Crash Accountability Program Will Protect Truck Drivers’ Safety Scores
January 18, 2019
Truck accidents are some of the most devastating, destructive accidents that occur on roads and highways across the country. Because of the massive size and weight of the average truck, it is usually the occupants of the other vehicle involved who suffer the most serious injuries.
These crashes are often reflected in a truck driver’s safety score. However, many of these accidents are not the truck driver’s fault.
Crash Reviews
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it would continue to accept requests from fleets to review crashes that the truck driver was not responsible for causing. This will help ensure that a truck driver’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score is not impacted by an accident he or she did not cause.
Last summer, the FMCSA began accepting submissions from fleets for its Crash Preventability Demonstration Program, which allows the FMCSA to gather information that examines the feasibility, cost, and benefits of reviewing truck accidents that were not caused by the truck driver.
Any accident that is deemed non-preventable by the FMCSA may be removed from the CSA score. Removing these crashes from their CSA score helps the truck drivers maintain a positive safety rating.
Types of Crashes that are Non-Preventable
When the program was first introduced, the FMCSA announced that the following types of crashes were eligible for review:
- Accidents involving a truck that was hit by a motorist who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Accidents involving a truck that was hit by a driver who was traveling in the wrong direction
- A truck accident that occurred when the truck was parked or legally stopped
- A truck accident that occurs after hitting an animal that was crossing the road
- When a truck accident is caused by falling trees, rocks, debris, or some type of infrastructure failure
- When a truck is hit by falling cargo, lost loads or equipment from another vehicle
- When a truck hits another vehicle or a pedestrian who purposefully got in the truck’s path in an attempt to commit suicide
Truck drivers are encouraged to present as much supporting evidence as possible, if they hope to have a crash determination ruling overturned. Police reports, security video footage, insurance reports, statements from witnesses, photos of the accident scene, and any other evidence he or she might have will help prove that the accident was not preventable.
If the crash is not marked as non-preventable, it will not be reviewed.
Baltimore Truck Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Help Truck Accident Victims Seek Compensation
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a truck accident, it is in your best interest to contact the Baltimore truck accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton at your earliest convenience. Not all truck accidents are caused by truck drivers, but if the driver involved in your accident was negligent in any way, we will seek the maximum financial compensation you deserve for your injuries. We will not stop fighting for you until justice has been served. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent truck accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.
