Trucking companies are often referred to as “common carriers” thus trucking company responsibility is often referred to as “carrier responsibility”. The trucking industry is heavily regulated on both the state and federal level. Many of the legal duties and requirements placed on trucking companies were created to improve public safety. Our truck accident attorneys understand carrier responsibility and how it applies in your case.
Basic Responsibilities
Trucking companies have many legal responsibilities, and are required to keep extensive and detailed records. Among their basic responsibilities are strict rules regarding:
Screening and hiring drivers
Maintaining, inspecting, and repairing trucks
Monitoring drivers
Minimum insurance
Record keeping on all of the above and more
Screening and Hiring Drivers
Trucking companies have extensive duties in screening their drivers and specific regulations regarding who they may hire. They must obtain background information which includes:
Driver’s license suspensions and revocations
Accidents and violations in both commercial and non-commercial vehicles for the last three years
Drug and alcohol testing for up to two years
Commercial driving employment records for the last three to ten years
Trucking companies can only use drivers who:
Are at least 21 years old
Speak English
Have passed a physical exam with the last two years
Have passed a road test in a vehicle which is comparable to the one they will drive
Possess a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL)
Investigating Your Truck Accident
Trucking companies are required to keep extensive and detailed records including records to prove compliance with trucking regulations. Your truck accident attorney must have a very thorough understanding of trucking regulations so that he knows which documents to request, and what the information really means.
Although thorough records must be kept, many are only kept for a short amount of time. If you do not get started right away vital evidence in your favor could be legally disposed of or destroyed.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by in a truck accident, please call our truck accident attorneys. The initial consultation with our truck accident attorneys is free, and if we agree to represent you, we will work for a contingent fee, which means we won’t get paid for our services unless you receive a settlement or an award. A truck accident lawsuit must be filed before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.