Can You Sue if You Were Hit by an Arizona Garbage Truck?
Garbage trucks collect your neighborhood’s waste and while they seem fairly innocuous, they are nonetheless large, bulky, and heavy vehicles. They have the potential to cause a crash on the roads or in a neighborhood. If you were hit and injured by a garbage truck you may be able to sue for the damages that you sustained. To learn more about your options after an Arizona large truck accident, contact the Arizona large truck accident attorneys at ELG. Large truck accidents can be particularly complicated and they take a legal professional that has experience and knowledge of how to handle such cases.
How is Liability Determined in a Garbage Truck Accident?
If a garbage truck hit you, then the driver of the truck or potentially their employer would be responsible for your damages. You can pursue damages by filing an Arizona personal injury claim. If it can be proven that the driver was negligent and careless in their actions and they neglected their duty of care which resulted in the accident that caused your injuries, you will likely be successful with your claim. Then you would be able to secure compensation.
This is true for many large commercial truck accidents. When a semi-truck causes an accident, the driver may be liable, the manufacturer of the cargo in the trailer may be responsible, or the company the truck driver works for could be accountable for the resulting damages. With garbage trucks, though, it gets a bit more difficult to break down liability. When a garbage truck is own by a government entity, issues with immunity can arise. On the other hand, if a garbage truck is owned by a private company issues with immunity aren’t likely to be present. It could also be that neither the driver nor the truck owner is responsible. If the truck has some type of defect, the truck’s manufacturer or the manufacturer of a particular part could be liable.
Similar to other large truck accidents, garbage trucks have the potential to produce catastrophic damages when they smash into a normal, passenger vehicle. Victims are entitled to receive compensation for any of the following damages that they incur:
- Lost wages when you cannot work because of your injuries
- Personal property damages
- Medical expenses and costs of treatment, therapy, and medicine
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
If the truck driver caused the accident because they were intoxicated, there could be a case for additional punitive damages to be added on top of the other damages in your settlement.
Speak with an Arizona Large Truck Accident Attorney
You will need the right legal representation after you have been in a Phoenix large truck accident because these cases can be extremely involved. To ensure you obtain compensation for all of the damages you suffered, working with the Phoenix large truck accident attorneys at ELG will improve your chances of success. You can easily schedule a free consultation with a skilled Phoneix personal injury attorney at ELG by calling (623) 877-3600 today.
