The costs that accumulate after a truck accident can be too much for a person to pay for from their pocket. In most cases, the thousands of dollars in repairs, and medical bills a person faces after such a serious collision can be compensated for by the party who is at fault.
When a person is hit by a truck driver in Ohio they have the option of turning to insurance for the coverage or to take legal action against the negligent party if their actions had been very careless and they caused an extreme amount of damage. If the truck driver was driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, or if they hit another driver due to malice or to fulfill their personal agenda they can be sued with criminal charges. Apart from their medical bills, a person can seek compensation for their lost income, and even mental suffering and pain.
The only way to determine liability accurately in a truck accident case is to launch a thorough investigation as soon as possible after the collision occurs. A thorough investigation will help determine whether the truck driver had a bad driving history, whether they were qualified for the job, whether they had been driving under the influence of alcohol, or whether the truck malfunctioned on its own without any fault of the driver.
Even if the driver was not at fault in any way, the trucking company can still be held liable for failing to maintain their vehicle appropriately. The truck manufacturer or the company responsible for maintaining the truck can be held liable for failing to keep the truck up to safety standards as well.
It can be difficult to gather the necessary information on one’s own and may even be impossible to get one’s hands on legal papers such as the driving history and criminal record of the trucker unless a person has a qualified attorney on their side. An experienced attorney will help a person through the legalities to ensure the case is wrapped up and compensation is granted as soon as possible.
The most essential factor required to prove liability is evidence. The more evidence a person has, the better their chances are of winning their case and receiving the appropriate amount of compensation to pay for their damages.
Often, truck drivers may attempt to falsify their logbooks to prove that they did not exceed the recommended number of hours they are expected to follow according to the law. An attorney can help a person investigate the logbooks to determine whether they were tampered with. If they were tampered with the trucker will have to face more severe legal consequences.
There are many state and federal regulations truck drivers are expected to follow and they can be very specific. If they are found guilty of violating any of these, they can be held more liable and in turn, a person can have their entitled compensation increased significantly.