Tupelo Underride Accidents

Underride accidents can occur in numerous ways. A truck driver on I-22 could merge into a lane without noticing a vehicle in one of the truck’s blind spots, resulting in an underride collision. Such a motor vehicle crash could happen due to a tanker truck backing up into a vehicle. Mississippi places the burden of proof on the injured victim, so you will have to prove the negligence of the truck driver and possibly their employer in order to recover damages. Hiring an experienced trucking collision attorney in Lee County can make your life easier in a multitude of ways, including when you are gathering evidence, dealing with the trucking company, and formulating your case.

There are many potential ways in which a trucking company may be held liable along with its employee. If you can prove that the trucker’s negligent actions occurred within the course and scope of the driver’s employment, the trucking company may be held liable under the doctrine of vicarious liability. If the underride accident happened due to the trucker driving while under the influence of alcohol, the employer may be held liable due to negligent hiring if the company hired the truck driver despite knowing of the trucker’s extensive history of alcohol or substance abuse, including any criminal convictions. There are other theories of liability that a lawyer could recommend using for your case.

The injuries you can sustain after this type of accident can be catastrophic, debilitating, and permanent – possibly leaving you and your loved ones in a precarious situation financially and emotionally. Compensation may be awarded to you for your injuries and losses in the form of compensatory damages, which can be broken down into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages. If you were involved in an underride crash on U.S. Highway 45 and had to be rushed to the nearest hospital due to your injuries, economic damages can compensate you for the medical bills you incurred because of the collision. While economic damages are awarded to repay for related monetary losses, non-economic damages attempt to quantify the intangible losses, such as disfigurement and loss of consortium, stemming from the accident.