When it comes to truck accidents, not only truck drivers can be held responsible. The truck owner or, in some cases, another person who is not driving the truck but was in possession of the vehicle at the time is also liable for an accident. This means that all a judge has to do is determine that you are negligent, and you could be prosecuted for your negligence.
However, no matter who is held responsible, the role of Sherman Oak truck accident lawyers is not any less when it comes to the aftermath of truck accidents in Sherman Oaks. These lawyers will negotiate on your behalf with all parties so that you do not have to face court proceedings and instead focus on your health recovery.
We will now see who and all can be held responsible for truck accidents in Sherman Oaks.
- Truck drivers
To be able to be held responsible for a truck accident, one needs to prove that they were negligent. Negligence is defined as a wrongful or careless act that causes a loss of something when the person was acting in the capacity of an employee or otherwise obliged to act in such a manner. The act does not need to be intentional and can even be unintentional, and it is up to the judge or jury members to determine whether you acted with negligence.
- Owner of the truck
The truck owner is liable for any truck accidents that occur to the truck since they take over the vehicle from the driver. Most of the time, if not always, a driver is also an employee of the trucking company, and since this is one of many trucks owned by them and one or more drivers drive it every day, a judge might decide that there was negligence involved with regards to your accident if you can prove your case.
- The person who leased the truck from the owner
In some cases, if you are an employee of the trucking company but rented a truck from them, you might not be held responsible for your negligence. However, in most when an accident occurs, and the negligence involved is determined to be negligent or intentional, then you could also be prosecuted.
- The manufacturer of the truck
Not only can the owner or lessee of a truck be held responsible for an accident, but also the manufacturer could be held responsible. This is dependent on the makeup of the truck and its safety features. If you are involved in a truck accident, and your lawsuit ends up being successful, then the manufacturer will most likely pay compensation to you as well as your lawyer fees.
