Truck Owner Negligence

National Truck Accident Lawyer and Attorney

Driver Vetting is Supposed to Keep Our Roads Safer, But It’s Largely a Formality in Texas

The truck driver, owner, and employer all have certain responsibilities. Truck drivers must truthfully list all former employers from the previous three years as well as tickets and convictions on their application, company owners are to follow up with a background check, and the direct employer (foreman or manager) is supposed to make sure that the drivers follow the regulations.

However, as the Dallas Morning News has reported, this review and management process is seen mostly as a formality in Texas. “Driver vetting” is meant to ensure that a driver is qualified and trained to operate the truck they are given. But drivers routinely lie about their experience or qualifications. Many times old employers do not respond to reference checks, and new employers do not press. Even simple things like a criminal background check or verifying a driver’s license is missed. All of these instances can be seen as acts of negligence, but are rarely followed up by government authorities.

In fact enforcement is one of the largest problems. According to the Dallas Morning News, only about 1,000 of the state’s 64,000 registered trucking companies undergo any sort of compliance checks each year. Only 37% of those trucks inspected undergo a Level 1 inspection, the most comprehensive there is. Most of those are trucks from Mexico which only travel a few miles over the border before returning home. This isn’t just simple truck driver, owner, and employer negligence – this creates an almost lawless environment.

Horrific Accident Triggers $23 Million Lawsuit, Changes Nothing

One accident in Texas due to gross negligence involved an illegal immigrant who got a license by using a fake social security number. Despite immigration problems and traffic safety violations, he was still able to get a trucking job with TXI Transportation Co. Eight days before Christmas, he drove his rig into an oncoming minivan killing everyone inside except a 14-month baby.

Remarkably, nothing happened. Immigration did not deport the driver, state officials did not take away his (illegally obtained) license – he wasn’t even ticketed. And the trucking company he worked for did not face any fines or even a review. The only accountability on anyone’s part for their negligence was when a jury awarded the family of the deceased a $23.5 million settlement.

Even in a case like this where gross negligence led to horrific consequences, nothing has changed. And it won’t change until truck drivers, owners, employers, and government agencies charged with protecting public safety all get onto the same page and stop these illegal and dangerous practices.

If this isn’t bad enough, truck drivers and owners often deny negligence or responsibility of any kind, and blame the accident on the dead victims. In turn, their insurance companies refuse to pay out any damages and may even use stall tactics until it is too late for the victim’s family to start their own legal action.

Don’t let this happen to you. David P. Willis will stand up for your rights and get you the settlement you need to pay for medical bills and lost time from work, as well as compensation for your pain and suffering. Call right now for a free consultation. Let David P. Willis fight truck driver, owner, and employer negligence on your behalf, and get you the money you deserve.

Truck Accident Lawyer and Attorney

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed in an 18 wheeler trucking accident, caused by the negligence or gross negligence of the truck driver or trucking company, then call us toll free at 1-800-883-9858 to discuss your potential truck accident lawsuit. Know your legal rights and remedies under the law, talk to a trial lawyer with 20+ years of personal injury experience in representing injured clients and their families. Mr. Willis is a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Call and speak with an attorney who has experience in handling significant cases involving serious injuries and catastrophic losses to those injured and their families.

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