People in many different roles could contribute to a car crash. Obviously, the drivers involved make decisions that directly impact their safety and the safety of others. The professionals who maintain their vehicles could also contribute to crash circumstances.
Sometimes, when a crash involves a commercial vehicle, the company that employs the driver contributes to the collision. Transportation companies can increase collision risks by demanding unsafe practices like texting from their drivers. They could also put the public at risk by hiring people with bad driving records.
While businesses in the trucking industry can’t prevent every crash from occurring, they could potentially save lives by investing in special equipment for their vehicles.
Many transportation companies focus and regulations rather than safety
Federal safety regulations represent a bare minimum standard for safety procedures. Companies must comply with those federal rules, but they can also choose to exceed the regulatory requirements placed on them.
For example, underride crashes claim hundreds of lives every year and are largely preventable. There are guards available for both the rear ends of trailers and the sides of the trailers to prevent smaller vehicles from going under commercial trucks. All too often, trucking companies buy the cheapest guards that they legally can, meaning they aren’t as strong, as wide or as durable as they should be to offer optimal protection.
Many companies also avoid installing side underride guards because there is no federal regulation requiring them. Despite knowing that investing in these guards would save lives, the companies want to keep their costs low rather than protect the public.
A critical approach to crash circumstances will help you explore your options
Fault and responsibility for collisions aren’t always clear. Often, it takes a lot of consideration and exploration of the situation to truly understand who played a role in the collision and who should bear responsibility for the injuries, property damage or deaths that occurred.
In a scenario involving a truck collision where the presence of underride guards or investment in better guards might have saved a life or prevented an injury, the people affected by the crash may have more options than just filing an insurance claim. Learning about your rights can help you ask for the right compensation after a catastrophic commercial crash.
