Trucking is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Trucking companies are paid massive amounts to transport oil, electronics, household goods, automotive parts, and other cargo across state lines, often prioritizing profits over safety.
Often, this prioritization results in serious crashes that injure other motorists on the road. When this happens, the injury victims may be able to pursue a legal claim against negligent trucking companies.
Trucking companies can be liable for truck accidents that are caused by any of the following.
Negligence of Truck Drivers
Many truck accidents occur because drivers make mistakes or drive unsafely. Trucking companies can be held accountable for the negligent actions of their drivers, such as:
- Speeding
- Failing to yield the right-of-way
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Failing to check blind spots before merging or changing lanes
Trucking companies are responsible for their drivers, regardless of whether the driver is an employee or an independent contractor.
Unsafe Hiring Practices
Trucking companies have a legal responsibility only to hire qualified drivers who have the necessary commercial driver’s licenses and endorsements. They must make sure that they are properly trained and can safely handle a large commercial vehicle.
Unqualified drivers may lack the necessary skills to operate these large, complex machines or to adapt to poor road or weather conditions, which can increase the likelihood of collisions.
Violating Hours-of-Service Rules
Fatigued driving mimics many of the same symptoms of impaired driving, including delayed reactions, impaired judgment, and an increase in making mistakes while behind the wheel. As such, federal hours-of-service rules have been established to limit the number of hours a truck driver can operate the vehicle before taking a break, as well as the maximum number of hours they can work in a workweek.
Trucking companies may encourage violating these laws and altering logbooks or enforce tight delivery schedules that increase the likelihood of fatigued driving.
Skipping or Delaying Maintenance or Inspections
Commercial trucks have thousands of moving parts. Problems with their components, such as tires, brakes, suspension systems, transmissions, hitches, windshield wipers, lights, or other parts, can cause mechanical issues that can lead to collisions.
Trucking companies are responsible for performing regular maintenance on their fleets and maintaining accurate records to demonstrate compliance with this obligation. They must also have their trucks regularly inspected to identify any potential safety issues.
Overloading Trucks
Trucking companies may overload trucks to reduce the number of stops they have to make. Overloaded trucks can cause mechanical failures. They can also make cargo dislodge during transit, which can lead to accidents caused by cargo spills or weight shifts.
Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer Today
The legal team at Dulin McQuinn Young stands up for truck accident victims who were harmed due to the negligent actions of trucking companies. We are dedicated to holding negligent trucking companies accountable for their careless actions. We can review your case and explain your legal options during a free, no-obligation consultation.
Call us today at (306) 246-1111 or contact us online to get started.