Liability in accidents involving trucks is difficult to determine. Of course, no one wants to accept responsibility for what occurred. That entails high expenses, a poor reputation, and perhaps even legal trouble. However, if the negligent party caused an injury or damage to property, they must be held accountable.
Obtain the assistance of Cherry Hill, NJ personal injury attorneys who can assist with gathering evidence and communicating with insurance companies.
Trucking accidents are typically blamed on four primary parties.
The Operator
As with passenger car drivers, the driver of a commercial truck may be held liable for an accident. Although mistakes may occur, truck drivers have a greater need to operate safely.
There are numerous grounds for holding the truck driver accountable.
- driving while intoxicated
- We would all want to think that no one would ever operate a commercial vehicle while intoxicated, yet it has happened.
- There are numerous consequences of alcohol and drugs on drivers, including:
- distorted vision
- sluggish response time
- decrease in concentration
- Impulsive actions
When a truck driver exhibits these signs, danger may be just around the corner.
Fatigue
Truck drivers are well-known for logging lengthy amounts of time on the road. Some get poor-quality sleep every night while being gone for days or weeks. This is not a good circumstance for the driver, but it’s also not good for other drivers.
Unfortunately, one of the leading causes of accidents is tired truck drivers.
Driving while distracted
Truck drivers must maintain total concentration on the road. An accident might easily occur if the motorist chooses to text, change the music, or eat while driving.
These are just a few of the numerous situations in which a truck driver could be held accountable for an accident.
The Employer of the Driver
A trucking firm hires a driver and assumes some liability for the driver’s actions.
The business is anticipated to:
- Make sure all drivers have comprehensive background checks
- provide instruction to truck drivers
- To verify that the staff are drug-free, conduct drug screenings.
The company that makes the truck parts
Both trucks and cars experience breakdowns. The manufacturer is liable if defective truck parts lead to an incident. Typical manufacturing mistakes include:
- Tire flaws (leading to blowouts)
- defective brakes
- failure to steer
Owner of the Truck
In some circumstances, people rather than businesses own vehicles. The individual truck owner is in charge of getting the car maintained, making sure all the parts are in working order, and performing routine maintenance.
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