When Companies Hire Inexperienced Drivers to Operate Large Vehicles

When companies hire drivers who lack experience and proper training to operate large vehicles, they endanger everyone on the road.  Whether you are driving, bicycling, or walking near a delivery van, UPS or FedEx truck, semi, or even a mail truck, you expect the driver to have the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure safety. However, if a company does not hire an experienced driver who knows how to drive their vehicles and you become hurt, it may be possible to hold the employer liable for negligent hiring practices.

Why would a company hire a driver with no experience or knowledge of how to drive a large vehicle?

There are many reasons why a company might hire a driver with no experience or knowledge of how to drive a large vehicle. Here are a few of the most common reasons:

• The driver lied about their experience on the application and during the interview.
• The company did not do a background or employment check on the applicant before hiring them.
• The company can offer less pay to an inexperienced driver.
• The company may have a hiring shortage, high turnover rate, or lack of applicants, meaning that they are desperate to fill their positions.
• The company has a high demand for their products or services, which means they need more drivers to help complete their deliveries as quickly as possible.

What happens when a company hires an inexperienced driver who does not know how to drive their vehicles?

It is very important for companies to hire experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable drivers to deliver their products and drive their large vehicles. Alternatively, companies need to provide adequate training to get drivers to a reasonable standard of experience. Without the training, experience, and knowledge of how to drive large vehicles, the driver is very likely to cause a truck crash. Here are a few possible scenarios that inexperienced drivers of large trucks can cause:

• They may not know how to properly secure their cargo and products: When a company hires an inexperienced driver, there is a strong possibility that the driver will not know how to properly secure their cargo and products. Throughout the drive and during the delivery process, items are likely to shift and move around. Therefore, the driver must know how to keep them safe and secure to prevent them from spilling out onto the roadway and hitting other drivers and road users. In addition, depending on how large the vehicle is and how heavy the products are, they could experience a rollover accident due to the products shifting, causing the trailer to become unstable.
• They may not know how to drive in poor weather conditions: In Alton, snow, sleet, rain, and high winds are all common weather patterns. Therefore, if a driver is inexperienced and does not know how to drive a large vehicle, they may fail to exercise caution on the roadway during these conditions. Larger vans and trucks are known to take longer to stop, especially when the roads are slippery, wet, or icy. However, drivers who lack experience may not be aware of this, causing them to slide and crash into other vehicles. In addition, it can be very difficult to maneuver larger vehicles in inclement weather, which means that someone who does not have much experience driving large trucks may lose control of their vehicle, causing it to spin, flip over, run into oncoming traffic, or even run off the road.
• They may not know when something is wrong with their large work vehicle: It is very important for drivers to know and be aware of when there is something wrong with their work vehicles. However, if they do not have much experience or knowledge regarding these vehicles, they may think that everything is fine and continue driving. For example, if they keep hearing an odd noise or smell a strange scent, they may fail to realize that the vehicle is experiencing a mechanical issue. As a result, they may put themselves and others nearby at risk of a dangerous accident.
• They may be more likely to speed, drive recklessly, and make careless mistakes: A lot of times, inexperienced drivers who do not know how to drive larger vehicles assume that they are similar to small passenger vehicles. Therefore, they do not think about the seriousness of operating such a big vehicle around smaller vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Due to this, they may speed, drive recklessly, and make careless mistakes that could have been avoided if they had the proper experience and knowledge. Unfortunately, when this happens, serious and fatal collisions may occur.
• They may be nervous and timid: Drivers who are inexperienced when it comes to large vehicles may also be very nervous and timid on the roadways. While it is good to be cautious when driving these vehicles, being unsure and nervous can result in making errors that could lead to a wreck. For example, if a driver becomes nervous or timid when driving in a congested area, they may panic, make a wrong move, and cause an accident.

How can I hold a negligent delivery company liable for my accident?

If a delivery company’s negligence in hiring an inexperienced driver leads to an accident, you may be able to file a claim to recover your losses. If this has happened to you and you need help proving that your accident occurred due to the company’s negligent hiring practices, you will need to present strong and convincing evidence. A personal injury lawyer can help you collect evidence to build your case. These are some of the pieces of evidence that you and your attorney may collect to hold the negligent delivery company liable:

• The driver’s application and resume to work for the company
• The driver’s driving history records
• The driver’s licensing records
• The driver’s employment history
• Maintenance and mechanical records for the vehicle
• GPS data
• Cell phone data
• Eyewitness statements
• Expert witness testimonies
• Police accident reports
• Surveillance footage

At Glisson Law Firm, our Alton car accident lawyers know and understand how challenging and devastating an accident with a large delivery vehicle can be. Most of the time, the injuries that victims in these accidents face are expensive, permanent, and life-altering. Therefore, if you have recently been struck by a delivery vehicle and believe that they lacked the experience and knowledge to do their job, we can help collect evidence and build a case that the employer’s negligent hiring practices caused or contributed to your accident. We will also investigate and determine whether there are any other potentially liable parties that should be held accountable for your injuries, medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, and more. Please call our office or complete our contact form to schedule a free case evaluation today. Based in Alton, we proudly serve Belleville, Edwardsville, Springfield, St. Clair and Madison Counties, all of Southwestern Illinois and Missouri.