Negligent Hiring Practices of Trucking Companies
The vast majority of trucking accidents are caused by truck drivers who:
- Drive while fatigued.
- Have a history of prior accidents and/or driving violations.
- Lack experience and training.
When trucking accidents occur, fault doesn’t always lie solely with the truck driver; in most cases, trucking companies place the driver in a position to fail. Trucking companies notoriously cut corners and do the absolute minimum required by federal and state law when conducting background checks on new drivers and training them.
Case Example: Reagan v. Dunaway Timber, $7 million jury award
While exceeding federal limits on driving hours, a Dunaway Timber Company truck driver lost control of his semi-truck, crossed the centerline on a highway and struck an oncoming semi-truck, killing the driver of the oncoming truck.
Negligent Hiring Practices by Dunaway Timber
During our case investigation, Langdon & Emison’s trial attorneys discovered that prior to being hired by Dunaway Timber, the truck driver had:
- Pled guilty to two DWIs.
- Two license revocations not disclosed on his application, but later told to a supervisor.
- A lifetime ban on driving commercial trucks on interstate highways.
- Crashed a truck into a bridge while hauling hazardous materials.
- No driving training in nearly 20 years.
Langdon & Emison’s trial attorneys uncovered the following about Dunaway Timber’s negligent hiring practices:
- The company provided no training or supervision of drivers.
- The company failed to find out as much as possible about the truck driver before hiring him.
- It did the minimum required under federal law regarding the driving history of the truck driver.
- It did not monitor or supervise its truck drivers when they were on the road.
