Common Causes of Truck Accidents and Who's Liable
Truck accidents often result from a combination of factors involving drivers, trucking companies, and others in the supply chain. Understanding these causes helps clarify who may be responsible.
Driver Fatigue and Hours-of-Service Violations
Commercial truck drivers are subject to federal regulations limiting how many consecutive hours they can drive before taking a required rest period. These 'hours of service' rules exist because fatigue significantly impairs reaction time and judgment — effects that can be just as dangerous as impaired driving from alcohol.
Despite these regulations, pressure to meet tight delivery schedules sometimes leads drivers or companies to falsify logs or push past legal limits. When fatigue contributes to an accident, both the driver and the trucking company that pressured unrealistic schedules may share liability.
Improper Cargo Loading
How cargo is loaded and secured significantly affects a truck's handling and stability. Overloaded trailers, improperly distributed weight, or unsecured cargo can cause a truck to become difficult to control, contribute to rollovers, or result in cargo spilling onto the roadway.
Liability for cargo-related accidents can extend to the shipping company responsible for loading, separate from the trucking company or driver, depending on who had responsibility for securing the load.
Vehicle Maintenance Failures
Commercial trucks undergo significant wear and require regular maintenance and inspections. Brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering or suspension problems can all lead to serious accidents, particularly given the weight and stopping distances involved with large trucks.
When maintenance failures contribute to an accident, liability may fall on the trucking company (if maintenance was handled in-house) or on a third-party maintenance provider responsible for inspecting and repairing the vehicle.
Driver Error and Inexperience
Like any vehicle accident, driver error — including distracted driving, speeding, following too closely, and improper lane changes — plays a role in many truck accidents. Given the larger blind spots and longer stopping distances of commercial trucks, these errors can have especially severe consequences.
Trucking companies can face liability not only for a driver's on-the-road conduct but also for negligent hiring or training practices if they put an unqualified or inadequately trained driver behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle.
Need More Information?
Visit our practice area guides for in-depth coverage of specific types of injury claims, or get in touch with your questions.