There are many common causes of truck accidents where negligence has occurred, meaning someone should be held accountable for your devastating injuries and losses. Large commercial trucks weighing up to 80,000 pounds pose significant dangers on Alabama highways when drivers, trucking companies, or other parties fail to meet their safety obligations.
When you or a loved one suffers injuries in a collision with a commercial truck, schedule a free case evaluation with an Montgomery truck accident attorney at Mezrano Alabama Injury and Car Accident Lawyers.
Driver-Related Truck Accident Causes
Truck drivers often cause or contribute to accidents through careless actions or violations of safety regulations. Federal and state laws impose strict rules on commercial drivers. But these standards are frequently ignored on Alabama highways. Common truck accident causes include:
- Driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations.
- Distracted driving (phones, eating, GPS).
- Speeding and excessive velocity.
- Following too closely.
- Improper lane changes.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Inadequate training or experience.
- Aggressive driving behavior.
- Failing to adjust for weather conditions.
- Medical conditions affecting driving ability.
Drivers who violate Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) or Alabama traffic laws create unreasonable risks for everyone around them. When driver negligence causes crashes, both the driver and their employer typically face liability for resulting injuries and damages.
Trucking Company Negligence
Trucking companies are frequently held vicariously liable for their drivers’ negligence and also carry a direct duty to maintain safe operations. Yet, many prioritize profits over safety and neglect these obligations.
Corporate choices made in offices far from Alabama highways often lead to catastrophic crashes that harm families across the state. Typical forms of company negligence include:
- Hiring unqualified or unsafe drivers.
- Failing to conduct proper background checks.
- Inadequate driver training programs.
- Pressuring drivers to violate hours-of-service rules.
- Failing to maintain vehicles properly.
- Inadequate supervision of drivers.
- Ignoring safety violations and complaints.
- Imposing unrealistic delivery deadlines.
- Failing to conduct required drug and alcohol testing.
Alabama law requires vehicle owners to maintain their vehicles in safe operating condition, placing direct responsibility on trucking companies. When companies cut corners or prioritize schedules over safety, they must answer for the harm their decisions cause.
Vehicle and Equipment-Related Causes of Truck Accidents
Mechanical failures and equipment problems create serious hazards that can lead to catastrophic crashes involving commercial trucks. The sheer size and weight of semi-trucks mean that even minor mechanical issues can have deadly consequences.
Poor Maintenance
Brake failures, tire blowouts, steering problems, and other maintenance-related issues directly cause crashes when companies neglect their upkeep obligations. Both the trucking company and any third-party maintenance providers who performed substandard work may face liability for accidents resulting from poor maintenance.
Vehicle Defects
Manufacturers sometimes produce trucks or parts with design flaws or manufacturing defects that create unreasonable dangers even when properly maintained. Defective brakes, steering systems, tires, hitches, or other components can fail without warning, causing devastating crashes. Manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of defective truck parts or vehicles bear strict liability under Alabama product liability law for injuries their defective products cause.
Improper Cargo Loading
Incorrectly loaded or secured cargo can shift during transport, causing trucks to become unbalanced, tip over, or spill their loads onto roadways. Federal regulations specify exactly how various types of cargo must be secured.
However, loading companies and truck drivers frequently violate these rules. Cargo loading companies, shippers, and trucking companies all face potential liability when improper loading contributes to accidents.
Common Causes of Montgomery Truck Accidents Due to Weather and Roads
Environmental conditions pose serious risks for large commercial trucks, demanding extra caution from both drivers and trucking companies. Weather that seems manageable for passenger vehicles can greatly increase stopping distances and reduce visibility for trucks. When drivers fail to adjust their speed or driving behavior, severe crashes often result.
Poor road conditions, such as potholes, uneven pavement, construction zones, and missing signage, further increase the danger. These hazards can cause drivers to lose control, make sudden evasive maneuvers, or trigger jackknife and rollover accidents.
Drivers and trucking companies cannot use weather or road conditions as excuses for crashes when they failed to adjust their operations appropriately. However, government entities responsible for road maintenance may also share liability under Alabama Code § 11-93-2 when dangerous road conditions substantially contribute to accidents.
Challenges With Truck Accidents Requiring an Attorney
Montgomery truck accidents present unique complexities, making experienced legal representation necessary for full recovery. Victims who attempt to handle these cases alone face overwhelming obstacles that often result in inadequate compensation or denied claims.
Identifying and Pursuing Liability
Truck accidents often involve multiple responsible parties, each with separate insurance coverage and conflicting interests. Determining liability and securing full compensation requires careful investigation and skilled legal handling, as insurers frequently shift blame to avoid paying victims fairly.
Evidence and Investigation
Building strong truck accident cases requires gathering and preserving critical evidence that defendants often try to hide or destroy. Attorneys must act quickly to secure evidence before it disappears or becomes unavailable. Critical evidence includes:
- Electronic logging device (ELD) data
- Driver logs and records
- Truck maintenance records
- Black box data recorders
- Hiring and training documents
- Company safety policies
- Inspection reports
- Cargo loading documents
- Drug and alcohol test results
- Communications between drivers and dispatchers
Federal regulations require trucking companies to maintain these records for specific periods. Still, they will not voluntarily produce documents that show their negligence. Attorneys use legal tools to obtain evidence and work with accident reconstruction experts, trucking industry specialists, and other professionals to analyze what really caused the crash.
Legal and Procedural Hurdles
Trucking companies and their insurers employ experienced attorneys who defend these cases regularly and know every tactic to minimize liability or shift blame. The intersection of state tort law, federal trucking regulations, and commercial insurance policies creates a legal landscape that requires knowledge and experience.
Claim Valuation
Victims of truck accidents can pursue full compensation for all losses due to crashes caused by driver negligence, company misconduct, or other failures. Damages commonly include medical costs, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Depending on the severity of injuries, lawyers may also recover compensation for permanent disability or disfigurement.
Given the complexity of the causes of truck accidents and the substantial damages involved, victims need attorneys who will thoroughly investigate every potential source of compensation and aggressively pursue maximum recovery.
Contact a Montgomery Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Review
Common causes of truck accidents involve multiple forms of negligence by various parties, all of whom should be held accountable for the harm they cause. Trucking companies and their insurers count on victims being overwhelmed by the complexity of these cases and accepting inadequate settlements that fail to cover long-term needs.
You deserve an attorney who understands federal trucking regulations, knows how to investigate these crashes thoroughly, and will fight relentlessly against well-funded corporate defendants. Call Mezrano Alabama Injury and Car Accident Lawyers or contact us online to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced Montgomery truck accident attorney who will aggressively pursue every dollar you deserve for your injuries and losses.
