Trucks loom over typical family vehicles on the road, outweighing them by an average of 76,000 pounds. Motorists in smaller cars are vulnerable to severe injuries in accidents involving commercial trucks. But what makes trucks so potentially dangerous to others on the road? What are the most common causes of Marysville truck accidents?
Trucking companies and other entities involved must carefully adhere to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations across all aspects of the industry. Failing to follow regulations and take all reasonable safety measures is the most common cause of Washington truck accidents.
Negligent Driving Actions That Cause Truck Accidents in Washington
Trucks are difficult to maneuver, have large blind spots, require wide turns, and need extended braking distances to come to a stop. Truck drivers must be highly trained, randomly tested for drug and alcohol use, and well-rested to safely operate a loaded commercial truck. Still, some of the most common causes of truck accidents include the following driver actions:
- Speeding
- Making unsafe lane changes
- Driving too fast for poor road conditions or inclement weather
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Improper braking
- Failure to yield the right of way at an intersection
- Tailgating
- Improperly merging
- Illegal passing
- Making wide turns
- Impaired driving
A negligent truck driver who caused an accident may be held liable for an injury victim’s damages if they are independent contractors or acted with recklessness or wrongdoing.
Trucking Company Negligence In Washington Truck Accidents
In some cases, a trucking company may be held liable for damages even if the driver was at fault if the driver was an employee. Trucking companies may be liable for accident damages for the following common causes:
- Negligent hiring practices
- Negligent driver training practices
- Failure to enforce hours of service (HOS) limitations, or negligent HOS monitoring
- Failure to randomly screen drivers for drugs and alcohol
- Negligent truck maintenance
- Negligent maintenance record-keeping
- Cargo weight violations
Because trucks cross state lines and national borders, trucking companies are regulated by the FMCSA. Trucking companies must comply with all FMCSA requirements for their hiring, training, monitoring, and maintenance practices.
Third-Party Liability In Washington Truck Accident Claims
In some cases, parties unrelated to the trucking industry could be at fault or share fault for a truck accident. For instance, in the following cases:
- When a truck maintenance company fails to maintain or properly repair a truck sufficiently
- When a negligent freight loading service fails to properly balance a load or neglects to adequately secure cargo, and it results in a sudden weight shift and an accident, the freight loading company may be liable for damages
- The manufacturer of a defective tire or truck part could be held liable through a defective product claim
- A negligent road maintenance agency or road-planning agency could be liable or partly liable if it failed to repair a pothole, or other dangerous road condition, or designed a dangerous entrance ramp or intersection with an obstructed view
- A third-party driver may be liable or partly liable for causing or contributing to a truck accident
It often requires an in-depth investigation by a victim’s dedicated Marysville accident lawyer to determine the cause of the accident, identify the liable party or parties, and pinpoint the correct insurance policy to file a claim for damages.