or retailer or the faulty part will be held responsible for the delivery truck crash.
Some of the common vehicle malfunctions that your injury lawyer can use to hold the manufacturer responsible include brake failure, tire blowouts, and defective steering mechanisms. Additionally, anything that increases the chances of an accident by reducing the driver’s ability to control the truck can be used to place liability on the manufacturer.
Other Parties Who May Be Held Liable
Delivery truck accidents can also happen due to a negligent shipping broker, a mechanic who performs improper maintenance, or warehouse operators. When a crash happens due to these parties’ actions or failure to act, they may also take responsibility for the resulting damages.
Shared Fault
It is vital to note that more than one party may share fault in a delivery truck accident. In such situations, the at-fault parties may have to share liability based on the state’s laws in which the delivery truck accident happened. But you don’t have to worry about this, as your injury lawyer will help you identify the liable party and help recoup the rightful compensation.
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