Truck drivers must be at least 21 years old; be able to read and speak the English language; hold a commercial driver’s license; by reason of experience, training or both, be able to safely operate the type of commercial motor vehicle he or she drives; have passed a driver’s road test and been issued a certificate of driver’s road test or an operator’s license or certificate of road test.
Per the FMCSR, various acts disqualify a driver from driving a commercial motor vehicle. Some of the disqualifying acts include loss of driving privileges, criminal, and other offenses. The act of a truck driver who drives while disqualified can serve as a basis for negligence or even liability for punitive damages for trucking companies.
Truck Driver Qualifications Need to Be Examined
As part of a truck accident investigation, it is important to learn about the background of the driver responsible for causing the injury. In some cases, drivers do not meet the basic requirements, or their licensing may not be current. In other cases, while the driver may meet the basic requirements, they may have other history, such as a series of accidents, which should have served a deterrent to a company from hiring them.
As your lawyer, we look carefully at the background of the driver. We also carefully investigate other aspects of your truck accident case.
To find out how I and our firm and other experts that may be retained will work hard to prove your case, please contact me.
The initial consultation is free, and if retained, we will work for you on a contingency fee basis, which means that we are only paid if we win.
We will work hard to identify all parties responsible for your accident and injuries, and will seek from each of them a monetary amount equal to value of the damages and injuries they caused.