The category of commercial vehicle drivers operating in South Bend includes a wide range of truck drivers, rideshare drivers, and corporate parties. All of these parties have obligations to both their companies and the people around them. Unfortunately, negligence – from distracted driving to inappropriate vehicle loading – can cause these drivers to get into serious accidents.
What can you do if you find yourself in an accident with a commercial vehicle? South Bend lawyers can work with you to hold a negligent driver financially accountable for your recovery. South Bend truck accident lawyers with Vaughan & Vaughan have decades of combined experience helping Hoosiers like you get the funds they need to get their lives back on track.
What is a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
The phrase “commercial vehicle accident” describes a collision with a vehicle and driver operating on behalf of a corporation, company, or related institution. Corporate drivers serve as extensions of their corporations while on the road, complicating liability in any accidents they may cause.
You may not always know whether or not you’re involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle. While some vehicles, like trucks, come marked with a business’s name and information, other vehicles operate without a business’s iconography on them. For example, some rideshare vehicles don’t include the names of their clients on their cars.
It’s important, in light of this obscurity, to have a conversation with the party you believe caused your accident. That conversation can reveal whether or not the person operated on their own or as an asset of a larger institution. That said, do not pursue a fleeing vehicle. If you find yourself involved in a hit-and-run, stay at the scene and wait for police to arrive.
South Bend personal injury lawyers can fast-track your recovery. You can call our attorneys while at the scene of a commercial vehicle accident to secure representation.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Who Assumes Liability for a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
You can assign liability to either a commercial driver or their employer after a roadway accident. What distinguishes between these two parties? The driver’s contract.
If you get into an accident with a driver working as a company’s independent contractor, you do not have the legal right to hold that company liable for your losses unless the driver meets certain conditions established by their client. Liability loopholes encourage companies to hire drivers as independent contractors instead of employees.
Comparatively, if you’re hit by someone operating as an on-duty employee, you can hold their employer legally responsible for your losses. Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of going up against a company’s legal team! Experienced commercial vehicle accident lawyers in South Bend can help you outline your argument for accident compensation.
How to Hold a Negligent Party Accountable for Commercial Vehicle Losses
You must have evidence on hand if you want to hold either a corporation or individual liable for your commercial vehicle losses. South Bend attorneys can help you gather the evidence most relevant to your case, including the following:
- Video footage of the accident
- Electronic evidence from a truck’s black box
- Photos from before and after the accident
- Statements from witnesses
- Expert witnesses’ input
We analyze this evidence and compile it into a comprehensive claim before bringing it to the attention of a civil judge. We can then either arrange settlement negotiations with the liable party or prepare you to go to trial. You can discuss which approach to your fight for commercial vehicle accident compensation you’d prefer to pursue.
There is no fee
unless you win
When to File a Commercial Vehicle Claim
Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4 notes that accident survivors like you have no more than two years to take legal action against the party allegedly liable for their commercial vehicle accident. You must bring a claim forward within these two years, or else you may waive your right to commercial vehicle crash compensation.
When to Contact a South Bend Personal Injury Lawyer
The sooner you can contact a South Bend commercial vehicle crash lawyer, the faster we can start gathering the evidence needed to make your case against a liable party. Unfortunately, trucking companies and other commercial institutions can have their people get to the accident scene even before the police arrive.
Those parties can then remove key evidence from the scene, making it harder for you to hold a negligent party accountable for your losses. If you have our team on your side, we can get ahold of that evidence before these companies can bury it.
How Valuable is a Commercial Vehicle Accident Claim?
The value of a commercial vehicle case varies depending on the nature of the accident. You have the right to integrate economic and non-economic losses into your request for damages when you bring a personal injury claim forward in civil court. The damages you request can help you cover the cost of losses like the following:
- Emotional distress
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Mental anguish
- Medical expenses
If you’re not sure what losses to include in your request for support, let our team know. Our commercial vehicle wreck lawyers in South Bend can break down your right to support during a free case evaluation.
Vaughan & Vaughan Can Fight for the Compensation You Deserve
People operating commercial vehicles in and around South Bend are obligated to protect everyone around them from avoidable accidents. This means that drivers must update their licenses, attend mandatory training, and abide by roadway laws. Drivers who neglect these duties can cause serious accidents.
While you can’t charge a negligent driver with criminal misconduct, you can take a driver to civil court. The commercial vehicle accident attorneys in South Bend can help you demand loss-based compensation from the party responsible for your recent crash. You can reach out to Vaughan & Vaughan to book a free case evaluation today.
