A Criminal Conviction For A Trucking Accident

I often tell our clients that one of the purposes of the civil justice system is to help hold wrongdoers accountable  (thus the name of our book).  And many times, the civil justice system is the only way to hold wrongdoers accountable.  But sometimes the criminal justice system does its part, as it did in an article earlier this week that caught my eye.

It’s not that unusual to find drivers of vehicles in wrecks get tickets, fines, etc.  But on Tuesday, the owner of a trucking firm received jail time for his gross negligence in the maintenance of a defective and almost brakeless tractor-trailer that caused a fatal trucking collision. 

The judge that handed down the sentence said that he hopes the sentence will send a “strong message” to the trucking community to keep the trucks in good repair and not try and cut corners on safety issues.

I haven’t heard of any similar types of prosecutions in the Central Texas area, but that type of enforcement might make roadways safer for all of us.