Truck-car crash liability might extend to several parties

Under the laws of each state, any vehicle whose use is for business purposes must be under proper insurance coverage, whether it is a car, a van, a dump truck or an 18-wheeler.

Settling a claim after a truck-car crash is complicated due to liability often spreading among different people or companies that are found to have contributed to the accident.

What is covered

A vehicle may transport products of any kind, from pizza to dining tables, heavy equipment to hazardous or flammable materials. Any company that owns vehicles used for business purposes, must have commercial insurance for the vehicles and the drivers. Sometimes a company will choose a commercial umbrella policy, which provides extensive liability coverage in million-dollar increments. This protects the business against expansive lawsuits.

Discovering who was negligent

An attorney for the injured victim could find several parties negligent in a crash a commercial vehicle, such as an 18-wheeler, causes. For example, a driver who owns his own truck could be held liable. A trucking company that owns a fleet of vehicles will likely hold responsibility for a crash, but other responsible parties could include the company that may have loaded the cargo improperly, the manufacturer of a detective component that was central to the crash or the owner of a trailer that did not receive proper maintenance.

Expanded coverage

The state of Indiana requires owners of commercial vehicles to carry much more insurance than owners of personal vehicles. In fact, although it is not common knowledge, a commercial trucking company may carry multiple insurance policies. For instance, in the case of a big rig, one policy may cover the cab while another covers the trailer. An experienced attorney will look at all possibilities to determine negligence in order to ensure that the victim of a crash receives full and fair compensation for any injuries he or she sustained.