Everybody is new at their job in the beginning, and rookie mistakes are common — no matter what the profession. Unfortunately, the mistakes made by a rookie truck driver can be disastrous and lead to serious accidents and injuries.
Right now, there are a lot of inexperienced drivers taking the wheel of delivery trucks and vans all over the place as online retailers work harder than ever to keep up with the demands of online shoppers. Some of the most common are:
- Not properly judging their space or distance when they’re trying to back up. Sometimes, the best way for a driver to avoid hitting another car (or a building) is to get out and look before they start moving.
- Not inspecting their vehicle prior to the trip. A lot of basic mechanical failures that can lead to accidents can be avoided if a trucker takes adequate precautions prior to getting on the road.
- Not paying attention to their trailer. Sometimes new truckers aren’t as aware of their trailers as they should be — and that can cause the trailer to leave the road or drift over the centerline and lead to a jackknife or other wreck.
- Not paying attention to the road. Maybe they’re new to the route and got lost, so they’re looking down at their GPS system — or maybe the dispatcher is making some noise and they’re paying more attention to that than the road. Either way, distracted driving can quickly turn deadly.
Whatever the reason that a truck driver makes a mistake, the resulting accidents can leave injury victims struggling with life-long consequences. It may take experienced legal assistance to get the compensation that you deserve and need to secure your future.