Trucking accidents often result in life-changing or fatal injuries for victims, leaving them and their families wondering who can be held liable for their losses. Truck drivers are most commonly held liable for injuries suffered in trucking accidents. However, they aren’t the only parties victims can seek compensation from. The truck driver’s employer may also be liable for your injuries or the loss of your loved one, and our lawyers can help you prove it.
If you are the victim of a trucking accident caused by trucking company negligence in Phoenix, Arizona, contact Triumph Law Group at 602-595-5559 for a free consultation with a skilled truck accident attorney. During your initial consultation, our lawyers will review your case, explain how you can seek compensation through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, and walk you through the recovery process.
Our firm has a track record of successfully recovering the compensation our clients need and providing the assistance and support necessary for them to focus on healing while we manage their cases. Call us today to learn more about what our firm can do for you.
Trucking Accident Cases Our Firm Handles in Phoenix
At Triumph Law Group, our lawyers handle various types of trucking accidents, including those in which employer negligence played a role. Some of the most common trucking accidents where the driver’s employer could be liable for your damages are:
- Speed-Related Accidents – Employers sometimes encourage their drivers to speed so they can make deliveries faster. If the driver’s speeding contributes to the accident or the severity of your injuries, and their employer encouraged their speeding, the employer could be liable.
- Fatigue-Related Accidents – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the hours a truck driver can be on the road without a break to prevent fatigued driving. If the driver’s employer encouraged them to extend their driving hours or falsify their logbook entries, they could be at fault for resulting accidents.
- Overloaded Cargo – Sometimes, employers encourage their cargo loaders to overload trucks. This can be dangerous and lead to accidents if the truck’s weight becomes imbalanced or the increased weight leads to longer stopping distances.
- Negligent Hiring – Employers are responsible for hiring qualified drivers with valid commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). An employer who is negligent in their hiring practices could be liable for your damages if an unqualified truck driver harms you.
- Improper Maintenance – If an employer owns the trucks their drivers use, they may be responsible for ensuring those trucks receive proper maintenance. Skipping routine maintenance to save money can have devastating consequences.
Trucking Accident Statistics
According to FMCSA data, in a recent year, about 494,000 truck accidents were reported to police. Of these reported accidents, about 110,000 resulted in injury, and 5,149 resulted in at least one fatality.
The Arizona Department of Transportation publishes a yearly report on crashes in the state, with one recent year’s report showing there were 2,760 tractor-trailer truck accidents. Of these, 662 resulted in injury, and 111 resulted in at least one fatality. Based on this data, Arizona has more truck accidents resulting in injury and fatalities than the national average. Of particular note, the rate of fatal truck accidents is four times higher in Arizona than the average.
Examples of Trucking Accidents Caused by Employer Negligence
Let’s say you were rear-ended by a tractor-trailer that could not stop in time because it was overloaded with cargo. While the truck driver may be partially to blame for the crash, their employer, who ordered the extra cargo to be packed into the trailer, could also be to blame.
What if a drowsy truck driver crossed the center line and collided head-on with your family members? The trucker may have been drowsy because their employer encouraged them to skip breaks to make deliveries faster. If this is the case, our lawyers could demonstrate that the employer is liable using various evidence types, including internal communications and logbook entries.
An employer may also choose to extend the time between routine maintenance on the trucks in their fleet. While this may save the company money in the short term, the long-term consequence could be truck components failing at a higher rate, which could lead to a significant crash. By looking at a truck’s maintenance records, our lawyers can determine if proper maintenance could have prevented the accident from occurring.
Frequently Asked Questions about Employer Negligence
Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions regarding trucking accidents caused by employer negligence. If you have further questions about your case, our experienced truck accident lawyers are happy to answer them during your free consultation.
How Can Triumph Law Group Help to Prove Employer Negligence in My Trucking Accident Case?
At Triumph Law Group, our lawyers can prove employer negligence after a trucking accident by using various types of evidence. While accident scene photographs are crucial for establishing how a crash occurred, they aren’t as good for establishing why a crash occurred. To determine causation, we use the truck’s logbook entries and maintenance records, internal communications between the employer and driver, and testimony from trucking industry experts.
Other forms of evidence we use include traffic and security camera footage that may have captured the accident and statements from eyewitnesses who saw the accident or the events leading up to it.
What if Multiple Parties Are Liable for My Injuries?
If multiple parties are liable for your injuries, you can file multiple auto insurance claims or personal injury lawsuits to recover the full compensation you deserve. Truck accident cases often involve multiple liable parties, which is one of the reasons these cases are so complex.
It’s essential that you work with a skilled attorney who has extensive truck accident case experience so they can identify all the liable parties and build solid cases against them. And in some cases, it’s important to file claims against multiple parties in case the insurance policy limits of one party prevent you from recovering enough compensation to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses.
What Are the Liability Insurance Requirements for Commercial Trucks?
Commercial trucks have different liability insurance requirements than most other vehicles on Arizona roads. In Arizona, all motorists must have the following minimum amounts of liability coverage:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $15,000 per accident for property damage
Commercial trucks require higher liability insurance amounts under federal law. The amount of insurance required depends on the truck’s weight and whether its cargo is considered hazardous:
- Trucks weighing under 10,001 pounds and carrying non-hazardous cargo must have $300,000 in liability insurance.
- Trucks weighing 10,001 pounds and above that carry non-hazardous cargo must have $750,000 in liability insurance.
- Trucks carrying hazardous cargo may need as much as $5 million in liability insurance.
Contact Our Phoenix Employer Negligence Trucking Accident Lawyers
If you suffered injuries in a Phoenix trucking accident caused by employer negligence, contact Triumph Law Group for a free consultation with an experienced Phoenix personal injury attorney. We have a long track record of recovering compensation for clients through settlements and trial awards, and we’re ready to help you seek the justice you deserve. During your initial meeting, we’ll review your case, explain your options for recovery, and answer any remaining questions you have.
T