Bad Luck or Negligent Truck Driver? Make Sure You Know Who or What Is to Blame
Picture yourself on your commute to work. You hit the road just after sunrise, so there is not much traffic yet. For a few miles, it has been just you, a handful of cars, and a flatbed truck riding beside you. All seems well, but you suddenly see some large debris in the road. You hit your brakes, as does the truck next to you. The truck avoids hitting you, but some of its cargo comes loose and strikes your car.
While you are thankfully unhurt, your car is significantly damaged. No doubt, the truck driver’s quick reflexes prevented further damage and injury, and you brush off the damage to your car because things could have been much worse for you.
Was Your Car’s Damage Unavoidable? Think Again
It can be easy in a situation like the one above to feel lucky that you were not hurt or that cargo coming loose was simply due to the forces of the driver stopping suddenly. Would your thinking change, however, if you knew that the driver had been negligent in securing his or her load, resulting in a partially spilled load and the damage to your vehicle?
Regardless of who loaded the truck, the driver is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the load is secured and lashed down properly. Prior to leaving the loading facility, as well as frequently throughout the trip, the driver must inspect cargo to ensure that it is still safely secured.
While even the best-secured loads may come undone from sudden and severe forces, it is important that each accident is thoroughly investigated to determine what could have been prevented with a reasonable amount of caution and care.
An Attorney Can Help
If you have been involved in a truck accident, hiring an attorney can help you guarantee that no stones are left unturned in the investigation of your wreck. If your injuries and damages were the result of negligence, you deserve compensation—and an experienced truck accident attorney can get to the bottom of what caused your accident.
Don’t just chalk it up to bad luck—follow up with a good investigation.