A Few Questions From 10 Year Driver

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Since this a DOT Recordable crash it will go on your current companies CSA data and your PSP report, regardless of what the courts do. Your PSP report will show the accident for 3 years.

 

The company didn't hire you a lawyer!

Their Insurance company had already assigned council, either part of a CAT loss team action or they have already received legal papers from the other party. Either way it is in their best interest to defend the driver and try and reduce the potential damage to the resulting lawsuit as the consequences of the ticket is something discoverable to the other lawyer.

The company is not being magnanimous just taking advantage of the insurance's efforts to minimize the potential payout. They are probably looking at your termination in the same light.

As a recordable accident, if the state did report it that way, you are stuck with it on your PSP for 5 years...

CAT loss team = catastrophic loss can result in a special team of lawyers and accident recon people being sent to document the scene as a CYA against potential lawsuits

 

Yep they hired themselves one to CYA

 

Even terminated, you are still part of this and under the umbrella of the defense council assigned by the insurance company. Despite your current status; you were the 'agent' of the trucking company operating under their insurance while the 'real' target is the deeper pockets of the insurance policy.

Even if they COULD make you somehow responsible; unless your family is worth millions, you are not worth the effort and the other guy's lawyer only wants you as a connection to the company...small cog in a big machine.

 

Yet....

 

Until some stranger walks up, asking your name and handing you some papers while saying 'You have been served!"....

You cannot avoid the fact that you were the driver and one way -or- the other you WILL be involved.

Most states have a 2 year statute of limitations and most lawsuits seem to be filed around 20 months after the accident.

 

Depends on the type of accident & the state that you were in.

We got hit in MO - we were legally parked in designated (sign & parking lots spots marked in yellow paint) at a hotel 3/4 the way through a 34. Minivan ran the 4-way intersection red light, traveled down the embankment and hit the rear axle on the trailer. Minivan was totaled (plastic car meets steel trailer), driver of the minivan was issued a citation & taken for check up at hospital.

Even though we were 100% legally parked with a stone cold engine and we were inside the hotel - MO still added points to his license because the "truck was involved" in the accident.