Driving a truck in Massachusetts requires professional training and high-level maneuvering skills. However, even the most seasoned truckers are sometimes confronted with work conditions that they simply can’t deal with. In the worse case scenario, factors outside of a truck driver’s control can actually lead to an accident.
Here are three scenarios where a party other than the truck driver may be at fault for an accident:
The cargo was loaded wrong
Oftentimes, truck drivers do not load their own trailers. This means that they rely on other people to ensure that their loads are well-balanced and not overweight. When a truck is loaded wrong, the results can be dangerous braking issues and tip-overs.
The truck equipment was faulty
Truck equipment manufacturers can be the at-fault party in big rig accidents. If truck equipment is faulty, the truck driver might have no way of predicting or preventing mechanical failures that can lead to accidents.
The trucking company was negligent
Many truck drivers prefer to work as independent contractors instead of being employed by trucking companies. That’s because trucking companies often scrimp on safety and push drivers to work beyond their limits. If a trucking company violated safety regulations to save money, they could be liable for a resulting accident.
When a truck driver is responsible
Truck drivers are usually held liable for accidents where they violated traffic laws, drove recklessly or drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Since truck accidents often involve a unique combination of causes, there are also cases where a truck driver will be found partially liable for an accident.