Driving a commercial motor vehicle — and especially a large truck — requires specialized knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, many trucking companies are hiring inexperienced drivers amidst a shortage of qualified truckers.
Sadly, inadequate training significantly increases the risk of deadly truck crashes, as well as collisions causing serious harm. If you or someone you love was a victim of a collision involving a poorly trained truck driver, you have legal rights. The St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Drafahl Law Firm will help you enforce those rights and fight for the justice you deserve.
Our legal team knows the FMCSA rules for commercial licensing, we can help you subpoena training records, and help you prove that the trucker’s lack of training was the cause of your damage.
Truck driver training requirements
Truck drivers typically require a commercial motor vehicle license (CMV) or commercial driver’s license (CDL). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates the trucking industry, indicates that applicants must pass both a knowledge test and a skills test in order to obtain a CDL.
Further, drivers who operate specific types of commercial motor vehicles will also need additional special endorsements on their license. These endorsements may be necessary for operators of:
- Trucks with double or triple trailers
- Trucks with tanks
- Trucks carrying hazardous materials
- Passenger vehicles
Drivers will complete the training requirements and obtain a CDL in their home state, and this license will allow them to drive on roads throughout the United States.
Inadequate training and truck accidents
Unfortunately, some drivers get the bare minimum of required training, or don’t even complete all of the required training for the type of trucks they are driving. If a trucker isn’t trained properly or doesn’t have the right knowledge, skills, and experience to operate a vehicle safely, the consequences can be dire.
Truckers who fail to meet basic standards for training and competency can be held responsible for collisions they cause if drivers can prove they violated FMCSA regulations or can prove they were unreasonably careless. It’s not just truckers who can be held accountable for damages, though — trucking companies can as well.
Trucking companies may be liable for collisions caused by inadequate training if the company is negligent in its hiring practices. For example, if a trucking company fails to ensure that a driver has the proper endorsement to transport hazardous material before putting them behind the wheel, this is an example of negligence that could lead to liability if something goes wrong.
Trucking companies are also liable for the negligent actions of their on-the-job employees, even if the company itself was not negligent. This is because of vicarious liability laws that make truckers the agents of employers. This means even if the company didn’t know a driver’s training was inadequate, the careless mistake of an inexperienced driver could still cost them.
Getting Help After a Truck Accident Claim with a Poorly Trained Driver
If inadequate training led to your truck crash, you have legal rights. You can pursue a claim for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress if you can prove that the driver’s inability to drive safely was the direct cause of harm.
By pursuing a claim against both the trucker and the trucking company, you can also maximize the chances of getting full and fair compensation. To find out more about how an experienced truck accident lawyer can help you prove inadequate training, give us a call today.