The negligent person or entity that causes your accident owes you compensation for your injuries. When an accident involves someone else’s car, a commercial vehicle, road or vehicle defects, or other more complex situations, this simple analysis becomes more complicated. Personal Vehicles: State statutes and financial responsibility laws dictate that drivers must comply with their duty to pay for the damages they cause. Owners have that same responsibility. If a driver operates someone else’s car, the owner’s insurance “follows the car.” The owner’s insurance company usually complies with state financial responsibility mandates on behalf of the driver. Commercially Owned Vehicles: Commercial drivers must provide insurance to cover their negligent acts. While they work for transport companies, their employers usually meet their liability coverage requirements. Even if the transport company owns the tractor, they don’t always own the trailer. Tracking down trailer owners, loaders, or other negligent individuals or companies requires diligent research. Unless liability is clear, these entities won’t usually step up and take responsibility without legal action. Other Negligent Parties: When a product defect, negligent repairs, or negligent loading contribute to you crashing into another vehicle, you must usually get the responsible party to take responsibility. This process often requires evidence and a costly expert’s opinion to support your allegations. If the defect or negligent repairs affected the other driver’s vehicle, you have few direct legal options. When an accident involves an unrestrained pet, some jurisdictions hold owners strictly liable for their pets’ actions. In each of these situations, the negligent person is ultimately responsible. Unless you take legal measures, the responsible party likely will not take responsibility for their actions. Government Entities: If your accident occurs due to a deteriorating road, faulty traffic light, or infrastructure defect, you must determine if the government entity is responsible for the unsafe environment. Some entities offer a restrictive claims process that you must follow to make this determination.