When cars and trucks collide, the individual that is most likely to suffer an injury is the person behind the wheel of the car. If you have recently sustained an injury in a truck accident, it may be possible to recover monetary damages to take care of lost wages and medical expenses by pursuing a lawsuit. However, with truck lawsuits, there are several potential parties that you can name in your lawsuit, so it must be determined who is liable. Here are three potentially responsible parties when it comes to truck accidents.

The Truck Driver and/or His or Her Employer

In the event that the truck driver acted recklessly, such as by running a stop sign or red light, driving distracted in one way or another, or driving drunk, it may be possible that he or she will be found at fault for the accident. At the same time, however, the truck driver's employer may also be able to be held liable. Trucking companies have very strict guidelines that they must comply with in order to ensure that their employers behave safely while out on the road. For instance, drivers are only allowed to drive a certain number of hours each day and may need to undergo sobriety tests occasionally to prevent DUIs. In the event that the employer failed in their duties, they may be legally responsible for the accident as well.

The Truck Manufacturer

In some instances, a personal injury lawsuit surrounding a truck accident is a result of a product defect in the truck. If the truck was designed or produced in such a way that caused the truck to be inherently dangerous, then the truck manufacturer could be named in the lawsuit. An example would be if the brakes were not properly working.

The Road Maintenance Company

Each state has certain organizations to manage the public roads, which will ensure that the roads are safe to be used. Unfortunately, there are instances when these state organizations fail to do their duties, and as a result, it may cause a truck accident. For instance, the organization might have failed to post the proper signs to alert drivers about an upcoming construction site on the road, or they might have failed to remove debris from the roadway in a timely manner after a storm came through the city. In these situations, these organizations may be found responsible for the accident and can be named as a defendant in a truck accident lawsuit.

For more information, get in touch with a truck accident lawyer.