Truck Driver Errors Causing a New Mexico Trucking Accident

Common Truck Driver Errors Causing a New Mexico Trucking: Explained by Our Albuquerque Trucking Accident Lawyer

There are many different causes of a New Mexico trucking accident.  It could be caused by mechanical errors when a tire explodes and causes a truck to lose control or for the tire debris to cause an accident.  Or it could also be caused by unsecured cargo or improperly secured cargo which falls off a truck or shifts and causes a trailer to topple over.  A trucking wreck could also be caused by a pothole in the road which a truck hits and loses control.  While these all sound like different causes of a New Mexico trucking accident, they can actually all be caused by one, truck driver errors.  

Yes, our Albuquerque trucking accident lawyer knows that all of these different types of trucking accidents could have been caused by the same thing.  When truck driver errors cause serious trucking accidents, it would result in serious personal injuries or the wrongful death of an innocent person.  Here at the Caruso Law Offices, P.C., our experienced Albuquerque trucking accident lawyers handle all types of personal injury accidents including trucking accidents.  Most times, no matter how it seems, truck driver errors are usually the cause of a crash.  If you or a loved one have been injured in any type of trucking accident, call our law firm for a FREE consultation to learn how we can help protect you rights to compensation under New Mexico law.

What are Common Truck Driver Errors?

There are many types of truck driver errors.  Sometimes these stem from poor hiring, training, and instruction from their trucking company.  In fact, the trucking company may be independently liability for these failures and have their own separate cause of action.  

When it comes to truck driver errors causing an Albuquerque trucking accident, there are many different types which include the following:

• Mechanical errors – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations (FMCSA) requires truck drivers to inspect their vehicles regularly, including when starting or stopping a delivery or after rest breaks.  If a truck driver fails to notice damage to a tire which later explodes, that could result in serious liability and not be the fault of a tire manufacturer or roadway defect
• Unsecured cargo – this is the fault of a truck driver.  This is because truck drivers are required to use certain securement devices and to check their cargo before starting, once they get started, and every 150 or 3 hours.  Truck drivers need to constantly check their cargo that it is safe and not sliding.  The failure to do so could result in serious liability.
• Potholes in the road – while a pothole in the road may sound like the fault of a municipality, it really may not be.  A pothole in the road should be avoided and a truck driver needs to avoid them in the road when possible.  A truck driver that just barrels through them may be liability for failing to avoid the hazard in the roadway.
• Fatigue – this is a common issue with trucking which is why the FMCSA has hours of service regulations which prohibit how long a truck driver can drive on a shift, in a day, in a week, and in 8 days.  These regulations are meant to give a truck driver rest for sleep but also physically.
• Alcohol or drug use – the FMCSA regulations are the strictest drunk driving rules in the country.  They not only prohibit a truck driver from having any BAC above 0.0, but they actually prohibit a truck driver from having ANY alcohol four hours before a shift.  Any drug or alcohol in a truck driver’s blood will be an automatic violation and an obvious cause of truck driver errors.

Ask our Albuquerque Trucking Accident Lawyers for Help

If you or a loved one were hurt in any type of trucking accident in New Mexico, even if the truck driver blamed something like a pothole, cargo, or a tire blowout, it may have been the truck driver’s fault.  Call our lawyers at the Caruso Law Offices, P.C. for your FREE appointment by dialing (505) 883-5000.  

We handle causes throughout New Mexico, including Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Roswell, Cuervo, Rio Rancho, Clovis, Farmington, Hobbs, Albuquerque where our office is located, and anywhere else throughout New Mexico.  Please call to schedule for FREE appointment by dialing (505) 883-5000 or contact us through our website’s easy to use and convenient contact box available here.