Who Can Be Held Responsible for an 18-Wheeler Crash?

Unlike many car crashes, a semi-truck crash often involves several potentially responsible parties. The driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, the company that loaded the cargo and the manufacturer of a defective part can each play a role. Sorting out legal responsibility is one of the first tasks for a tractor-trailer crash lawyer, because each party may carry its own insurance.

Claims against the driver

The starting point is usually the driver's conduct, such as speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, distraction, impairment or fatigue. Commercial drivers must hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) under 49 CFR Part 383 and must follow the driving rules in 49 CFR Part 392, which include limits on texting and hand-held phone use. A safety violation does not prove fault by itself, but in many states it can be evidence of negligence, and some states apply negligence per se. A truck wreck lawyer compares the driver's conduct against these rules.

The trucking company

When the driver is an employee acting within the scope of employment, the trucking company is usually responsible for the driver's negligence under vicarious liability, also known as respondeat superior. The company can also face direct claims for its own conduct, such as negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision and negligent entrustment. The Federal https://truckaccidentlawyers.wiki/geography/united-states/georgia/metro-atlanta/atlanta/ Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require a driver qualification file under 49 CFR Part 391, drug and alcohol testing under 49 CFR Part 382, and systematic inspection, repair and maintenance under 49 CFR Part 396. Gaps in those records can support a direct claim against the company, and the driver qualification file is often among the first documents a tractor-trailer accident lawyer requests.

Leased trucks and owner-operators

Many owner-operators lease their trucks to a trucking company. The leasing rules in 49 CFR Part 376 require the lease to give the trucking company exclusive possession, control and use of the equipment for the lease term, which can matter if the company says the driver was an independent contractor. The USDOT number and name marked on the cab, the bill of lading and the lease itself help show which company was operating the truck. A truck crash attorney typically requests these documents early.

Shippers and freight brokers

Cargo that shifts or falls can contribute to rollovers and jackknife crashes. The cargo securement rules in 49 CFR Part 393 set standards for tiedowns and load securement, and in some cases a shipper or loading company that controlled the loading may share responsibility. Claims against a freight broker that arranged the shipment raise separate questions, including federal preemption, and the answer turns on the specific claim and facts.

Product defects and maintenance

When brakes, tires, steering components or an underride guard fail because of a defect, the manufacturer can face a product liability claim. An outside repair shop that did faulty work may also be named. Telling a defect apart from poor maintenance usually requires inspecting the parts before they are repaired or scrapped.

Insurance and shared fault

Federal financial responsibility rules in 49 CFR Part 387 require at least $750,000 in public liability coverage when for-hire interstate trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more haul nonhazardous property, and certain hazardous materials require higher minimums. Most states use comparative negligence, which may reduce damages by the injured person's percentage of fault, while a few still apply contributory negligence. A truck accident lawyer looks at all of the parties, since a single policy may not cover the full loss. This article is general information, not legal advice, and no result can be predicted from it.