How Liable Are Trucking Companies in Truck Accidents?

Commercial truck accidents can involve multiple potential responsible parties, which unfortunately only harms victims. For you to claim any deserved compensation for injuries suffered during the accident, you need to figure out who caused the accident. You may feel tempted to blame the driver, but in many cases, the trucking company actually caused your collision.

Trucking companies can bear direct liability for accidents when their own negligence contributed to the crash. Some common scenarios where trucking companies bear direct responsibility include the following:

• Failure During Hiring and Training Practices: A trucking company must self-regulate the trucks and truck drivers it puts on the road, which includes formulating safe hiring and training practices. If a company hires drivers with poor driving records or fails to provide adequate training, a court may hold the company liable when these drivers cause accidents.
• Issues with Vehicle Maintenance: Sometimes, a carrier’s records or employee interviews could reveal a company’s unethical and illegal cost-cutting practices, such as performing inadequate truck maintenance and slacking on regular inspections. When mechanical failures result from poor maintenance practices, the trucking company bears responsibility.
• Unsafe Policies: If the commercial truck company’s own negligent policies or lack of safety culture created an environment ripe for driver mistakes, they may share liability or bear it totally. These negligent policies could include establishing unrealistic delivery schedules that encourage speeding or discouraging proper rest periods.

What Is Vicarious Liability in Truck Accidents?

Beyond direct negligence, courts often hold trucking companies responsible for accidents through the legal principle of vicarious liability: This is the legal concept that an employer or supervisor bears responsibility for their employees’ or subordinates’ actions. Put another way, employers are responsible for what their employees do while on the job.

Trucking companies sometimes try to shield themselves from vicarious liability by requiring drivers to own their trucks as independent owner-operators. However, this strategy does not always work: Federal regulations require a company with a trucking permit to bear responsibility for any truck that bears its name, regardless of the driver’s employee status.

What Steps Should You Take After a Truck Accident?

If you suffered injuries in a truck accident, take the following steps:

• Get yourself and any other victims out of harm’s way, and call 911.
• Take timestamped pictures of the scene of the accident, including any injuries, property damage, and inclement road conditions.
• Collect contact information from other involved parties and all witnesses who saw what happened.
• Obtain the truck driver’s information, including their name, license number, employer details, and insurance information.

Seek Justice With Help From the Macon Truck Accident Lawyers at Childers & McCain, LLC

The Macon truck accident lawyers at Childers & McCain, LLC help good people fight for the justice they deserve after they suffer an injury. Don’t face your legal battle alone. Call us at 478-254-2007 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Macon, Georgia, we proudly serve clients in Savannah, Albany, Atlanta, Bibb County, Chatham County, Columbus, Crawford County, Oglethorpe, and Peach County.