If you’re in an accident with a commercial vehicle it’s even more important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Vehicles like vans and trucks operated with commercial intent or for commercial purposes are considered “commercial vehicles.” Your mind may immediately be drawn to semi-trucks, which are commercial vehicles, but taxis, shuttle vans, and other business vehicles fall into this category too.
Even though the employee is driving the vehicle, the employer is usually the one responsible for that commercial vehicle and any accidents related to it. An exception to this is when the employee is driving the vehicle during non-work hours. At that point your accident attorney will most likely try to recover any fees, etc from the driver.
Other factors that can cause confusion or disagreement are:
- whether or not the employee was technically on the clock (ie was she driving to an appointment but not really on the clock yet?)
- any special license that is required to drive the type of vehicle involved in the accident and the driver’s license validity
- use of unauthorized or illegal substances by the driver of the vehicle
For holders of CDL licenses the fines for any tickets the driver might receive tend to be higher, and cases tend to take longer to be settled. It will take time for the police to determine who was at fault. During this time it’s imperative that you focus on getting well. Our job is to handle your accident injury case and we’ll do that and keep up with any necessary work while you heal.
If you’ve been injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle, don’t hesitate to call us. We’re happy to provide a free consultation and get started on your case for you. You can reach us at (970) 243-3500 or by emailing rickwagnerslaw@gmail.com.