Employer Negligence

Lexington Truck Accident Lawyers – (859) 253-0088

Not every truck accident will solely be the truck driver’s fault. Many collisions actually have causes that can be linked back to the trucking company’s negligence. Without following acceptable business standards and upholding the best safety protocols, employers put everyone on the roads at risk, including their own employees or contractors.

If you were hurt in a collision with a big rig, 18-wheeler, or tractor trailer in Kentucky or along the I-75 highway you can rely on Goeing Goeing & McQuinn PLLC for knowledgeable and compassionate representation from a Lexington personal injury attorney. We have intentionally focused much of our practice on trucking accidents and their causes, including employer negligence. Using our experience and know-how, we might be able to pinpoint liability back on the trucking company, improving your odds of receiving fair compensation.

How Employer Negligence Causes Truck Accidents

It might seem like a stretch to claim that a trucking company could be behind a truck accident. After all, the only person in most commercial truck cabs is the driver. When the evidence and circumstances leading up to the crash is more closely examined, though, it becomes clearer and clearer how an employer might share partial or primary liability for a truck accident.

An employer might be to blame for a truck accident due to:

• Unreasonable scheduling: One of the most negligent and common practices of trucking companies is demanding truck drivers work extremely long hours. The average workday for a trucker is 14 hours minimum, with 11 of those hours behind the wheel. Many truckers who cycle through a route that is less than 100-air miles from the depot are actually scheduled even more hours. Unreasonable scheduling can and does can serious fatigue and reduced reaction times in even the best of truckers.
• Lackadaisical safety standards: A trucking company has the final say in how freight is loaded onto trucks, and what routes trucks take to avoid the most traffic. When safety standards are set aside for profits, such as loading too much cargo into a trailer or encouraging speeding to make routes faster, the employer can take much of the blame.
• Poor fleet maintenance: If a truck driver is employed by a trucking company that owns and leases out its vehicles, then the ultimate responsibility of vehicle maintenance falls on that employer. Trucks should be inspected routinely for defects. When a system or part failure is identified, it must be addressed then and there, before the vehicle can be used for another delivery.

Taking On Big Companies On Your Behalf

Trucking companies are notorious for hiding behind teams of attorneys to try to discourage any sort of litigation or claims filed against them. At Goeing Goeing & McQuinn PLLC, we are not intimidated by corporate legal groups who defend big companies, for we have the experience, confidence, and skills needed to overcome all challenges for our clients.