What Is Considered Truck Driver Negligence?

Negligence is a word that different individuals utilize in different situations. A child forgets to let out the family dog, and they use the bathroom in the house. Or a doctor neglects to ask the right questions to hone on a patient’s diagnosis, and a patient ends up receiving the wrong medication and suffers longer than they should.

The above scenarios can certainly constitute negligent actions. However, what is considered truck driver negligence? If you’ve been involved in a tractor-trailer collision, this matters. It may be the deciding factor between whether or not you can pursue an insurance claim.

What Are Examples of Negligent Trucker Behaviors That Give Way to Trucking Collisions?

In our combined decades of experience exclusively handling crashes involving commercial vehicles at the

Trucking Injury Law Group, we have found that types of negligence that give way to truck crashes occurring include:

• Aggressive driving like speeding, road rage, delayed braking, and tailgating
• Trucker fatigue, whereby tractor-trailer operators get behind the wheel and drive while tired
• Not following the rules of the road, such as failing to yield to another motorist’s right of way
• Distracted driving, whether from food, phones, conversations, smoking, or self-grooming
• Truck driver intoxication, which can be from prescription or illicit drugs and also alcohol

While many of the Boise truck accidents that occur are to blame on what a tractor-trailer operator, for example, does behind the wheel, big rig crashes also happen because of what truckers don’t do — but should.

As far as one of those factors is concerned, our truck accident attorneys often find that these commercial driver’s license carriers fail to properly or thoroughly inspect their trucks to ensure their roadworthiness before taking them out on the road.

Another example of an area where truckers are often negligent is in reviewing a bill of lading to ensure the load they’re planning to carry in their trailer is strapped in place, isn’t overweight, and they’re not transporting any potentially hazardous material that they need to be extra cautious in hauling.

Dangers Truck Driver Negligence Poses to You and Your Fellow Motorists in Idaho

Many truckers don’t give the consequences of their actions any added thought. They see other motorists engaging in some of the reckless driving tactics they employ and see where no collision results, so they assume they don’t need to worry about that outcome either.

Truckers don’t take time to think about how getting behind the wheel while drunk is dangerous under the circumstances, particularly so when operating a tractor-trailer that weighs as much as 80,000 pounds when fully loaded.

Additionally, many truckers don’t inspect their 18-wheelers before taking off on a trip because they believe they’ll “know” if something’s wrong with their vehicle. The truth is, just like any other automobile, trucks don’t always give warning signs they have mechanical issues and are unsafe.

Also, many truck drivers, owner-operators and employee truckers alike take the cargo loader’s word that the load being transported isn’t overweight without checking — until perhaps they arrive at their first weight station. Truckers can travel a long way in the interim, putting their fellow motorists at risk. Their negligence to verify a load is secure can also lead to a catastrophic truck crash.

Holding a Negligent Tractor-Trailer Operator Accountable for Their Actions That Injured You

Sorting out liability for any motor vehicle collision can be challenging, especially given how many factors can contribute to causing a crash. So, if you’re wondering what to do after a truck accident, you’ll certainly want to consider reaching out to an attorney to assist with your case.

How can our legal team at Trucking Injury Law Group help you? Well, given that all we do is handle collisions involving trucks, we not only understand the different types of truck driver negligence that contribute to crashes, but we also know what evidence to source to substantiate a claim for compensation. With our help, you can secure the settlement offer you deserve after a truck wreck injured you.

If you want to discuss your case with a truck accident lawyer, we’re available to talk. We offer free consultations to truck injury victims like you.