Can More than One Person Be at Fault for Causing a Car or Trucking Accident?

Multiple parties can contribute to causing a serious car or truck accident. There are various statutes as well as legal theories under which individuals or entities may share in the responsibility for causing injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision. If you need help determining liability following a serious car or truck accident, the Jacksonville car accident lawyers at The Lawrence Law Group are available to assist you with thinking through your legal options.

Sometimes, more than one driver is at fault for causing a collision through careless actions. More than one driver can act negligently or unreasonably at the same time. For example, one driver might be texting and not paying attention to the road, while someone else might be speeding and swerving among lanes, and the two might strike each other. If a passenger gets injured, both drivers can be held liable in a personal injury lawsuit. An injured passenger can recover damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost income from both at-fault drivers. Under Florida’s pure comparative fault scheme, plaintiffs receive an amount of damages that is based on each party’s determined liability. For instance, the texting driver could be found 70 percent liable and therefore responsible for 70 percent of the resulting damages, while the speeding driver might be responsible for 30 percent of the damages.

Additionally, a negligent driver’s employer can be held vicariously liable for an accident if the driver was operating the vehicle within the scope of employment. A truck driver who hits another vehicle after speeding in order to make a delivery on time at the urging of the trucking company that employs them is acting within the scope of employment. Both the negligent driver and the employer trucking company can be found at fault for such a crash. A company may be directly liable for negligent hiring or retention of a driver with a bad driving history or a background of traffic violations. It can also be held liable for negligent maintenance if the company does not enact policies and practices that adhere to federal and state trucking regulations regarding vehicle upkeep and inspections. If a car or truck is defective or contains a defective part, and the defect contributes to causing an accident, the manufacturer of that part or vehicle can be held responsible for the injuries that result.

In very limited situations, an establishment that serves a driver alcohol can be held accountable in a car crash. Under Florida’s modified Dram Shop Law, a private social host, hotel, nightclub, bar, or other commercial venue can only be held liable for injuries caused by an intoxicated patron if it knowingly sold alcohol to a minor or to an adult patron who was known to be habitually addicted to alcohol.

When one or more people or companies contribute to causing a car crash, each of them should be held accountable for the harm that results. The Jacksonville lawyers at The Lawrence Law Group are dedicated to making sure that victims have the assistance that they need to recover from injuries caused by others’ negligent actions. We can assist you in determining what has led to your accident, as well as all of the parties that might have shared in the blame. Our firm represents injured people throughout Duval, Clay, Nassau, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Baker, Brevard, Union, Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton, Jefferson, Volusia, and Alachua Counties. If you have been injured in a crash and would like to speak to a motor vehicle collision attorney about your legal rights, contact us online or at (904) 632-0077 today to set up a consultation to discuss the full scope of your legal options. We represent clients on a contingency basis, so we will not charge you any fees if we take your case unless we get compensation for you.