Inadequately Trained Or Unqualified Drivers
Not all people are ideal candidates for driving commercial trucks, although sometimes they are hired to do so. When someone who is not qualified to drive a truck does so, accidents are bound to happen. It is important to investigate whether the driver involved should have been behind the wheel, and Morrow & Sheppard know the right action to take to get the answers you need.
When seeking a trucking job, most drivers are required to disclose their previous employment history, previous convictions and legal violations, accident history, drug and alcohol history, and medical history.
If a company does not ask the right questions or conduct the appropriate background check, or if the applicant lies, that can result in someone who is not qualified getting behind the wheel of a truck.
The primary purpose behind rules and regulations for truck drivers are to promote safety and avoid accidents. Obviously, commercial trucks like 18-wheelers are bigger than ordinary vehicles and are dangerous, and when accidents occur involving trucks, the consequences are often severe and deadly.
A truck driver must be properly licensed for the type of truck they are operating. Since 1986, the federal government has required commercial truck drivers to possess a Commercial Driver’s License (“CDL”). If the driver is handling specialized cargo, such as hazardous cargo, they may also be required to obtain special endorsements on their license. To obtain a license, most truck drivers will be required to pass a driving test using the specific type of vehicle they intend to operate, pass a written exam, and pass a physical and drug screen.
Many truck driver responsibilities are detailed in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (“FMCSR”). Drivers must abide by FMCSR. Drivers must also abide by whatever rules and regulations are set by their employers. Drivers must also follow the rules of the city, county, parish, and state in which they are driving.
Depending on the circumstances, drivers may be required to satisfy other requirements, including corporate policies and procedures.
The Houston 18 wheeler accident lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard can help you determine whether the driver of the 18-wheeler truck or commercial vehicle involved in your accident was unqualified or improperly trained. We have the skills and experience to help you and your family secure the compensation you deserve when you or a loved one is injured in a trucking, 18-wheeler, or vehicle accident.
Contact us now for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your options. Your consultation will be kept secret, and it does not obligate you to hire our law firm or file a claim.
Common Questions
- What Should I Do Right Now?
- Why Do I Need To Act Fast?
- Should I Sign Anything Or Give A Statement?
- I Don’t Live In Texas. What Should I Do?
- Will My Case Settle?
- I Don’t Know If I Can Afford A Lawsuit – How Much Does It Cost?
- What About Doctors & Medical Bills?
- What If My Employer Finds Out?
- What Is a Personal Injury?
- What is the Purpose of a Personal Injury Claim?
- What Will My Personal Injury Claim Be Worth?
- What Compensation Will I Be Entitled to Receive?
- Do All Personal Injury Cases Go to Trial?
- Personal Injury Negligence
- What Is Personal Injury Negligence?
- What Must Be Shown In A Personal Injury Negligence Case?
- Who Owes You A Negligence Duty?
- Does An Employer Have Special Duties?
- What Damages Can I Recover In A Personal Injury Negligence Lawsuit?
- How Long Do I Have To File A Personal Injury Negligence Lawsuit?
- What Are Examples Of Personal Injury Negligence Lawsuits?
- No Fee Promise
- Do I Really Need a Personal Injury Attorney?
- Who Has Claims For Wrongful Death?
- What Is The Jones Act?
- What Is The Death On The High Seas Act?
- Who Is A Jones Act Seaman?
- About Other Wrongful Death Actions
- How Long Do I Have To Pursue A Jones Act Claim?
- What Jones Act Damages Can I Recover?
- Who Can I Sue Under the Jones Act?
- What Is Jones Act Negligence?
- What Are Examples of Jones Act Cases?
- Maritime Law & Unseaworthiness
- Maritime Injury Lawyer Rules
- What Evidence Matters In 18 Wheeler Trucking Or Commercial Vehicle Accidents?
- Who Is Responsible For My 18 Wheeler Or Commercial Vehicle Accident?
- What Legal Claims Am I Entitled To Bring?
- How Common Are 18 Wheeler Truck And Commercial Vehicle Accidents? Why Are They Significant?
- What Kind Of Commercial Trucks Are There?
- Are There Special Inspection Requirements For 18 Wheeler Trucks And Commercial Vehicles?
- What Are Common Causes Of 18 Wheeler Truck And Commercial Vehicle Accidents?
- Inadequately Trained Or Unqualified Drivers
- Improper Maintenance & Inspection
- Driver Fatigue
- Poor Route Planning
- Failure To Properly Secure Cargo
- Specific Issues Involving Vocational Trucks
- Hazardous Materials & Oversized Loads
- Distracted Truck Drivers
- Braking & Tire Issues
- Speeding
- Weather Conditions
- Alcohol and Drugs
- What Oilfields Are Active In Texas?
- What Is Shale?
- What Is Hydraulic Fracturing Or “Fracking”?
- What Does The Texas Railroad Commission Have To Do With Oil & Gas?
- What Is The Barnett Shale?
- What Is The Eagle Ford Shale?
- What Is The Granite Walsh Formation?
- What Is The Haynesville Shale?
- What Is The Permian Basin?
- How Many Oilfield Accidents Have There Been In Texas?
- Do I Have A “Strict Liability” Products Personal Injury Claim?
- What Goes Into A Products Liability Claim?
- What Is A Product Defect?
- What Kinds of Product Defects Are There?
- What If There Have Been Other Accidents Involving The Same Product
- Do I Have To Prove Negligence In A Products Liability Case?
- What Is A Product Recall?
- What If The Product Cannot Be Traced Back To The Manufacturer?
- Who Are The Defendants In A Products Liability Case?
- Do I Have Any Other Claims?
- What Damages Can I Recover?
- What Are Examples Of Industrial Accidents?
- What Is OSHA?
- What Rights Do Workers Have Under OSHA?
- What Are The Most Common OSHA Violations?
- What Is The Chemical Safety Board?
- How Old Are Most Refineries? What Condition Are They In?
- What Refineries Are Active In Texas? Have They Had Safety Incidents?
- Incidents At Alon’s Big Spring Refinery
- Incidents At Calumet’s San Antonio Refinery
- Incidents At Citgo’s Corpus Christi Refinery
- Incidents At Delek’s Tyler Refinery
- Incidents At ExxonMobil’s Baytown Refinery
- Incidents At ExxonMobil’s Beaumont Refinery
- Incidents At Flint Hills Resources Corpus Christi Refinery
- Incidents At Lyondell’s Houston Refinery
- Incidents At Marathon’s Galveston Bay Refinery
- Incidents At Marathon’s Texas City Refinery
- Incidents At Petrobras’s Pasadena Refinery
- Incidents At Shell’s Deer Park Refinery
- Incidents At The Motiva Port Arthur Refinery
- Incidents At The Valero Port Arthur Refinery
- Incidents At Total’s Port Arthur Refinery
- Incidents At Valero’s Bill Greehey East & West Refineries
- Incidents At Valero’s Houston Refinery
- Incidents At Valero’s McKee Refinery In Sunray, Texas
- Incidents At Valero’s Texas City Refinery
- Incidents At Valero’s Three Rivers Refinery
- Incidents At Western Refining’s El Paso Refinery