Depending on the nature and severity of a trucking accident, you may need to file a claim to help recover money for medical bills and lost wages. However, before you can make a claim for such expenses, you must be able to demonstrate that the truck driver or trucking company was responsible for the collision. In order to do this, you must first identify the cause of the collision. There are many, many different factors that can lead to a collision and often times there are a number of responsible individuals and companies. The following are a few examples of the more common causes of truck accidents and the parties that may be held liable.

Truck Driver Error

According to a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), error on the part of the truck driver is the primary cause of commercial truck accidents in the United States. Truck drivers can be negligent in many ways that put others at risk and the following are only some of the common driver errors that lead to collisions:

• Distracted driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Fatigued driving
• Driving with health issues
• Aggressive driving
• Violating traffic laws
• Not taking caution in adverse weather

Negligence on the Part of the Trucking Company

While trucking companies can often be held liable for the negligence of their drivers, other trucking employees can also act in negligent ways, including the following:

• Negligent hiring
• Inadequate drug and alcohol testing
• Failing to maintain the fleet
• Encouraging unlawful behavior
• Cargo-loading errors

Truck Manufacturers

Some truck accidents are caused because of inherent defects in the parts on a truck, such as tires, axles, couplings, or brakes. In such cases, the manufacturer that produced and sold the defective truck part can be held liable for all of the damage and injuries that resulted from the accident.