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Commercial Liability in Truck Accidents: Trucking Company Negligence (Pt. 1)

On Behalf of | Jul 20, 2014 | Blog, Truck Accidents, Trucking Company Negligence

When truck accidents occur, some type of human error is involved in causing the collision in more than 90 percent of these collisions (according to reports published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the NHTSA). While the truck driver himself may be the at-fault party in many truck accidents, what people may not realize is that the trucking company that employs this driver may:

  • Trucking company negligence can occur when companies fail to screen or properly train drivers. Contact us to find out if this negligence was a factor in your accident.Trucking company negligence can occur when companies fail to screen or properly train drivers. Contact us to find out if this negligence was a factor in your accident.Be legally considered to be just as negligent as the trucker
  • Be named as a defendant in truck accident lawsuits
  • Be ordered to compensate truck accident victims for their injuries, damages, mental anguish and other losses.

In this three-part blog, we will discuss some important facts to know when it comes to trucking company negligence in truck accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident (or in any type of motor vehicle accident), contact the Montgomery and Birmingham truck accident attorneys at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC for more info about your rights and superior legal representation moving forward.

Facts about Trucking Company Negligence in Truck Accidents

Fact 1 – Trucking companies must screen drivers before hiring them.

Trucking companies have a number of different responsibilities when it comes to their drivers, and one of them is properly screening drivers during the hiring process. While this can mean that trucking companies should ensure that drivers have the proper credentials to operate big rigs (i.e., they have commercial drivers’ licenses), it also means that these companies should:

  • Conduct background checks on drivers, which can help point out if or when candidates may have a history of reckless and/or criminal behavior
  • Conduct drug testing on drivers, which can determine if drivers may have an addiction problem that should disqualify them from being hired.

When trucking companies fail to conduct due diligence on drivers during the hiring process, they may be found to be negligent if those drivers end up causing trucking accidents.

Fact 2 – When trucking companies don’t train drivers, they can be considered to have been negligent.

Another responsibility that trucking companies have is to make sure that drivers have been fully and properly trained before putting these people behind the wheel of a semi or large commercial vehicle. Such training can specifically entail instructing drivers on how to:

  • Operate trucks in normal, day-to-day conditions
  • Handle trucks in poor weather conditions (like, for example, in heavy rains or snow)
  • Respond if or when certain trucking equipment fails to work properly
  • Respond in other types of adverse conditions.

When drivers haven’t been properly trained by trucking companies and these drivers cause accidents, the trucking companies can be held responsible – just like the negligent drivers themselves.

Stay posted for the second and third installments of this blog to come…

Montgomery and Birmingham Truck Accident Attorneys at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC 

After a truck accident or any type of traffic accident, you can count on the Montgomery and Birmingham truck accident lawyers at Joe Reed & Associates, LLCto be aggressive advocates for your rights. For more than 16 years, we have been dedicated to the pursuit of justice in every case we oversee, and our experience, dedication and extensive knowledge of the law makes us effective at helping our clients obtain the best possible outcomes to their important cases.

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