It may be easy for many people in Minnesota to feel intimidated by the massive semi-trucks often seen traveling on the area’s roads and highways. Yet some reassurance likely comes from the assumption that truck drivers are highly skilled in their particular craft.
Indeed, the expectation is that truck companies only hire such individuals, as not doing their due diligence in researching a driver’s qualifications and driving history may prompt claims of negligence. This leads to the inevitable question of when a collision with a semi-truck occurs, is the truck company that employs the driver liable?
Truck accident near Northfield proves fatal
The merits of such a question typically do not warrant an argument due to the devastating consequences that a truck accident can produce. A recent collision on state Highway 19 near Northfield serves as a sad reminder of this fact. Per reports from the local CBS affiliate, a semi-truck and passenger vehicle traveling in opposite directions collided on the highway. The drivers of both vehicles died in the collision; authorities did not report any other injuries. An accident into who caused the collision is currently underway.
Holding employers responsible for the actions of employees
Should such an investigation determine that the truck driver was at fault, the family of the accident victim in this case (as well as those in others like it) may seek to pursue a claim against their employer. Legal principles typically assert that an employer is responsible for the actions of an employee when the employee causes an accident while in the course of executing their job duties. Proving that the circumstances of an accident involved a trucker’s job duties, however, may be difficult. Thus, those hoping to support such a claim may want to enlist the services of an experienced attorney.