Say you’re cruising down the highway on the way to a well-deserved beach vacation. At the same time, there are plenty of unfortunate souls to your left and right who are returning to work, traveling for work, or happen to be in fact, at work. One of those people who will definitely fall into the latter category are truck drivers.
It’s common knowledge that truck drivers work long hours so they can get their cargo to their destinations on time, through hell or highwater. While a single driver in a small, average vehicle will have much less to deal with as he or she cruises along the freeway, a truck driver has many variables to contend with and juggle. Sometimes, the failure to successfully perform this balancing act will result in a terrible accident. While most people will see this as a one versus the other case, sometimes the truth is not all just black and white. There might be as many suspects as there are shades of gray. Here are a few suspects to consider:
The Truck Driver
Usually the first to consider, the individual driving the vehicle could be negligent in general, have poor judgement, or be a bad driver. They could be refusing to take regular rest periods even when mandated. Driving under the influence or driving while distracted can be a few of many issues that caused the truck driver to have an accident.
The Cargo Loaders
The way that cargo is loaded in a commercial vehicle determines how trucks can handle turns, hills, and weather conditions. That said, even if the driver had “award-winning” driving skills, it wouldn’t mean a thing if the cargo was loaded and secured improperly because all that shifting weight will affect the motorist’s driving.
The Truck Maintenance Team
Trucks, like any other vehicle, need maintenance. If anything, they need more maintenance than a regular car, because of the typically high mileage a truck racks up. They need frequent maintenance to remedy the wear and tear that a life constantly on the road will cause. If the truck doesn’t receive regular maintenance or gets improper maintenance, then it will affect how it handles on the road. Then there’s the added risk of a sudden breakdown and subsequent accident.
The Company
The company itself handles and controls most of the above. This means making sure that drivers are getting adequate rest, scheduling and performing truck inspections, and making sure that maintenance is up to par while performing final check on cargo and making sure that standards are always adhered to. Failure to enforce and maintain these standards makes the company negligent for having a hand in any resulting accidents.
Contact an Attorney
If you or someone you know was injured in a truck accident, contact an attorney, like a truck accident attorney from Chicago workers compensation lawyer blog today.