Examples of truck driver negligence leading to accidents

Truck accidents caused by truck driver negligence can cause overwhelming harm to victims and their families. Legal resources and protections exist to help victims of truck accidents with the damages they potentially face following a truck accident.

Causes of truck accidents and truck driver negligence

There are a variety of different ways a truck driver may be negligent and cause a truck accident including:

• Truck driver fatigue – when truck drivers are driving without adequate sleep and rest, they can suffer from truck driver fatigue which can compromise their ability to pay attention and focus on the road. This is also true of truck driver distraction.
• Truck driver speeding – truck drivers work on deadlines which may result in speeding and can also lead to an increased risk of truck accidents.
• Poorly maintained truck – trucks can sometimes be improperly repaired and maintained; when this is true, truck drivers, trucking companies and others may be liable for negligent truck maintenance.
• Truck driver driving under the influence – when truck drivers are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it can lead to accidents for which truck drivers may be liable.
• Inadequate training for the driver – when truck drivers do not receive adequate training, including driving techniques, defensive driving and how to respond to safety concerns, it can result in truck accidents.
• Systems of compensation that lead to careless driving – the truck driving industry can place pressures on truck drivers related to how they are compensated that leads to dangerous driving which can result in truck accidents.
• Unrealistic schedules and expectations that lead to careless driving – similarly, unrealistic schedules and expectations can encourage truck drivers to take safety risks to meet deadlines that can increase the risk of a truck accident.
• External conditions – external conditions such as roadway, weather and traffic conditions that truck drivers fail to properly respond to can lead to truck accidents.

When a truck drive is responsible for causing a truck accident, it can result in serious injuries and death. For that reason, victims of truck accidents and their families should be familiar with how personal injury legal resources may be able to help them.