Reckless Truck Driving Accident Lawyers
If you are severely injured in a tractor-trailer accident, both the trucker and the trucking company can be held responsible for your damages. State and federal safety regulations impose duties on both the truck driver and the company they work for, and their failure to fulfill those duties can establish their liability in a truck accident that causes personal injuries or a wrongful death.
At Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C., our truck litigation team is nationally recognized for our expertise in state and federal trucking regulations, and we have a history of obtaining successful verdicts and settlements for those who are harmed by negligent and reckless truck drivers, including numerous multi-million dollar recoveries.
For a free evaluation of your tractor-trailer accident claim, call us today at 1-800-318-LAW1 or use our online form.
Duties Owed by Trucking Companies
Trucking companies have a variety of obligations under state and federal regulations. These duties include the following:
- Meeting industry safety standards by having an adequate safety program in place;
- Using only qualified and competent drivers;
- Properly supervising drivers;
- Encouraging safe driving; and
- Inspecting, repairing, and maintaining their commercial motor vehicles.
A trucking company’s negligence or recklessness could be established by showing the company did any of the following:
- Hired a driver without pre-employment screening that would have revealed the driver’s lack of certification, physical limitations (such as poor vision or high-blood pressure), alcohol and substance addiction, or history of traffic or criminal violations;
- Failed to ensure its drivers were keeping logbooks, complying with the number of hours they are allowed to be on the road, and driving without violating the law by speeding or using drugs or alcohol behind the wheel (speeding, drunk driving, and fatigued driving are some of the leading causes of truck accidents);
- Encouraged drivers to speed or exceed the hours-of-service regulations by forcing them to meet unreasonable delivery deadlines; or
- Allowed the driver to hit the road without making necessary repairs or pre-trip inspections (mechanical defects are another leading cause of tractor-trailer wrecks).
Usually, when a trucking company fails to fulfill its safety obligations, it is not an isolated incident. If an investigation reveals a history of rules violations, accidents, and poor record keeping, it may establish a pattern of carelessness that could support your legal case.
Duties Owed by Truck Drivers
State and federal trucking regulations also impose safety duties on the truck driver. If the driver violates these duties, then his or her employer can be held liable for any damages caused. Some of the duties that apply specifically to truckers are as following:
- Never operating a truck when the driver’s ability and alertness have been impaired by drowsiness, illness, alcohol, or drugs;
- Conducting pre-trip inspections to ensure that all of the truck’s mechanical parts are in proper condition, that the driver’s cargo is adequately secured, and that emergency equipment is in good working order; and
- Operating the truck with the proper caution and care that is suitable for the driving conditions, such as fog, rain, snow, ice, or slush.
If the truck driver’s big rig becomes disabled for any reason and forces the driver to pull over to the side of the road, the driver must make sure that adequate signals are placed outside of the truck to warn oncoming drivers.
Call Our Truck Accident Lawyers Today!
For more than 50 years, the tractor-trailer accident lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C. have held truckers and trucking companies accountable for the harm caused by their negligence and recklessness. Our truck litigation team is nationally recognized for its expertise in state and federal trucking regulations, and we have a history of obtaining successful verdicts and settlements for our clients, including numerous multi-million dollar recoveries.
Based in Pennsylvania, we handle truck wreck cases throughout the Northeast, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. You do not pay any fee unless we win money damages for you. That means you can get the most experienced legal help, and it won’t cost one dime more than you would pay any other firm – and we get RESULTS!
For a free consultation, call us today at 1-800-318-LAW1 or use our convenient online form.
