If you drive a commercial truck for work, then you want to acknowledge the dangers you face when getting behind the wheel. You will spend much of your workday on the road whereas most other people only spend their commute time to and from work on the road, along with the few trips they may take to run errands each week. You will also be driving in all different kinds of traffic, from times when it may seem you are the only one on the road to times when traffic may be at a near stand-still. If you drive a tractor trailer, then you also have the added factor being in a much bigger vehicle than many other drivers on the road. When you get behind the wheel each day, you want to be as careful as possible, but you still may find yourself involved in an accident. If this time does come, you want to be armed with knowledge. The answers to some common questions below may help you out.
What happens when you really feel you weren't at fault?
If it looks as if you were at fault for the accident and you were driving a commercial truck, then there may be other options. If the other party is pointing their finger at you, but you really don't feel at fault, then there may be someone else at fault. When it comes to commercial trucking, there may be more going on than you realize.
The trucking company may be at fault if you hadn't received the proper training for the type of driving you were doing. A cargo company may be at fault if the cargo you were hauling wasn't loaded onto the truck correctly and this played a part in the accident. There may have been something going on with the truck that would leave the manufacturer liable. Or, it may be possible that you aren't at fault at all and that the other driver is. By realizing the number of factors that can go into determining fault, it is easy to see why you want to be sure you discuss your case with an attorney right away.
Are you automatically at fault if the truck jackknifes?
Anyone who drives a tractor trailer for a living knows there is the risk of jackknifing. Therefore, if you end up involved in an accident because your truck jackknifed, you may wonder if this automatically makes you at fault for the accident.
While you may be at fault for the accident, this isn't automatically the case just because the truck jackknifed. There are a lot of other things that need to be taken into consideration about the accident and what happened, where it happened, and how it happened that will go into determining fault. Jackknifing doesn't necessarily mean you were negligent, and there are many situations in which it can happen that would not be considered the driver's fault.
Did you mess up if you didn't file a lawsuit right away?
You may not have filed a lawsuit on an accident you were involved in because something happened, like you not realizing the extent of your injuries until later on, and now you wonder if it's too late. There is a statute of limitations on filing lawsuits, and the statute of limitations can vary from state to state. In some states, the statute of limitations can be as short as one year after the accident while it can be as long as six years in other states.
Reach out to a law firm like Snyder & Wenner, P.C. if you have more questions.
Sadly, many people are injured due to someone else's negligence. Maybe you were in a car accident that was the other driver's fault, and now you're dealing with relentless back pain. Or perhaps your neighbor's dog bit you, and you're considering suing them. Both of these scenarios fall under the legal umbrella of personal injury law.
Since proving someone else is responsible for your injuries can be challenging, the world of personal injury law is a vast one. Your own attorney is your best source of information directly related to your own case, but we created this website to give you a good basic overview of what your personal injury case may entail — and what you can expect when you meet with your attorney. Dig in and start reading our articles; you'll soon feel more informed as to what's to come.