Need an Injury Attorney for Your Massachusetts Commercial Vehicle Accident?
Massachusetts is lively with businesses lining the streets and many great things to do, whether you are a citizen or a tourist. Because of all the businesses excelling in Massachusetts, there are also many commercial vehicles on our roads. Commercial vehicles are any vehicle that is used for business purposed. Companies who own commercial vehicles insure them under commercial insurance policies that protect many in times of injury. However, with the introduction of commercial vehicles on the roads, there is also an increased risk of accidents involving these large vehicles that take possessions and products from one point to another. Here are some common types of commercial vehicles:
- Passenger cars, vans, and buses
- Box trucks
- Flatbed trucks
- Delivery vans
- Hearses
- Ice cream trucks
- Tow trucks
- Garbage trucks
When You Have Been Injured
Have you been injured in a commercial vehicle accident? There are many steps to take after you have been injured to preserve your case. If you decide to seek compensation for your case in the future, you will want to collect as much information as possible relating to what happened. Of course, the first thing you should do after any accident is seek medical attention as soon as possible. After this, it is important to ensure that the police have arrived to the scene of your accident so that you can have a police report made. Along with this, it is helpful to take photographs of the accident scene and speak to witnesses so that you can ask them what they might have seen. Here are some things to remember in these accidents:
- You should retain your rights as soon as possible by speaking to an attorney soon after you have received treatment and want to start building your claim. An immediate investigation will be launched in many cases.
- Some things that will be looked at include the driver’s employment history, driving record, prior tickets, criminal records, experience, and more. These could be vital elements in your case.
- You may be able to retain information that is stored on your vehicle’s “black box,” which could show things like how fast the driver was going at the time of the accident or when the vehicle was last maintained. Companies are always supposed to keep logs of this information.
Is a Driver or a Company Liable?
When you have been injured in a commercial vehicle accident, a question you might have is: Is the driver responsible for your injuries, or is the company? This is a question you must ask when you are attempting to determine liability, one of the biggest aspects of your injury case and the matter of who will pay for your injuries. Under a theory known as “respondeat superior,” an employer could be liable for the actions of their employee if the worker was working within their scope of employment at the time of the accident. However, if the driver was an independent contractor and not an actual employee, this could lead to many questions on who has to pay.
When it’s Time to Speak with an Attorney
How do you know when it’s time to speak with an attorney about your case? Perhaps you have sustained serious injuries that have been putting a financial strain on your life, have not been able to return to work, or the medical bills are piling up. It may be time to speak with an attorney about some of the complex aspects of commercial cases and who is responsible in your time of need. Seek legal assistance as soon as possible after you have been injured.