Truck Accidents Around Pittsburgh

April 8, 2015

Truck accidents around Pittsburgh

Following truck accidents, it is possible that those involved will suffer serious injuries, or even worse. When truck accidents occur it is not surprising that someone who is hurt might seek compensation for their injuries from the driver or drivers responsible for the crash. But just what is necessary to be successful in this type of case?

As is the situation in all negligence cases there are three main things that the injured party will need to prove to be successful. The first is that the individual or entity named as the defendant owed the injured individuals a duty to exercise a reasonable degree of care to do what is necessary to avoid injury while driving under the circumstances.

Second, the injured person must show that the defendant breached that duty by failing to exercise that reasonable care. Last, it must be demonstrated that the failure is what caused the person who was hurt to be injured.

Who or what will be named as defendant in a personal injury is not always immediately clear in cases such as these. This is because it is possible that liability could extend beyond the driver. Other parties that may be added may include insurance companies, employers, contractors, and trucking companies

The key to including any of these entities is to demonstrate that an employment relationship was in place and that the injury inducing incident occurred while the driver was under a certain degree of control of the trucking company.

Because of the complex nature of most personal injury cases involving truck accidents, the sooner the injured person contacts a lawyer for assistance, the better. If you have been injured in one of the many truck accidents experienced annually by Pennsylvanians, please call the Allegheny County personal injury attorneys at Goodrich & Geist, P.C. today for a free consultation at 412-837-8426.