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Between buses, taxis, construction vehicles, and everything in-between, there are around 119 million registered company vehicles in the US. That’s nearly 40% of all cars on the road. With so many drivers given control of company vehicles and heavy machinery, there are bound to be accidents with serious consequences.
The problem with company vehicles comes down to three factors: Negligent hiring, distracted driving, and negligent or malicious supervision. To get a better understanding of this problem, let’s break these factors down in detail.
NEGLIGENT HIRING
Hiring managers seeking to fill positions quickly may not care how much experience someone has operating company cars or larger vehicles. In some cases, negligent hiring managers may fail to screen applicants for drugs that would impact their ability to drive. A rushed background check or even a lack of background check might overlook a driver with a history of causing car crashes. When this happens, a company is putting an at-risk driver behind the wheel for up to eight hours per day, endangering everyone on the road.
The issue doesn’t end at hiring. Negligent supervisors may not provide drivers with proper on-the-job training before putting them behind the wheel. It’s a recipe for disaster, especially since crashes for large company vehicles have been steadily rising.
DISTRACTED DRIVING
Each year, distracted driving claims as many lives as drunk driving. Given that company vehicles make up nearly half of all registered cars, it’s no wonder that a large portion of distracted driving crashes is caused by negligent employees. The longer someone is behind the wheel, the more likely they are to engage in distracted driving. That puts those driving company vehicles for up to 10 hours each day at an extremely high risk of indulging a distraction.
Whether the distraction is texting or taking a call from their supervisor, sending a notification, noisy passengers, or becoming bored behind the wheel, drivers of company vehicles must remain vigilant and constantly aware of their surroundings, especially when they’re operating larger vehicles like buses or construction vehicles.
NEGLIGENT SUPERVISION
Negligent or uncaring management is arguably one of the biggest contributing causes of company vehicle accidents. When employee drivers feel intense pressure to perform, they’re more likely to make a mistake.
For example, Amazon’s delivery drivers are tasked with delivering 99.9% of packages on a strict timetable. Many delivery drivers report that they’re unable to take lunch, bathroom breaks, or even refill their gas due to aggressive time constraints. This means many of them fall behind and playing a reckless game of catch-up after stopping at a red light or waiting for a pedestrian to cross at a stop sign. Because of this failure in supervision, Amazon’s company vehicles have been involved in thousands of accidents and have caused more than a dozen fatalities.
AFTERMATH OF A COMPANY CAR CRASH
A company car crash can be very complicated. First, those involved need to determine who is responsible for the crash, which often means getting the business involved or filing multiple claims. More importantly, many company vehicles are larger than a standard car, making crashes more severe.
The pain and damages may leave victims unable to deal with the maze of insurance claims and negotiations with the various entities involved. A skilled auto injury attorney from Glen Larson Law Injury Attorneys can handle the case from start to finish while the injured rest and recover.
If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries or even wrongful death in a company vehicle crash, you need someone ready to battle for you. If you’d like an experienced Austin personal injury lawyer from Glen Larson Law Injury Attorneys to evaluate your case, please call (512) 883-0277 or send us an email.
