There’s no denying the fact that trucking accidents tend to be more severe than vehicle accidents. Due to the size and weight of semi-trucks, they tend to cause more damage to smaller vehicles on Oklahoma roadways. While it may be easy to blame the driver of the truck when an accident happens, it’s not always the truck driver’s fault.
Truck inspections can prove a lot
Since there are many parties that can be held liable during a trucking accident, it’s usually mandatory to have a truck inspection done either at the scene of the accident or afterward. An inspection of the truck can help to reveal any defective parts that could be responsible for the accident. If an accident is suspected to be caused by a defective part, it’s likely that a formal forensic investigation will be held by an accident reconstruction expert to determine the actual cause.
Part manufacturers can be held liable
If the investigation determines that the accident was caused by a defective part, the part’s manufacturer can actually be held responsible for the accident. However, due to the nature of trucking accidents, the liability of the accident may actually fall on various different entities.
Say that the trucking company knew the part’s manufacturer was currently recalling the part that was found defective on the truck that caused the accident. However, the trucking company did not take action to replace the part. In this case, both the part’s manufacturer as well as the trucking company could be held liable for the accident.
Just because a truck is involved in an accident doesn’t mean that the driver of the truck is responsible for it. There are various parties other than the truck driver that can be held liable for the victims’ medical bills and other damages. It’s important to do a proper investigation of the scene and understand the driver’s testimony so that a proper evaluation of fault can be determined.