Unfortunately, a serious truck accident might push your business dangerously close to bankruptcy. Incidents like these are frequently referred to as nuclear verdicts by insurance companies. This is when a jury grants the plaintiff in the case more than $10 million.
Alarmingly, due to the rise in deadly truck crashes, these instances have become more prevalent. Recent research indicates that the number of accidents rose by 43% between 2010 and 2019.
In this post, we’ll talk about how safety technology and monitoring methods can improve fleet safety as a whole. Let’s get started!
Tips for Preventing Nuclear Verdicts
Make Use of Safety Technology
The effective deployment of safety technology by your fleet is ultimately one of the greatest courtroom defenses. Even if your driver caused the crash, it shows that your fleet was proactive in trying to prevent one. Additionally, it will be successful in averting any future accidents, ensuring that an incident like that won’t happen again.
Driver Safety Assessments
You must be able to recognize the dangerous drivers in your fleet so that you can take appropriate action. You would be able to demonstrate that your drivers weren’t driving recklessly if your fleet is equipped with safety technology that monitors speeding, forceful braking, and other unsafe driving behaviors.
AI Coaching
It’s essential that you’re able to detect risky driving behaviors so that you can advise and instruct your drivers on the value of safe driving practices. You can easily detect these behaviors with the help of artificial intelligence systems.
Engine Diagnostics
Beyond required upkeep and pre-trip inspections, you must be aware of mechanical issues as soon as they arise. Modern safety technology makes it possible to quickly identify engine problems. In a nuclear verdict case, neglecting to examine these factors could be the deciding factor.
Monitor Your Safety Data
Safety data may be used to judge whether you took proactive measures to avoid a collision. The point is, safety information can be used as proof if you weren’t at fault for the collision and the other driver was clearly the one who hit you. It can be difficult to make a compelling argument if you don’t retain this safety data.
Hence, you must go digital if you wish to reduce the length of legal proceedings and resume normal operations as soon as possible.
Dashcams
The importance of dashcam footage can be attributed to the fact that it offers verifiable proof of the incident. For instance, does the video demonstrate whether the truck driver was inebriated or preoccupied when the collision occurred? Can you make out the person who caused the mishap? You can’t defend yourself against claims like these without this crucial evidence.
File a dataq request to combat inaccurate violations on the FMCSA’s website.
Maintenance Data
A good majority of truck accidents are caused by equipment malfunctions. To assure you’re maintaining your trucks, the court will want to have access to your maintenance logs. If you don’t keep these records, the court may conclude that you aren’t performing routine maintenance or aren’t keeping the documents for as long as you should be.
Driver Data
When a truck accident occurs, the driver’s actions are instantly scrutinized. You must conduct thorough background checks on your drivers to feel confident about who you’re putting behind the wheel. This way you can refrain from hiring drivers with a history of reckless driving.
Get Insured
We invite you to learn more about the types of trucks our insurance partners cover along with the various policy options available. Once you’ve done that, be sure to complete our online form to receive three free truck insurance quotes from our wide variety of carriers.
Here you can find the FMCSA insurance requirements for all commercial vehicles.
