Truck drivers and trucking companies are often to blame for a serious commercial truck accidents, but not always. Frequently, a negligent or unlawful passenger vehicle driver — or some other factor is to blame for an 18-wheeler crash and the truck driver and trucking company are not at fault. But what about jackknifing accidents in which the trailer behind a semi-truck begins to wobble out of control until it results in a serious collision: Is the driver or transportation company at fault for these kinds of collisions?
When is the Truck Driver to Blame in a Jackknifing Incident?
If speeding, inattentiveness, distracted driving, reckless driving, unbalanced loading, overloading, or negligent truck maintenance cause a serious jackknifing incident, then the trucking company or truck driver may indeed be to blame for the incident. However, there are many other causes of jackknifing crashes.
Causes of Jackknifing Crashes in Texas
Another driver, for example, might have cut the semi-truck off resulting in the need to take evasive action that leads to a jackknife crash. Alternatively, maybe there was unavoidable slipperiness on the road that was the fault of severe weather conditions. Even still, a government entity could be to blame for not keeping the roadway in better condition to prevent these kinds of accidents from happening.
There are virtually an unlimited number of ways that a Houston jackknifing truck crash can happen and they’re not always because of the negligent or unlawful behavior of the truck company and its driver. Therefore, it’s vital that anyone who suffers injuries in a jackknifing collision — including the truck driver — fully review the facts and circumstances of the collision to determine who is likely to be financially liable to pay for damages stemming from the incident.
