In a car accident, fault usually comes down to one or two drivers. In a commercial truck accident, there can be multiple responsible parties — and identifying all of them requires a thorough investigation and a deep understanding of federal trucking regulations.
What You’ll Learn
- How driver negligence, including hours-of-service violations, establishes fault
- When the trucking company bears responsibility for a driver’s actions
- How cargo loaders, maintenance contractors, and freight brokers can share liability
- Why identifying every liable party is essential to recovering full compensation
The truck driver is often the first party investigated. Driver error, including speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, or violating federal hours-of-service regulations, is a leading cause of commercial vehicle accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governs the number of hours a driver can be on the road, how vehicles must be maintained, and how cargo must be secured. Violations of these rules are direct evidence of negligence.
The trucking company can also be held liable. Employers are responsible for properly screening, training, and supervising their drivers. If a company hired a driver with a history of violations, pressured drivers to exceed legal driving hours, or failed to maintain vehicles in a safe condition, the company may bear significant responsibility for the crash.
Other potentially liable parties include cargo loading companies (if improperly secured freight contributed to the accident), vehicle manufacturers (if a defective part caused the crash), maintenance contractors (if brake failure or a tire blowout resulted from poor upkeep), and freight brokers, who can be held responsible for selecting an unqualified carrier.
Trucking accident attorney Marion Munley is triple board-certified in Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Trial Advocacy. She served as the first woman to chair the AAJ’s Trucking Litigation Group. Munley Law secured a $4 million verdict establishing freight broker liability for choosing a negligent trucking company, one of many results demonstrating the firm’s ability to identify and pursue all liable parties.
Contact Munley Law for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.
