How Trucking Companies’ Greed Leads to Truck Accidents
Trucks are responsible for transporting 70% of goods in the US. The industry contributes around $792 billion to the US GDP.
There are so many good things about the trucking industry. However, like every other industry, the trucking industry too has a dark side. This is because of the trucking companies.
These businesses prioritize profit over safety, which is the primary reason for truck accidents. Truck accidents have ruined many US citizens’ lives. The victims sustain severe physical, emotional, and financial losses.
The only option victims have is to file a personal injury claim and obtain compensation. However, securing fair compensation requires a lot of effort. It is almost impossible to do this without the help of a lawyer.
How Trucking Companies Cause Accidents
Usually, people think that drivers are always to blame for truck accidents. However, this is not entirely true.
Well, accidents are caused by drivers, but certainly not all accidents.
Companies are indirectly responsible for many accidents. This is why conducting a proper investigation is significant in such cases.
The following are some ways leading to cause accidents:
- Setting unrealistic goals
- Poor truck maintenance
- Negligence in hiring
- Inadequate training
Setting Unrealistic Goals
Trucking companies make a profit by making a lot of trips. To achieve this, some companies force drivers to violate hours of service rules.
Violating the hours of service rules is a common reason for truck accidents. The purpose of hours of service rules is to prevent drivers from overworking. Violating these rules may result in fatigued driving.
Fatigued drivers will have very little control over the vehicle. One micro nap is enough to cause a catastrophic accident.
Also, some of these transport businesses will have incentives to complete a trip quickly. To get this incentive, drivers will drive over the speed limit, which is also a common cause of accidents.
Poor Truck Maintenance
Imagine you are driving a truck, and suddenly, the steering wheel gets stuck. There is very little you can do at this point. Now, the driver can’t be held liable for an accident caused by a defective part. In fact, in such cases, the driver should be treated as a victim.
Trucking companies are responsible for maintaining the trucks in good condition. They should do routine maintenance checks to avoid any errors. They don’t do this to avoid downtime.
Negligence in Hiring
Their negligence begins with the hiring process. They want to cut costs. So they hire inexperienced drivers. Also, they hire drivers without proper background checks.
Truck drivers should be hired only after proper screening. If the company hires an alcoholic as a driver because they didn’t do a background check, the company can be held liable for the driver’s actions.
Since this ignorance of inexperience just to save a couple of bucks costs several human lives, it must be seen as an act resulting in conviction. Both State and Federal laws have punishments for this ignorance of regulations.
This graph from Wikipedia shows the road accident deaths as per death per million inhabitants in different countries.
Inadequate Training
It is understandable to want to cut costs by hiring inexperienced drivers, as long as the company offers proper training. However, trucking companies don’t do this because training means more downtime.
If trucks are not on the road, the company cannot make a profit. So the companies would rather have these drivers on the road than train them properly. Ensuring that a driver has the appropriate amount of experience in driving, handling, parking, or reversing this heavy vehicle is noteworthy.
What the Victims Should Do
Truck accident victims have a major role in controlling these accidents. They can take action by filing a personal injury claim. A personal injury claim hits the trucking company where it hurts them the most.
If you are one of those unfortunate victims, hire an attorney and let them guide you. They are experts at dealing with these greedy trucking companies and making them bleed.
They will investigate the case, collect evidence, calculate your losses, negotiate with the insurance company, and get you the compensation you deserve.
Never think you can handle a case on your own. You can’t. The organizations can easily take advantage of you. Also, after an accident, you should be focused on your recovery. So hire a lawyer and let them handle your case.
Conclusion
In the end, it is a no-brainer that trucking businesses are responsible for the majority of accidents. Not the drivers, but these businesses are sometimes the real culprit behind the mishap. If you are a truck driver and are stuck in a situation like this, it is advised you hire a truck accident attorney and share your side of the story. Be it the organization’s fault or the other driver’s, you should prove your innocence to lead a peaceful life.
Victoria has been curious about finance and its management. She loved to organize her own and some of her family’s financial stuff to make intelligent decisions while trading in crypto from the very young age of 17 years. Her interest in smart investment strategies and making wise monetary decisions made her a confident writer. You will feel the joy of an accomplishment after her every post through her agile approaches to making your finds more safe and worthwhile.
