Trucking accidents are different from car crashes. In a car crash involving two passenger vehicles, the cars often travel at approximately the same speed, are roughly the same size, and weigh about the same amount. In these cases, the occupants of both vehicles are equally susceptible to injuries.

But in an accident involving a fully-loaded semi-truck, the crash will cause a disproportionate amount of damage to the smaller passenger car and its occupants than to the driver of the 18-wheeler. People who have been hurt in a trucking accident almost always suffer severe, catastrophic injuries. They may be hospitalized for weeks or even months and suffer severe physical disabilities and emotional trauma that can last a lifetime.

Because the injuries sustained in a trucking accident are so often catastrophic, you need a lawyer who will investigate and identify all available sources to fully compensate you for your injuries. In many truck accident cases, this means identifying other entities involved in causing the crash and holding them responsible.

Holding Brokers and Shippers Liable for Truck Accident Injuries

Many different companies are involved in the supply chain, all of which could have played a role in causing the crash that led to your injuries. The skilled and experienced truck accident lawyers at Muth Law, P.C. know how to thoroughly investigate the cause of a truck accident to maximize your financial recovery.

In any trucking injury case, there are more than just two drivers involved. To identify all the interested parties, you must start with the truck driver and identify the trucking company they were working for. In addition, you will need to identify the shippers, brokers, loaders, maintenance providers, and others who could have played a role in the accident that caused your injuries.

Broker Responsibility for Truck Accident Injuries

A property broker serves as an intermediary between a supplier and the trucking company and its driver. The broker often works with the trucking company and its agents to agree on the terms of the shipment. The broker can be partially responsible for injuries caused in a trucking accident, especially if the broker retains oversight over any of the work being performed. Brokers often oversee the delivery of the load, invoicing protocols, insurance coverage, requirements relating to the condition of the trailer, and other items like surcharges and accessorial charges. Brokers are often responsible for verifying the safety record of the trucking company they hired and can be liable for a trucking accident if they hired a trucking company or owner-operator with a poor safety record.

Shipper Liability for Causing a Truck Accident

A shipper oversees shipping operations, often for a warehouse. Like brokers, shippers can play a role in selecting a trucking company. They have a legal duty to check a trucking company’s licensing, registration, insurance coverage, and safety record. In cases where a driver is picking up a load that was already sealed, the shipper can be responsible if the load was improperly balanced, not properly secured, or if the trailer was overloaded.

A shipper can also be liable for a trucking accident if they allow a carrier to violate the rules established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), such as overloading trucks or setting delivery schedules that require drivers to exceed hours of service regulations.

Like a broker, a shipper has a legal duty to verify that the carrier has sufficient insurance coverage, including a commercial vehicle policy as well as cargo insurance coverage.

Muth Law, P.C; Experienced Michigan Truck Accident Injury Lawyers

At Muth Law, our experienced truck accident injury lawyers know how to hold trucking companies, brokers, and shippers liable for their role in causing catastrophic accidents. All of these entities are required to carry large commercial insurance policies that are available to compensate you for your losses after a catastrophic truck accident.

Unlike car accidents, which often involve one or two drivers and their insurance companies, successfully resolving a trucking accident injury claim requires a lawyer who will thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident, identify the responsible parties, and hold them accountable for the harm they caused.

If you were injured or someone you love was killed in a truck accident, you should speak with a skilled and experienced Michigan truck accident injury lawyer as quickly as possible.

Trucking accident cases are incredibly complex. You will likely need to work with experts such as medical doctors, accident reconstructionists, and economists to establish liability and the extent of your past and future damages.

At Muth Law, we will work hard to obtain the compensation you and your family deserve. We have decades of experience representing injured people throughout Michigan. To put our expertise to work for you, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation to discuss your situation and how we can help.

Call us anytime at 743-481-8800, email info@muthlawpc.com, or complete our contact form.