Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Franklin

Like everyone else who uses public roads in the Volunteer State, commercial truck drivers have a duty of care to act safely and responsibly while driving, and trucking companies likewise must properly screen, train, and supervise their employees during the course of employment. Not everyone in the trucking industry diligently fulfills this duty.

The first step in determining whether you can file a lawsuit for injuries resulting from a commercial truck wreck is identifying the negligent conduct that contributed to the crash. This article explains some of the most common causes of truck accidents in Franklin, each of which our truck injury attorneys regularly litigate on behalf of injured individuals.

Moving Violations by Truck Drivers

Commercial truck drivers must follow the same traffic laws as passenger car drivers, including speed limits, right-of-way regulations, and traffic signals. Nevertheless, traffic offenses such as speeding, failure to yield, and disregarding red lights or stop signs are among the most common ways in which negligent truck drivers cause traffic accidents in Franklin.

Lack of Skill or Experience With a Big Rig

Even if a truck driver intends to follow traffic laws while driving, they may not always be physically able to do so. Operating a tractor-trailer that weighs tens of thousands of pounds differs significantly from driving a sedan or SUV. Truckers who are inexperienced or whose employers failed to provide proper training may be more likely to cause accidents through negligence. These factors may contribute to trucking accidents reported in Franklin.

Drunk, Distracted, and Fatigued Driving

Some leading factors behind truck-related crashes in Franklin involve the physical state of the truck driver. Clearly, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or driving while using a cell phone is dangerous. And equally harmful is extreme fatigue, which is dangerous for commercial truckers in particular, who spend long, exhausting hours operating their vehicles as a routine part of their job.

Are Trucking Companies Ever at Fault for Causing Accidents?

Civil fault for tractor-trailer accidents often does not fall solely, or even primarily, on the operator of the vehicle. Employers may fail to perform background checks on new hires, force drivers to exceed federally mandated shift limits, or knowingly dispatch overloaded or mechanically unsound trucks. In many cases, the companies that own these vehicles bear the greatest responsibility for the resulting semi-truck wrecks. Such truck company failures rank among the leading causes of commercial truck collisions in Franklin.

Contact a Franklin Attorney To Discuss Typical Reasons for Truck Accidents

Many common causes of truck accidents in Franklin may constitute a breach of a truck driver’s or trucking company’s duty of care toward you. If you can demonstrate that this breach directly caused an injury you would not have suffered otherwise, you have the right to pursue civil restitution. You may recover compensation for every loss that stems from that injury, holding each individual and company that contributed to it accountable.

However, pursuing settlement demands or filing lawsuits against large trucking companies can be extremely challenging without experienced legal support. You do not have to go through this process alone. Contact The Law Firm for Truck Safety today to schedule a confidential consultation and discuss your potential claim.