When Can a Trucking Company Be Held Liable for an Accident?

Truck accidents may lead to severe injuries that completely change the victim’s life. In fact, as per data, there are about 168,000 truck accidents annually, with approximately 32% resulting in injuries and approximately 3% in fatalities.

Experienced truck accident lawyers have a significant responsibility in such cases since they try to explain the client’s rights and opportunities while still being understanding of their current situation. These legal professionals also help zero in on the liable party after the accident.

It is important to learn the circumstances that make a trucking company legally responsible for a truck accident. The sections below discuss this aspect in detail.

Employer Responsibility 

• Vicarious Liability: Under this legal principle, an employer may be legally held accountable for the acts of his workers. If the driver of a truck is involved in an accident, then the company that hired the driver could be held legally responsible for the accident. 

• Hiring Practices: A trucking company has the responsibility to make sure that it hires the right driver. Negligent hiring can result in accidents, which would make them liable for an accident.

Training and Supervision  

• Inadequate Training: Truck drivers need to undergo rigorous training to enable them to manage large vehicles safely. If the trucking company fails to provide the proper training to the driver, then they can be held liable for the accident, along with the driver. 

• Poor Supervision

If the companies fail to oversee their drivers, how they conduct themselves on the road, and whether or not they follow the set legal measures, they may be held responsible for accidents that arise from them.

Maintenance and Equipment 

• Negligent Maintenance: If an organization fails to maintain its machinery or any of its equipment or any part of its property in a good state, and as a result of this negligence, an accident happens, the organization is to blame. 

• Equipment Failures: If the victim can prove negligence on the part of the trucking company in avoiding their responsibility to maintain the trucks in proper working condition, then they can be held liable for the accident.

Regulatory Compliance

• Hours of Service Violations: As per the FMCSA regulations, there are strict provisions as to the number of hours a driver of a truck is allowed to drive without a break. If a trucking company forces drivers to breach any of these regulations and operate the truck, they will be held responsible for the accident caused by the tired driver.

• Cargo Loading: Trucks that are incorrectly loaded or are overloaded can be a menace. Trucking companies, along with cargo loaders, have to make sure that the cargo is loaded correctly and that the weight of the load is also within the permissible limit. If the improper loading of cargo results in an accident, then the trucking company or the cargo loading company can be held liable.

A trucking company can be found legally responsible for a crash because of mistakes like hiring inadequate employees, insufficient training, poor vehicle maintenance, and violations of safety rules. Truck accident lawyers help the victims seek proper compensation for their injuries and damages by proving the role of the trucking company in the accident." to "Truck accident lawyers, like those at Coluccio Law, help victims seek proper compensation for their injuries and damages by proving the role of the trucking company in the accident.