Who Can You Sue if a Drunk Truck Driver Crashes into You?

June 30, 2019

In this day and age, there is simply no excuse for drunk driving or drunk truck driver.  With the advent of rideshare companies, all you have to do is click an app and a car pulls up within minutes. If you’re out drinking with your friends, any one of you can call and Uber. You don’t even need to assign a designated driver anymore.

This is why it’s so infuriating when someone who’s paid to drive drinks on the job. There are thousands of tractor trailer accidents every year. Many of these caused either serious or fatal injuries. Some of these accidents were caused by drunk driving.

The drunk driving laws are stricter when it comes to commercial drivers. For normal people, the BAC legal limit is .08. For commercial drivers, this number is much lower. The legal limit for commercial drivers is only .04%. This is because they pose such a risk to other drivers on the road.

If a truck driver is drunk and gets into an accident, they’ll be facing a host of problems. Some of these include:

  • Criminal charges
  • Loss of commercial driver’s license
  • Suspension of their personal driver’s license
  • Fines and penalties
  • Civil lawsuit
  • Termination from their job

You’d think with all this on the line, no truck drivers would drink and drive. Unfortunately, even these consequences aren’t always enough to stop someone from doing what they’re going to do.

If you’re hit by a drunk truck driver, you need to call a car accident lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina. Your lawyer will pursue all the necessary parties to get you the compensation you deserve.

What are the Causes of Commercial Drunk Driving Accidents?

Commercial truck drivers are people just like you and me. They make mistakes. They make bad decisions. The difference is, when they make bad decisions, they’re putting all of us at risk.

Truck accidents are already terribly dangerous. When you add alcohol or drugs into the mix, it gets much worse. Nobody should operate a giant machine like a tractor-trailer after drinking alcohol.

Some truck drivers stop for happy hour on their way home. Or they have more than a few beers at lunch. When they do this, they are likely to get into an accident. Drunk truck drivers kill people every day. They kill innocent people who shouldn’t have to be a victim.

Truck drivers may own their cab. They may drive their truck even when they’re off the clock. This can make a big difference when it comes to pursuing your claim. Whether or not they’re on the clock determines whether or not you need to include their employer in your lawsuit.

Who Will Your Car Accident Lawyer Pursue in Your Lawsuit?

If you get hit by a truck driving who’s under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the injuries will be severe. You may end up permanently disabled. You could even die. Your car accident lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina will fight to get you compensation for these injuries.

Depending on the situation, you may need to file suit against the following people:

  • The truck driver
  • His employer
  • The insurance company
  • Whoever served the driver the alcohol

Your lawyer will sit down with you and figure out who you need to name in your complaint. If the truck driver is self-employed, obviously, you won’t be suing a separate company. If he wasn’t on the clock at the time of the crash, you can’t hold his employer responsible.

When it comes to the bar or restaurant who served the driver, they may not be responsible. It depends on how many drinks he got. For example, if the bar only served him two beers, that wouldn’t be enough to get him drunk. He may have been drinking at several places. Or, he had his own stash at home or in the truck.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina

If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck crash, you need to call a car accident lawyer in Columbia. Also, if the driver was drunk at the time of the crash, he’ll be liable for your injuries. If he’s convicted of DUI, that can serve as evidence in your civil case.

Call today and talk to an experienced car accident lawyer in South Carolina. He can help determine who you need to go after. He can also help get you the compensation you deserve.

Schedule your initial consultation today. It’s absolutely free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.

View these other frequently asked questions pages:

Who Can I Sue if I’m Injured in a Drunk Driving Accident in Columbia, South Carolina?

What Are the Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse in South Carolina?

Why Are Drunk Driving Accidents So Dangerous?