When a truck collides with one or more vehicles, it is not guaranteed or assumed that the truck was at fault for the accident. There are many things that could have occurred that caused the collision — perhaps the driver of the car was driving distracted while looking at their phone, or maybe they made a sudden dangerous move that the truck could never have expected.
That said, truckers are held to even higher standards than drivers of cars when it comes to road safety due to the potential damages that a truck can cause in a collision. Due to the nature of trucking, there are also many ways in which truck companies and truckers can be negligent and as a result, cause damages to other parties. The following is an overview of the ways in which trucks can be negligent in an accident.
The truck may be poorly maintained
All truck companies need to adhere to extremely high standards of maintenance when caring for their fleet of trucks. Trucks drive huge distances every day and carry heavy loads, therefore, they need to be checked over regularly and any issues need to be fixed. If a truck’s tire bursts on a busy highway, for example, significant damage could be caused and it could lead to a multiple-vehicle collision.
The driver may be suffering from fatigue
Truck drivers don’t just drive from a to b like most of us — it’s their job. They may be driving for 12 or more hours per day, and they may not get as much rest as they need. This can sometimes lead to truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Tight deadlines could have caused negligence
Many trucking companies are negligent in their setting of tight deadlines for truckers because it can cause speeding or dangerous driving.
If you have been involved in an accident involving a truck, make sure that you take action to ensure that the fault is correctly attributed.