In the blink of an eye, a truck accident can reshape your life. These wrecks tend to be serious, meaning that victims are oftentimes left with catastrophic injuries. As if the physical toll isn’t enough, the emotional and financial damages caused by these accidents can be completely overwhelming. All of this taken together can leave a victim and his or her family uncertain of the future and where to turn for help.
Pursuing a truck accident claim
The good news is that you and your family may be able to find relief through a personal injury lawsuit. But in the trucking context, in order to recover the compensation that you need, you’re probably going to have to file a claim against both the trucker who caused your wreck, as well as the trucking company that employs him or her.
You’re able to do so because of a legal theory known as vicarious liability. This essentially means that you can hold an employer accountable for an employee’s negligent actions, so long as that employee was on the clock and performing his or her job duties at the time of the crash.
Vicarious liability defenses
When you sue a truck company, though, you’ll need to be prepared to counter some common defenses. Amongst them are that the trucker was engaging in something outside the scope of his or her employment, such as by running a personal errand or taking an unapproved detour. Your attorney can help walk through these defenses and how best to counter them.
Build the strong claim that you need on your side
It can be nerve-wracking to go up against a truck company, but don’t be intimidated by their tactics. With a strong legal advocate by your side, you can develop the sound legal strategy that you need to aggressively speak to every element of your claim.
Hopefully then you can achieve an outcome that is fair and allows you to not only receive the medical treatment that you need, but one that also allows you to reclaim the life that you once enjoyed.