Negligent Hiring in California Trucking Accidents: Your Legal Rights

Behind the Wheel: When Hiring a Bad Driver Turns Deadly

A massive 18-wheeler swerves, crosses the line, and veers into your lane. You narrowly avoid disaster. Later, you learn the truth—the driver behind the wheel had a history of DUIs and reckless driving. But the trucking company didn’t bother to check. For you, it’s a near miss. For the trucking company, it’s negligent hiring.

Negligent hiring in the trucking industry isn’t just a mistake—it’s a loaded gun on the highway. Experienced accident lawyers in Los Angeles know that companies who skip proper checks are gambling with lives. Labor Code 6400 isn’t a suggestion; it’s a demand. It requires every trucking company to make safe hires or be prepared to pay the price in court.

Labor Code 6400: Why Safe Hiring Is More Than Just Good Practice

California Labor Code Section 6400 mandates that employers provide a safe environment, which extends to hiring practices, especially for high-risk positions like commercial truck drivers. This law requires trucking companies to screen drivers thoroughly, ensuring they’re hiring qualified, responsible people—not just filling seats.

Hiring someone without verifying qualifications, ignoring red flags, or skipping background checks is more than negligent. It’s reckless. In the trucking world, these lapses translate to poorly vetted drivers on California’s roads, putting everyone at risk. When a trucking company hires without due diligence, that failure can be a key factor in personal injury claims. California car accident attorneys use Labor Code 6400 to show that a company’s negligence didn’t just lead to an accident—it caused it.

What Trucking Companies Are Supposed to Check (But Don’t Always Do)

A driver’s record isn’t just paperwork; it’s a history book of their time on the road. But not every trucking company reads it carefully. Under Labor Code 6400, they’re expected to verify a range of qualifications:

1. Driving Record: A history check for DUIs, reckless driving, and other violations. This isn’t optional. It’s the bare minimum for assessing risk.
2. Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Verification: CDL verification ensures that the driver has the proper training and qualifications.
3. Drug and Alcohol Testing: No driver should hit the road impaired. Testing keeps unsafe drivers off the highway.

When a company skips these checks, it’s like ignoring a warning sign. And if that driver causes an accident? The trucking company isn’t just accountable—they’re complicit. A car accident claim lawyer can use these oversights to show that the company’s negligence wasn’t just paperwork. It was a decision to prioritize convenience over safety.

Negligent Supervision: When Companies Drop the Ball After Hiring

Hiring is only step one. Supervision is step two—and just as critical. Even qualified drivers need oversight. Without it, a good driver can become a bad one, and a risky driver can go unchecked. California requires trucking companies to monitor drivers actively. That means checking for new violations, responding to complaints, and ensuring drivers stay within safety guidelines.

When a company hires a driver and lets them loose without supervision, they’re taking a risk. Negligent supervision isn’t about missed memos; it’s about putting lives at stake. Auto injury attorneys near you understand that supervision is a duty, not a choice. And when it’s ignored, the company can be held liable in court for failing to act when warning signs appeared.

Building a Case with Evidence of Negligence

Evidence is the backbone of any negligence case, and proving negligent hiring or supervision is no exception. To build a strong claim, attorneys look for specific types of evidence, including:

• Driver Background Checks: If the trucking company skipped this step, it’s a major red flag.
• Company Policies on Hiring and Supervision: A lack of clear policies shows a disregard for safety.
• Internal Records of Complaints: If a driver was reported multiple times and nothing was done, it’s damning evidence.
• Training and Supervision Logs: A company that can’t prove they monitored their drivers may struggle to defend their actions.

Best car accident lawyers in Los Angeles know how to collect this evidence, painting a clear picture that the company didn’t just miss a step—they ignored their responsibility to the public.

Why a Poor Hiring Decision Affects You

Hiring an unsafe driver might be a company’s mistake, but the impact hits the rest of us. For accident victims, that one bad hire can mean catastrophic injuries, costly treatments, and years of recovery. When a company ignores Labor Code 6400 and skips hiring checks, they’re putting all of us at risk—families, commuters, and everyone sharing the road.

Help with California accident claims means pushing back against these negligent decisions. Victims deserve compensation for more than just immediate medical costs. They deserve justice for every lost opportunity, every painful surgery, and every sleepless night that comes from an accident caused by a company that didn’t care enough to hire safely.

Real-World Impact: The Human Cost of Negligent Supervision

For the people on California highways, negligent supervision is more than an HR error. It’s a threat. Imagine a trucking company that’s received multiple complaints about a driver’s speeding, but chooses to ignore them. Months later, that driver is involved in a high-speed crash that leaves an innocent driver with life-altering injuries. It’s a scenario we see too often, and it’s exactly why supervision matters.

When companies ignore supervision, it’s not just a management slip. It’s a legal liability. And in a personal injury case, that failure becomes a foundation for proving negligence. California car accident attorneys show that, by neglecting their duty to supervise, the company allowed unsafe driving to continue unchecked—and ultimately caused harm.

California Attorney Group: The Experts on Negligent Hiring Claims

Negligent hiring and supervision are more than just legal claims. They’re evidence of companies choosing convenience over care, speed over safety. At California Attorney Group, we specialize in holding trucking companies accountable for these reckless choices. Our team digs deep, investigating hiring practices, supervision logs, and every detail of your case to build an airtight claim.

If you’ve been in a trucking accident and suspect negligent hiring or supervision played a role, don’t wait. Call California Attorney Group at (310) 278-6666. Let us fight for the justice you deserve, making sure every company knows that cutting corners isn’t just dangerous—it’s unacceptable.