It seems like they’re everywhere, especially during the holiday season: delivery trucks are double-parked on local streets and jamming the roadways. As much as we all appreciate having well-stocked shelves, these massive vehicles are all too frequently involved in accidents, many of which cause injury. If you’ve been hurt by a delivery truck, you need to understand your rights and the best steps you can take to ensure that you get the compensation that you need and deserve, and that starts with knowing all the different entities that can be named in a personal injury lawsuit.

While the driver of the delivery truck that injured you is the most obvious person who can be sued for negligence, they are rarely the only potential defendants. A driver generally works for either a delivery company or directly for the company whose goods they were delivering. In either case, an employer is legally responsible for the actions of its employees, so there is a good chance that they can be named in any suit you file.

Other defendants will depend upon the specifics of what caused the accident. While driver negligence may be limited to the driver and their employer, if the accident was caused by a malfunction of the truck, you may be able to name its manufacturer, a parts manufacturer, or the company or service responsible for maintaining the vehicle. Sometimes truck accidents are caused by improper loading of cargo that makes the vehicle unstable or that exceed the truck’s weight limits and impede its ability to stop. In that case, the company responsible for loading could be named as a defendant.

If the delivery truck that injured you swerved to avoid another driver who was recklessly operating their vehicle or whose vehicle malfunctioned due to negligence on the part of a maintenance company or a defective part, that extends the responsibility to other third parties. Similarly, if the driver of the truck or another driver caused the accident because they were driving while intoxicated then the bar or restaurant that served them the alcohol could be included on a claim. Even those responsible for maintaining a road may be included in a personal injury lawsuit.

This list may seem comprehensive, but it only scratches the surface of those who may have contributed to an injury. The best way to answer a specific question of liability is to sit down with an experienced personal injury attorney and discuss exactly what happened to you. For help, contact us today to set up a time for a free consultation.