After you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, it’s natural to want to seek justice for all you’ve been through. No one should have to suffer as a result of someone else’s mistake. In addition to filing a personal injury claim so you can be awarded for damages, you may also be wondering whether the at-fault driver can be fired from their job.
Do Truck Drivers Get Fired For Accidents?
The short answer is, a truck driver might get fired after an accident. Drivers have to be considered employees in order to be fired after an accident, but even then, this doesn’t always happen. Many trucking companies are lenient with a driver’s first accident.
Countless trucking companies tend to work with independent contractors who own their own trucks in an effort to avoid liability. For example, if the truck driver is responsible for their own truck and maintenance, the trucking company is able to avoid being held responsible if the driver causes an accident.
However, the following forms of negligence can cause a truck driver to get fired for an accident if they are found guilty:
- Driving under the influence: Because trucking companies can be sued themselves for negligence if it’s revealed that the company knew or should have known if their employees were driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they generally have zero-tolerance policies. As a result, drivers who are caught driving under the influence are likely to be fired immediately.
- Speeding: We all know that truck drivers generally drive slowly on the road because of their size and the cargo they’re carrying. When truck drivers speed, they become extremely dangerous due to their weight and size, all of which can cause serious damage to other vehicles on the road if an accident occurs. If a driver caused an accident as a result of speeding, companies may fire their drivers for being considered a liability.
- Road rage or violence: Any willful act of violence on the road usually results in termination. While it’s understandable for some truck drivers to be fatigued as a result of driving long distances, often overnight, road rage or violent actions that put other drivers and passengers in danger and ultimately injure them are unacceptable.
- Preventable accidents: Trucking companies will fire their employees if they see that the truck accident could have easily been prevented had the driver not been careless or distracted. Employers will also most certainly fire drivers if they see patterns of reckless behavior, as a pattern is an indication that the driver will make future mistakes.
At the end of the day, trucking companies are businesses that are trying to make money like any other business – not lose money. If there’s any proof that their employees are putting others in danger and thus creating opportunities for personal injury lawsuits, they won’t hesitate to cut ties with them. The only times truck drivers won’t be fired as employees after an accident is if it can be proved that they weren’t responsible for the accident. Employers, manufacturers, and even cargo loaders have all been known to be liable for truck accidents.
Why You Need a Lawyer
After a truck accident, it’s common for victims to suddenly be faced with financial debt they weren’t expecting. Injuries can cost thousands of dollars to treat, cars need repairs, and on top of everything, you may be missing out on wages from missing or quitting your job to heal. You need to be represented by a law firm that has the experience and resources to fight for the compensation you need to cover your damages. At Thorp Law, our attorney have a long track record of success and know-how to help injured clients, especially those dealing with the serious injuries that often result from truck accidents.
When you hire our team, we can immediately get to work investigating your accident, collecting evidence like crash reports and witness statements, and more to ensure that you have a fighting chance at securing what you’re entitled to. A personal injury attorney can also handle all communication with insurance companies. Insurance adjusters frequently try to undermine injury claims or avoid liability altogether by using what victims say against them – you won’t need to worry about any of that when we correspond with them on your behalf.
Injured in a trucking accident? Don’t hesitate to reach out to the caring truck accident attorney at Thorp Law for a free consultation at (919) 373-3390, or contact us online. You can trust us to fight for the compensation you deserve.