Claims for financial compensation after Indiana car wrecks are often quite simple. People understand that the driver who caused the crash is usually the one liable for the harm they cause. Their insurance will pay for someone’s property damage losses, medical expenses and lost wages. If the driver at fault for the crash does not have appropriate insurance coverage, then sometimes the people affected by the wreck will choose to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. In the course of preparing for a lawsuit, it is possible that a victim will discover that a third party played a role in causing their harm.
Could there potentially be a third party that has some financial liability for a recent wreck?
Yes, there could be a business to blame
There are multiple circumstances in which a business could have responsibility for a crash. The first and perhaps most obvious is when the person who caused the collision was driving as part of their job when the wreck occurred.
The legal concept of respondeat superior makes employers generally responsible for any negligent behavior by their employees while on the job, and this applies to anyone who causes a crash while on the clock. Transportation companies could face claims after semi-truck wrecks. Any employer that requires workers to drive during their shifts could also be responsible for the collisions caused by their workers.
Perhaps the business did not employ the person who caused the crash but manufactured their vehicle, produced defective components in the vehicle or performed inadequate service on the vehicle. Both manufacturers and mechanics can sometimes have partial responsibility for collisions if an issue with the vehicle is what caused the wreck.
Although there are scenarios in which a third-party motorist may have contributed to the crash without actually ending up involved in it, possibly by engaging in some kind of erratic and frightening maneuver, claims against individuals not actually involved in the collision can sometimes prove challenging.
Still, it will often be worthwhile for those with severe injuries, like brain or spinal cord injuries, to explore every option following a car wreck in Indiana. Identifying who may have some legal or financial responsibility for a collision may benefit an individual who is trying to cover the costs associated with a recent wreck.