Truck accidents are different from typical car crashes—and not just because of the size difference. When a commercial truck is involved, the question of who's responsible becomes far more complicated. Truck accident cases often involve multiple defendants because a single crash may result from failures by several parties.
Truck accidents involve serious injuries, long recoveries, and significant financial losses. Pursuing a claim against the right defendants— all of them—gives you the best chance of receiving the compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future expenses. Below, our Kansas City truck accident lawyers help you understand who may be liable in your truck accident case.
The Truck Driver: When Negligence Causes a Crash
The truck driver is often the first defendant in any truck accident case, and for good reason. Driver error accounts for a significant portion of commercial vehicle crashes. When a driver violates traffic laws, drives while fatigued, or operates a truck while distracted or impaired, they can be held personally liable for the harm they cause. Some of the most common driver-related causes of truck accidents include:
-
Driving beyond legal hours-of-service limits. Federal law restricts how long truck drivers can operate without rest, but many violate these rules to meet tight delivery schedules—leading to fatigue-related crashes.
-
Operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Even small amounts of alcohol or certain prescription medications can impair a driver's ability to control an 80,000-pound vehicle safely.
-
Speeding or following too closely. Large trucks require significantly more stopping distance than passenger cars, and aggressive driving makes collisions far more likely.
-
Distracted driving. Texting, eating, or using in-cab technology while driving diverts attention from the road and increases crash risk.
When driver negligence is clear, that individual may be named as a defendant. However, drivers often don't have the financial resources to cover serious injury claims. That’s why it’s essential to pursue other potentially liable defendants.
The Trucking Company: Employer Responsibility and Corporate Liability
In most truck accident cases, the trucking company that employs the driver is also liable under a legal principle called vicarious liability. This doctrine holds employers responsible for the actions their employees take within the scope of their employment. If a driver causes a crash while making deliveries or hauling freight for the company, the company typically shares responsibility.
When corporate policies or practices contribute to an accident, the trucking company becomes a defendant in its own right. Trucking companies can be held directly liable for their own failures, such as:
-
Inadequate driver training
-
Failure to conduct proper background checks
-
Pressuring drivers to violate hours-of-service regulations to meet unrealistic deadlines.
-
Knowingly hire drivers with poor safety records
-
Failure to properly maintain their fleet
Trucking companies carry large commercial insurance policies—often worth $1 million or more—specifically to cover truck accident damages. Pursuing the company as a defendant ensures that sufficient insurance coverage is available to compensate you fully for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and future care needs. Without holding the company accountable, you may face the driver's limited personal assets and an insufficient recovery.
Truck and Parts Manufacturers: When Defective Equipment Causes the Crash
Sometimes, a defect in the truck itself—or a component part—directly causes or contributes to the accident. In these situations, the truck's manufacturer or the faulty part can be held liable under product liability law.
If the investigation reveals that a design flaw, manufacturing error, or failure to warn caused the defect, the manufacturer may be added as a defendant. Examples of equipment failures that can lead to devastating crashes include:
-
Defective brakes
-
Tire blowouts
-
Steering failures
-
Malfunctioning airbags
Pursuing a manufacturer requires a different legal strategy than pursuing driver or company negligence. Product liability claims rely on expert testimony, engineering analysis, and evidence that the product was unreasonably dangerous. When a defect is proven, manufacturers can be held strictly liable—meaning you don't have to prove they were careless, only that the defect existed and caused harm.
Maintenance Providers: When Poor Repairs Lead to Failure
Trucking companies often outsource vehicle maintenance and repairs to third-party service providers. When those providers fail to inspect, maintain, or repair trucks properly, they can be held liable if that failure contributes to an accident.
For example, brake systems, tires, lights, and coupling devices all require regular inspection and maintenance. If a mechanic overlooks a worn brake pad, fails to tighten lug nuts, or signs off on an inspection without completing it, their negligence can lead to catastrophic equipment failure on the highway. In those cases, the maintenance company or independent mechanic may be named as a defendant.
Cargo Loaders: When Improper Loading Causes Loss of Control
How cargo is loaded onto a truck affects the vehicle's stability, braking, and handling. Overloaded trucks, unbalanced cargo, or improperly secured loads can cause the driver to lose control, tip over, or cause debris to spill onto the roadway—all of which can result in serious crashes.
Federal regulations require that cargo be properly distributed and secured, and violations of those rules can form the basis for a negligence claim. The party responsible for loading the cargo—whether it's a separate loading company, warehouse, or shipper—can be held liable if improper loading contributed to the accident.
-
These cases may involve multiple defendants, including the shipper, the loader, and the trucking company that accepted an overloaded or unbalanced trailer.
-
Proving loader liability often requires access to things like shipping manifests, weight station records, and photographs of the cargo after the crash.
Why Identifying All Defendants Matters
Truck accident cases are rarely straightforward, which is why it’s important to work with an attorney who has experience handling truck crash claims and product liability cases. A single crash may involve failures by the driver, trucking company, manufacturer, and loader—all of which contributed to your injuries. Identifying and pursuing every responsible party ensures that:
-
You have access to sufficient insurance coverage. Each defendant may carry separate insurance policies, increasing the total compensation available to you.
-
Liability is fully established. Defendants often try to shift blame to each other. A thorough investigation holds everyone accountable and prevents gaps in responsibility.
-
You receive full compensation. Missing a liable defendant means leaving money—and justice—on the table.
Our experienced Kansas City truck accident lawyers conduct a comprehensive investigation to identify all potential truck accident defendants on behalf of our clients. This includes reviewing driver logs, company safety records, maintenance histories, cargo documents, vehicle inspection reports, and more. The goal is to build a complete picture of what went wrong and who should pay for the harm caused.
The process of identifying all possible truck accident defendants begins with a thorough investigation, and time is critical. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and companies destroy records. Contacting an attorney as soon as possible after your accident protects your rights and preserves the evidence needed to hold every responsible party accountable.