You can determine how liability works in a delivery truck accident by assessing what evidence of fault you can find at the scene. That evidence asserts your right to pursue legal action against a specific party or parties. However, you also have to account for any impact independent contractor contracts may have on your efforts to sue a negligent driver.
Unfortunately, untangling the legal web of liability after a delivery truck accident can prove challenging. If you need help assigning blame for your recent crash, consider getting in touch with a Milwaukee delivery truck accident lawyer. We can call on investigators and interpret civil statutes so you can better understand your right to legal action.
Gruber Law Offices, headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, a powerful law firm with over 130 legal professionals has been serving victims of accidents for over 40 years.
Accident Liability Always Hinges on Evidence
When determining how liability works in delivery truck accident cases, it’s best to start with your evidence. You must meet Wisconsin’s burden of proof if you want to name someone liable for your losses. Fortunately, you can use a wide range of evidence to meet that burden, including the following:
- Environmental damage
- Physical debris
- Medical records and evidence of your injuries
- Photos from before and after your accident
- Video footage of your accident
- Electronic data relevant to your accident
Fortunately, you don’t have to make sense of your findings alone. You don’t even have to return to the accident scene. Our Milwaukee truck accident lawyers can initiate an investigation on your behalf.
When to Call a Delivery Truck Driver to Help Investigate Your Accident
You’re working against the clock after a collision. You and your Milwaukee personal injury lawyer must file a delivery truck accident claim within three years of an accident if you want to recover damages. The state outlines this expectation in Wisconsin’s personal injury statute of limitations.
If you’re concerned about staying on top of your filing deadline, consider getting in touch with a delivery truck accident lawyer sooner rather than later.
For a free legal consultation, call 414-276-6666
Trucking Companies Want to Distance Themselves From Drivers
Evidence establishes the groundwork on which you can build a delivery truck accident claim. However, there are other factors, like contracts, that you have to consider before you can definitively assign blame for your losses.
Before independent contractors swept onto the scene, most trucking companies had an obligation to provide their delivery drivers with insurance and legal support. Today, this is less often the case. Most trucking companies will work with independent contractors instead of hiring employees to reduce the liability they assume after an accident.
Some trucking companies will even willfully misrepresent an employee’s standing within their company to distance themselves from the fallout of an accident. You need to approach questions about driver contracts with care if you want to get honest answers about a driver’s protection after a crash.
Breaking Down Contracts After an Accident
If you get into an accident with a delivery truck driver operating as an independent contractor, you may sue that individual driver for your losses. You may not sue the independent contractor’s clients.
If you get into an accident with a delivery truck driver operating as a corporate or agency employee, you have to determine whether or not the driver was on the clock at the time of your collision. On-duty drivers tend to benefit from legal protections from their employers. In other words, you may have the right to sue a truck driver’s employer for your losses.
However, if a company argues that a negligent driver was off-duty or otherwise unprotected at the time of your accident, you may struggle to hold a corporation responsible for your recovery. You can work with our attorneys to challenge assertions of off-duty negligence or explore the specificities of employer protection in your accident case.
How to Account for Third Parties Involved in Your Accident
You may have the right to divide delivery truck accident fault between an independent contractor (or corporate employee) and other parties on the road with you at the time of your collision. Unfortunately, private motorists, cyclists, motorcyclists, and other parties can all distract a truck driver and put you in harm’s way.
Our delivery truck accident attorneys can work within the boundaries established by Wisconsin’s comparative negligence laws to determine how to ask for compensation from all of the parties involved in your crash. Our investigation can also help us secure the evidence we need to make a case in your name.
You can count on our transparency to make the process of holding multiple parties accountable for your crash as straightforward as possible.
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Count on Our Delivery Truck Drivers to Work on Contingency
You don’t have to worry about legal fees when it comes time to figure out how liability works in a delivery truck accident case. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t have to put down a deposit to meet with our team, nor do you have to pay any bills to kickstart your investigation.
Our delivery truck accident lawyers only get paid when we win your case. You can schedule a free, no-obligation delivery truck accident case consultation to learn more about our policies.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Let’s Break Down How Liability Works in Your Delivery Truck Accident Case Today
You have the legal right to hold certain parties accountable for losses sustained during an accident with a delivery truck. However, it’s not always clear how liability works in delivery truck accidents. If you’re struggling to file a claim, you can ask a delivery truck attorney to step in and assess the nature of your case.
Our experience breaking down evidence and interpreting civil statutes can help you more readily fight for the accident compensation you deserve. You can rely on our help to take your case to trial or reach a settlement agreement in private negotiations. Are you ready to learn more? Book a free delivery truck accident case consultation with our team today.
Remember, one call, that’s all.
Call or text 414-276-6666 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
