Dallas Truck Wreck Myths: "The Driver Is Liable; Not the Company"

When talking about Texas truck accident lawsuit myths, one of the most-common is the misconception that the truck driver—not the trucking company—is liable for your damages.
This myth makes sense at first; the trucker was behind the wheel, so the trucker must be the person who’s liable the crash. However, with many cases in which an 18-wheeler or other commercial vehicle causes a wreck, the truck company is ultimately liable through a legal concept known as “respondeat superior.”

Here are just a few examples of how a truck company can be responsible for a big rig accident:

• A trucker causes an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol – and the truck company never looked at the driver’s history of drunk driving before hiring him/her.
• A trucker falls asleep behind the wheel while driving – but the trucking company told him to drive more hours than he legally could.
• A trucker loses control of his vehicle and causes a wreck – but the trucking company didn’t correctly pack the trailer, causing items to shift and throw the truck off balance.
• A trucker is driving distracted and causes an accident – but evidence reveals he was sending messages to his trucking company while driving at the time of the crash.

The bottom line is that you should never ever assume that you know who is liable for your damages in a semi crash – or put sole blame on the driver – before you look at all of the evidence and speak to an attorney about your case.
Call Rasansky Law Firm today at (214) 617-1886 to schedule an appointment with a Dallas truck wreck lawyer and learn more about your legal options.