Most tractor trailers and semi-trucks weigh in at around 80,000 pounds, over 30 times the weight of the average car or SUV. These colossal vehicles are often 70 to 80 feet long, making them four times the length of the average passenger vehicle. Safely driving a tractor trailer or other commercial truck requires extensive training, focus, and skill. Truck drivers who have not received the training required for the job are a threat to all vehicles on the road.
Poorly Trained Trucks Can Cause Accidents in a Number of Ways
Truck drivers who have not been adequately trained pose a serious threat to themselves and others. Studies show that close to 40 percent of all fatal truck crashes involve out of control trucks. Another nearly 40 percent of truck accidents are caused by inattention. Over correcting and over steering account for another 10 percent of crashes. These mistakes are nearly always caused by inexperienced or undertrained truck drivers. In fact, each of these common truck accident causes, controlling the truck, paying attention, and avoid over steering or correction, should be discussed during a truck driver’s training period. Nonetheless, as is clear from the high occurrence of these types of accidents, truck drivers across the state and country continue to make these costly mistakes. The trucking companies that send these undertrained truck drivers out onto the roadways can be held liable for their driver’s negligent errors.
Bringing a Negligence Claim Following a Truck Accident
Any truck accident victim who has been injured by a poorly trained truck driver can file a lawsuit for negligence against the driver and the trucking company that employs the driver. In order to succeed in a negligence suit, the truck accident victim will need to prove that:
- The truck driver and/or trucking company owed a duty to the plaintiff;
- The truck driver or trucking company breached that duty; and
- These actions were a cause of the plaintiff’s injuries.
All trucking companies have a duty to train their drivers adequately and fully. If the trucking company fails to provide this necessary training and sends out a poorly trained driver who then injures another, the trucking company can be held liable.
Truck accident victims should contact an attorney as soon as possible following a crash. To bring a successful negligence claim against the trucking company requires considerable evidence. It will be necessary to obtain driver training records, driver logs, and the trucking company’s training policies. Using this evidence, your attorney can mount a strong negligence claim. This evidence should be obtained as soon as possible after the accident to help preserve your claim.
Barrett Law PLLC: Providing a Voice for Those Injured in Truck Accidents Across the State
18 wheelers and semi trucks are massive vehicles that require extensive training and considerable skill in order to be operated safely. If a trucking company fails to provide its drivers with adequate training, the results can be disastrous. When that undertrained driver causes an accident, the trucking company can and should be held liable. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, the Mississippi Truck Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC can help. Our firm has represented clients in Mississippi and the southeast since 1936, providing the highest quality of legal representation to all truck accident victims. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated above all else to achieving positive results for our clients. Allow us to assist you by calling Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free consultation.