Who actually has liability for a wreck is one of the most important considerations when handling the fallout of a motor vehicle collision. Typically, the police officer investigating the crash or the insurance company employees reviewing the claims afterward will determine that one of the drivers involved is the reason the collision happened.
People forget to use their turn signals, drive at speeds too fast for the current road conditions and make other mistakes at the wheel that directly lead to car wrecks. When a driver is to blame for a crash, you can potentially file a claim against their insurance or even take them to civil court if you have large expenses and they don’t have enough insurance.
Who might be liable other than the driver?
Their employer or possibly their client
If someone is on the job when a crash occurs, there could be some liability on the part of their employer. Especially when driving is one of the main responsibilities related to their job and the crash is in a company vehicle, the possibility of the business having liability increases.
Company policies requiring that a worker answer their phone or unsafe timelines for deliveries could contribute to a business’s responsibility for a wreck. It could also be a client that hired a driver or trucker to blame for the crash if they provided the vehicle and there was a maintenance issue that caused the wreck or if improperly-loaded merchandise or undisclosed liquids in a trailer caused a driver to lose control of the vehicle.
A local bar or restaurant
Louisiana has laws that largely shield businesses from liability for drunk driving crashes. Typically, neither licensed businesses nor social hosts have responsibility for what someone does after they leave a bar or party. However, when a business or individual provides an underage individual with alcohol and they go on to cause a crash, the person who provided the alcohol could have some liability.
Finally, there are sometimes scenarios in which other drivers or local property owners are technically to blame for a crash. Someone maneuvering in a way that causes others to react aggressively could make that person liable for a crash that results. Poor maintenance of a property, such as blowing plant debris into the road, could make a property owner responsible for a crash.
Exploring all the parties who might have liability can help you get the maximum amount of compensation possible after a motor vehicle collision.