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Experienced workers tend to get in fewer on-the-job accidents, including truckers. Inexperienced truck drivers are more apt to cause severe truck accidents. Such crashes can lead to serious injuries. For this reason, many accident victims and advocacy groups are urging trucking corporations to ensure that their drivers are ready for highway travel.
Truckers must meet and pass certain requirements before they are allowed to get behind the wheel of large vehicles. Some of these commercial trucks can weigh up to 26,000 pounds. The first step to operate a large truck is to get a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
Though CDL requirements vary from state to state, they tend to be relatively similar. In Delaware, a trucker must pass a written and on-the-road test to receive their CDL. They must also be able to prove that they are medically fit for truck driving. Also, a driver should have nothing on their driving record that would prohibit them from earning a CDL.
Once a trucker has received a CDL, the trucker can apply to a company to become one of its truckers. In theory, the company should be able to count on the trucker to know what to do under all circumstances, such as driving during high winds. However, if the truck driver only recently earned the CDL, the driver may not be fully prepared to operate a truck in poor weather conditions.
Trucking companies should provide drivers, especially newer truckers, with training that is beyond the requirements for CDLs. This type of extra training makes sense for a number of reasons. The trucking company is protecting its equipment and whatever it is carrying, and the trucking company can avoid litigation. Also, the trucking company is helping newer truckers become more experienced, which is good for the trucker, company, and other drivers.
However, some trucking companies simply make sure that their truckers have CDLs and assume that the truckers can handle anything.
When a trucker hits another vehicle with a big rig, the other driver will most likely have serious injuries. Some of the more common types of injuries that happen to victims of trucking incidents include:
When a trucking accident happens, the police and insurance carriers will undertake an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The trucking company, usually through the insurance provider, could be held responsible if there is proof that establishes that the trucker was not qualified to operate their vehicle. However, all trucking companies will likely fight any suggestion of liability, which is why an injured victim often hires a lawyer.
An injured truck accident victim may suspect that the trucker had little to no adequate training. Proving this suspicion in court can be challenging. Consequently, a victim may want to discuss their case with a lawyer.
Did you get into a crash with a negligent truck driver? If so, speak to our Delaware truck accidents lawyers at Jacobs & Crumplar, P.A. We will assess your case and help you collect compensation. Contact us online or call us at 302-656-5445 for a free consultation. Located in Wilmington and Millsboro, Delaware, we serve clients throughout Dover, New Castle County, and Sussex County.