You probably didn’t expect to end up in a crash with a commercial truck. Like most people, you probably think of commercial drivers as highly-skilled professionals. After all, they have to attend additional educational courses and maintain a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
They also have countless hours of practical experience operating a semi-truck on public roads. Unfortunately, neither professional requirements nor experience automatically prevent people from doing something negligent and unsafe. Commercial motorists who spend entire shifts on the road can become complacent. They might engage in reckless behavior.
If you believe that the driver at fault for a semi-truck crash was reckless, how can you prove that afterward?
Keep clear records
Human memory fades as time passes. People involved in collisions often need to make immediate notes about what happened, including their suspicions about the conduct of the other party. Maybe the semi-truck cut you off, causing a rear-end collision. Maybe it was clear that the driver had exceeded the speed limit, or perhaps they ran a red light.
Keeping records of the conduct that likely caused the collision can make it easier for you to prove that the truck driver was reckless. According to an analysis of the circumstances surrounding major semi-truck collisions, reckless driving is the top citation issued to commercial drivers after significant or deadly collisions.
Review the situation with a professional
Establishing that a semi-truck driver was reckless is not always easy. In some cases, police officers reach that conclusion on their own. Other times, the people affected by the crash have to prove their claims if they take the matter to civil court.
A lawyer familiar with traffic statutes and personal injury law can help you determine if recklessness may have contributed to the incident. If other professionals could easily identify how a truck driver put others at risk with questionable choices, then you may have grounds to assert that the commercial driver was reckless.
Behaviors that may not constitute recklessness in a passenger vehicle could lead to allegations of reckless driving involving a semi-truck. Larger stopping distances and more restrictions on maneuvers create more opportunities for reckless conduct when drivers are in control of 18-wheelers. With the right assistance, you may be able to hold the driver accountable and pursue compensation through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit.
Establishing that a commercial driver was unsafe could be the first step toward justice after a semi-truck crash. Drivers who don’t prioritize safety may ultimately be to blame for the collisions that they cause, which may open them or their employers up to liability.
