Truck Drivers are Not Always at Fault. True or False?
Human Notion is mistaken
Accidents can occur at any time of the day with anyone. It can cause catastrophic damage when a truck is involved in it. Many people have this belief that truck drivers are responsible for all accidents that occur. They weigh those accidents with a different frame of mind and accuse the truck driver of a heinous crime. Ideally, truck accidents, like any other vehicular accidents, should be dealt with the same gravity, and people should not possess double standards.
Sometimes these double standards make sense, but sometimes they are irrational. A truck driver has to yield a lot of power to drive a truck on the road for the large size of a truck. Owing to the dimension, speed, and weight of the vehicle, and the prolonged period they spend on the road, they can render excessive damage when they collide. Results proved that not only human negligence but also climatic factors like wind speed, rain, humidity, and air temperature are responsible for single-vehicle truck crashes. Since damages are extreme when a collision is involved with a truck, the drivers are held to a different standard. A helpful truck accident lawyer, who has practiced on several truck accident cases, helps these drivers from being incorrectly judged.
Irrational Standards
Truck drivers in some countries possess an exclusive license called a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive trucks. Additionally, they need to take extra tests and training to run the giant vehicle on the roads smoothly. Truck accident lawyers strictly inform semi drivers that the legal blood alcohol level for them is half of what is allowed for a person who operates a normal vehicle. Truck drivers will get a notice called DUI citation if it is reported that their blood alcohol level is 0.04% or above.
But as we all know it, to err is human. The next question that might come to your mind is, what happens if a driver makes these mistakes and becomes responsible for an accident? What consequences will they face?
Suspension of License
If you bend the law, you will have to bow down in front of it. When truck drivers are careless and run into unpredictable accidents, their CDL gets suspended. If an accident was caused when the driver was under the influence of alcohol, the license gets suspended for a year for a first offense. Such repeated offenses of drunk driving, after the first instance, results in the CDL being annulled for at least a decade. Sometimes truck drivers are held for causing a casualty, refusing to take a breathalyzer test, committing a lawbreaking offense with the vehicle, or fleeing from the accident site. If you have committed to these offenses could earn you a suspension. A truck accident attorney helps you to take proper legal action and set up appropriate charges against the accused. A suspended license takes a toll on the truck driver and his dependencies. For most truck drivers, taking away their CDL takes away from them their means to earn a living.
Financial Liabilities and Penalties
Whenever there is a truck accident, all liabilities fall on the shoulders of the truck driver. In most cases, it is seen that nobody comes for assistance. Sometimes dealers and truck leasing companies separate their association with the accused driver. They will often make false claims that the driver was an independent contractor and not an employee of the company. If the person behind the wheels is ruled to be a freelancing driver, then the injured party may well come after the driver for compensation of the damages. Sometimes such claims are unconditional and absurd. A competent truck accident attorney makes sure that the exasperate family of the victim does not put forward any unconditional claim.
If you are a truck driver and are facing one of these problematic situations, you should immediately reach out to a competent truck attorney for help. Several established law firms have experienced lawyers with over 100 years of combined experience of working with semi-truck accident claims. They will take a clear and unbiased view of the matter, guide you during the extensive legal processes, and provide you with the best possible solutions.
