How to Determine Liability in a Nashville Truck Accident Claim
Request Free ConsultationDetermining liability in a Nashville truck accident claim often takes more than just reviewing a police report or pointing to the obvious driver at fault. In many cases, multiple parties may share responsibility, and having clear, strong evidence can make all the difference.
Your truck accident lawyers in Nashville, TN with Selvidge Injury Law can help you uncover every liable party and fight for the full compensation you deserve.
What We Look for When Determining Liability in a Truck Accident
Figuring out who is responsible after a truck crash takes a lot more than just looking at the wrecked vehicles. Proving liability means digging into physical evidence, truck maintenance records, driver logs, and more.
Under Tennessee Code § 55-50-404, there are strict requirements for commercial driver licensing, and that is just one piece of the puzzle we look at when building a case. Here are some of the key things we examine after a truck accident:
- Skid marks, debris patterns, and physical crash evidence
- Truck maintenance and inspection logs
- Driver’s logs documenting rest hours and delivery schedules
- Black box event data from the truck’s systems
- Witness statements and dashcam footage
- Weight compliance and cargo loading records
- GPS tracking showing speed and routes taken
- Truck driver’s licensing and certification status
- Company hiring, training, and supervision practices
Liability cannot be assumed just based on the visible damage or what the first police report says. Truck crashes are very different from a typical car accident because truck drivers and trucking companies are held to stricter rules and safety standards. To build a strong liability case, our legal team has to go deeper into the records, logs, and regulations that show what really happened before the crash.
Different Parties May Share Fault After a Truck Accident in Nashville
When a truck accident happens, figuring out who is responsible is rarely simple. Sometimes the driver made a mistake, but other times the trucking company, cargo loaders, or even equipment manufacturers played a part. The Tennessee Code § 65-15-101 may lay out rules for how trucks must operate, but getting to the truth takes a full investigation into all the companies and people involved.
Truck Drivers and Hours-of-Service Violations
Truck drivers have strict rules about how many hours they can spend behind the wheel without a break. When drivers ignore those rules or falsify their logs, they put everyone else on the road at risk. If a driver was fatigued at the time of the crash, that can shift full or partial liability onto the driver personally.
Trucking Companies That Violate Federal Safety Standards
Trucking companies are supposed to have strong safety programs in place, but not every company follows through the way it should.
Poor hiring practices, missed maintenance checks, and pressure to meet impossible deadlines can all point to company negligence. Your Nashville personal injury lawyer can help show how a company’s failure to enforce basic safety rules may have caused or contributed to your crash.
Third Parties Like Cargo Loaders or Equipment Manufacturers
Sometimes the fault lies with companies you would not expect, like the people who loaded the truck or the company that made a defective part. Improperly loaded cargo can shift dangerously during transport, making it harder for the driver to stay in control.
Equipment failures like bad brakes or faulty tires can also cause accidents, and in those cases, manufacturers or repair companies may share legal responsibility for what happened.
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Connect With a Nashville Truck Accident Law Firm to Start Building a Strong Liability Case
With help from a truck accident attorney in Nashville from Selvidge Injury Law, you can launch a full investigation into who caused your crash and why. We work hard to gather the evidence needed to hold trucking companies, drivers, and other third parties accountable for what happened. You can contact us today to schedule a free consultation and start building your strongest case.