4 Causes Of Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Commercial vehicles include any vehicle that you need a commercial license to operate, such as a semi-truck or a bus. If you are ever involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, due to the large size and weight of a commercial vehicle, the consequences on your vehicle and your body can be extremely serious.
That is why it is important to hire a commercial vehicle wreck attorney to assist you with your case. With a commercial vehicle accident, it is important to determine the accident's cause, and numerous parties could be held responsible for the accident.
Cause #1: Driver Error
Commercial truck drivers must undergo additional training on how to drive properly. However, just like regular drivers, sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes, a trucker makes a driving error that results in an accident.
Cause #2: Driver Distraction
Driving a commercial truck requires paying close attention to what is happening around them, as a commercial vehicle takes up more space and requires more space for maneuvers.
Being distracted for only a couple of seconds can lead to serious consequences with a commercial vehicle. Looking at a text message or just looking down at the radio controllers for too long can lead to an accident. Commercial drivers need to be highly focused on what they are doing.
Cause #3: Poor Hiring Practices
It is up to the companies that put trucks on the road to hire drivers who have safe backgrounds and who are healthy enough to handle the demands on the road.
If the truck driver they hired didn't have enough training for the job they hired them to do or had a poor driving record, the company that hired the trucker can be held responsible for the driver's poor conduct.
Cause #4: Unsafe Truck
A commercial truck usually requires a lot of care and maintenance to meet federal safe operating standards. If a company is not taking proper care of their truck, that can lead to operating issues that can cause an accident.
In that case, the owner of the truck — and possibly the manufacturer of the truck — can be held responsible for the accident. If the mechanic didn't properly repair the vehicle, they could be held accountable for the accident.
With a commercial trucking accident, you need to do your due diligence and figure out who should be held responsible. A commercial vehicle wreck attorney can assist with this complicated process and ensure your needs are met with any settlement you are awarded.