Commercial trucking involves splitting responsibilities among several people. If one party makes a mistake when fulfilling their duties, an accident can occur. Consequently, there is a possibility of multiple liable parties in truck accidents.
Below are three of them:
Truck driver
A truck driver who acts negligently can cause an accident. For instance, one who engages in fatigued driving, distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, failing to yield, improper lane changing and failing to adjust driving to weather/road conditions.
Trucking company
A trucking company can be held liable for the actions of its employee (the driver) under vicarious liability, provided the driver was acting within the scope of employment. So, you can hold a company answerable even if they were not directly negligent.
However, in some cases, a company’s negligence can cause an accident. These include when they:
- Fail to properly train drivers
- Fail to conduct background checks/drug tests on drivers
- Set unrealistic schedules that encourage drivers to engage in reckless driving
- Ignore safety inspections/skip regular maintenance of trucks
When a trucking company acts negligently, it can result in inexperienced truck drivers behind the wheel and vehicles with faulty parts on the road.
Cargo loader
Trucking companies often work with cargo loaders to manage, load and secure goods. When a cargo loader overloads a truck or fails to properly secure cargo, a truck can be unstable or cargo can fall from the truck. If you are involved in an accident caused by such negligence, you can hold the cargo holder liable.
Other parties who can potentially be responsible for a truck accident are a truck owner (if the trucking company is leasing vehicles), a maintenance provider and a parts manufacturer. If you are injured in a truck accident, you need to identify the liable parties and fight for your rights.