A crash involving a passenger vehicle and a tractor-trailer is a shocking and often fatal event. A tractor-trailer is a significantly larger vehicle, weighing tons more than a car, making it more difficult to stop or turn suddenly and also more likely to cause serious injuries and death upon impact. A tractor-trailer accident is also more complicated, legally speaking, than a typical car accident.
Not far from Bremen, one tractor-trailer accident injured multiple victims on a recent Monday morning. A passenger van carrying a total of four people was driving through an intersection with a green light, according to multiple passengers in the van. Suddenly, a tractor-trailer collided with the van.
The driver had to be extracted from the vehicle. Her condition was considered critical, as was the condition of at least one other passenger. The status of the other two van occupants was not known. The driver of the tractor-trailer got out of his vehicle without any assistance after the accident. Police have thus far not determined who was at fault in the crash.
A police determination of fault on the part of a truck driver can yield important leverage for a truck accident victim when seeking compensation for injuries. In fact, in a truck accident, fault may extend beyond the driver to the truck company itself if they failed to maintain the truck (for example, if the brakes were worn down too far to drive) or if they forced the driver to exceed the limits for driving without taking a rest. And a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against a trucking company is likely to yield far greater results than one against an individual driver.
Ultimately, though, a police finding of fault is not necessary to proceed with a lawsuit, although it helps. A legal professional can help make a strong case for a truck accident victim based on whatever testimony and evidence is available.
Source: AJC.com, “Fault still ‘undetermined’ in crash that injured 5 in Atlanta,” Lauren Foreman and John Spink, Dec. 6, 2017
