Commercial Truck Drivers Are Responsible For Accidents Caused By Unsafe Lane Changes
While you are lawfully traveling on the road, a commercial truck driver might make an illegal and erratic lane change and collide with your vehicle. In some cases, the lane change might not even be intentional and the other driver might not have been paying attention and drifted into your lane accidentally. This type of lapse in judgment can lead to serious damage to your vehicle and may cause you and your family to be hospitalized. If so, a truck accident attorney can help you pursue compensation for your injuries.
When a Truck Makes a Sudden Lane Change
If you notice that a truck driver is driving erratically, you will want to try to give the driver space and slow down. However, lane changes can happen so suddenly that there might be nothing that you could have done. Sometimes, the truck driver cannot see you in his blindspot. But in other cases, the driver is simply careless and crashes into you.
Negligent Truck Drivers
A truck driver is expected to undergo extensive training to make sure that the driver is able to safely operate a commercial truck. For example, they are taught to factor in their large blindspots when making lane changes. However, even when drivers are trained, they may still choose to not take safety standards seriously.
Even worse, some drivers have been fired from other commercial truck driving companies only to be hired by others. By doing so, the company might be negligent for not performing its due diligence when performing a background check on the commercial truck driver.
Another way that truck drivers contribute to accidents is by pushing drivers hard to work longer hours and ignore regulations meant to prevent them from operating motor vehicles while very tired. Truck companies are supposed to make sure that their employees are following regulations related to the number of hours they are allowed to work.
Truck Accident Attorneys
To seek compensation for the accident caused by the irresponsible lane change, you will need to work closely with a truck accident attorney who will help you gather the evidence necessary to prove that the truck driver was irresponsible. This may involve seeking help from expert witnesses, interviewing other witnesses, and trying to obtain the black box that records the driver's actions leading up to the crash. All of this evidence can be used to demonstrate that you and your family deserve compensation for your injuries.
If you have any questions, reach out to a local truck accident attorney.
