You may be able to sue a company for a commercial truck accident injury if the company’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident. In many cases, a personal injury lawsuit can help you recover compensation for your injuries and losses.
Injuries can be serious, and the legal side can be confusing from the start. While you’re focused on healing, trucking companies and insurers are already building their version of the story. A San Luis Obispo truck accident attorney at Ernst Law Group can help you understand whether you can pursue compensation and which parties may be responsible.
When can you sue a company after a commercial truck crash?
You may be able to sue a trucking company or another business if you can show the company owed you a duty of care, failed to uphold it, and that failure caused your injuries. These cases often involve proving negligence through evidence like safety policies and internal communications.
A commercial truck accident differs from a typical fender bender because commercial vehicles are regulated and often tied to company decisions, like hiring practices, deadlines, training, and vehicle maintenance. That means trucking companies can be held accountable not only for what happened on the road, but also for what happened behind the scenes.
Understanding potentially liable parties
One of the most important steps in evaluating a truck accident lawsuit is identifying all potentially liable parties. Depending on the facts, responsibility may extend beyond the truck driver at the wheel. Common parties that may share liability include:
- The trucking company that employed or contracted with the driver
- A contractor or broker who arranged the shipment or pressured unsafe timelines
- The company responsible for inspections and repairs
- A cargo-loading provider that caused an unbalanced or unsecured load
- A vehicle or parts manufacturer in defect-related cases
Sometimes, multiple parties share responsibility, which can increase available insurance coverage.
How does a truck accident lawyer prove the company was at fault?
A skilled truck accident lawyer doesn’t rely only on the police report. Instead, a full investigation often focuses on how company decisions and safety practices contributed to the crash. There are several things that may qualify as key pieces of evidence.
Driver logs and hours of service records
Truck drivers are required to follow federal driving limits, known as the hours of service, designed to prevent fatigue-related crashes. A company that encourages or ignores violations may share fault. Your lawyer may review driver logs and electronic logging data to see whether fatigue played a role.
Maintenance records and inspection history
Commercial trucks must be properly maintained. Brake problems, tire blowouts, steering failures, or worn components can cause catastrophic collisions. Maintenance records can reveal whether a company skipped required repairs, delayed inspections, or ignored warning signs.
Driver qualification and training
Some crashes happen because a driver wasn’t properly trained, supervised, or screened. If the trucking company hired an unqualified driver or kept them on the road despite safety concerns, it may be liable.
Black box and fleet data
Many trucks are equipped with event data recorders that capture speed, braking, and other operational data. This information can help prove what happened in the moments before impact.
Federal compliance and safety violations
Commercial carriers and drivers operate under rules enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Violations may support a claim that a company failed to comply with required safety standards and thereby increased the risk of serious harm.
What damages might you recover in a truck accident lawsuit?
When someone else causes a crash, the financial and personal impact can be immediate and lasting. A truck accident attorney can evaluate the full scope of your losses, including both short-term and long-term consequences. Truck accident compensation may include:
- Medical expenses such as emergency treatment, surgery, medication, and physical therapy
- Ongoing care needs and future treatment
- Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
- Property damage to your vehicle and other personal items
- Out-of-pocket costs related to recovery
Financial losses are considered economic damages. You may also be entitled to compensation for non-economic losses, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the impact of your injuries on your daily life.
What if the truck driver caused the crash?
Even if the truck driver caused the crash, the company may still be responsible if the driver was acting within the course and scope of employment. For example, if the driver was delivering freight or traveling between job-related locations, the employer may be held accountable.
In other cases, liability depends on whether the driver was an employee or an independent contractor. Trucking companies sometimes structure relationships to minimize accountability, but legal responsibility can still apply depending on the level of control the company had over scheduling, routes, and operations.
Talk to Ernst Law Group about your next steps
If you’re dealing with serious injuries after a commercial truck crash, you don’t have to figure out your options alone. Contact Ernst Law Group today at (805) 541-0300 to schedule a free consultation. Our team is here to listen and help you decide what to do next.
