Are Kentucky Trucking Accident Cases Different Than Other Accident Cases?
Despite all of the advances in technology we enjoyed in the United States over the last half of the 20th century, we have yet to come up with a better way to move goods and supplies across the country than by using tractor-trailers. These giants of the roadway are an integral part of our economy in the U.S., yet they also pose a significant risk to everyone on the nation’s roadways. If you are involved in a collision with a semi-truck and the semi driver caused, or contributed to, the collision you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Although trucking accident cases are similar to other accident cases, there are some important differences as well.
Being involved in any type of motor vehicle collision is often traumatic. Being hit by a tractor-trailer can be downright terrifying. The odds of being seriously injured go up markedly when you are hit by a tractor-trailer given the size of the vehicle. While the average passenger vehicle weighs in at about 4,000 pounds, a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds – quite a difference. Whether you are hit by a passenger vehicle or a tractor-trailer the legal concepts are the same – if another party is at fault then you may be entitled to compensation. The primary difference when a tractor-trailer is involved in a collision, however, is that there may be multiple defendants. In a passenger vehicle collision the defendant is the driver of the vehicle as a general rule. When a big rig is involved you may need to list a number of parties as defendants in a lawsuit, including:
- The driver of the truck
- The company the driver works for
- The owner of the property being hauled
- The manufacturer of the tractor-trailer
- Anyone who performed maintenance on the tractor-trailer
- The company that arranged the contract for shipping if applicable
As you can see, a trucking accident customarily includes more than one defendant. This makes Kentucky trucking accident cases more complicated than the average passenger vehicle collision lawsuit. Failing to name all of the potential defendants, however, could result in missing out on compensation to which a victim is entitled.
If you have been the victim of a trucking accident in Kentucky, be sure to consult with an experienced Kentucky trucking accident attorney as soon as possible to determine what legal options you have.