Trucking Company is Accused of Negligent Hiring Practices

Case Overview

This talent acquisition case takes place in Michigan and involves negligent hiring practices at a long-range courier service to transport antiques and other vintage memorabilia. The plaintiff was a driver for the company who was driving in the evening on the highway at full speed. There was another truck that was parked on the highway with its lights turned off. It was beginning to get dark outside, and the plaintiff was unable to see the truck. He crashed full speed into the parked truck. The accident left the driver paralyzed from the waist down and inflicted a range of long-term physical and psychological injuries that will require a lifetime of ongoing care. The parked truck was operated by a long distance courier service which was currently attempting to deliver vintage cars to an antiques auction several states over. The courier company hired the defending party to deliver the cars on a contract basis, and it is alleged that their negligence in doing so directly contributed to the accident.

Questions to the Economist expert and their responses

Please discuss your background in the trucking industry and proper hiring practices for freight delivery.

I definitely feel that I am very qualified to opine on this case. In addition to my academic background, I drove a truck for approximately 750,000 miles over ten years, so I have some idea of how to think about things behind the wheel. After that, I studied and now teach human resources, industrial relations, economics, safety, and a host of other topics as it relates to the trucking industry. Trucking industry practices are my bread and butter and proper hiring practices are definitely in my realm of expertise. I have lectured on related topics numerous times.

What steps could have been taken to avoid this accident?

As far as steps to take to avoid this accident, I am still curious as to some of the details in this case. Why was the driver parked on the highway with the lights off? Exactly where on the road was the truck parked and why? Additionally, the subcontracting and hours of work as well as compensation are very important parts of this case. It seems that there was definitely a degree of negligence on behalf of the courier service if they hired an unqualified individual to perform this delivery.

Have you ever served as an expert witness on a case similar to the one described above? If so, please explain.

I have served as an expert on 15 cases throughout my career and have great success drilling down the specifics of the trucking industry and helping plaintiff cases.

Please tell us why you’re qualified to serve as an expert reviewer of this case.

About the expert

This transportation and economics expert specializes in union-management relations, safety and health, regulation, industrial organization, economic development via freight transportation systems, transportation economics, and global-modal freight systems. He is currently an Associate Professor of Economics, specializing in Industrial Organization, at a major university and a consultant in the transportation labor field. Previously, he served as a professional truck driver for more than 10 years. This expert created and chaired the Transportation Research Board Committee on Trucking Industry Research for more than 12 years and currently serves as an Emeritus Member of that committee among other freight and truck committees. He is ivy league educated, having earned his BA, MS, and PhD from Cornell University. He belongs to a number of prestigious societies in the trucking and freight industry, including the Labor and Employment Relations Association and the North American Transportation Employee Relations Association. He is highly respected in the field, having authored more than 40 publications in the space, and continuously gives lectures and seminars surrounding his expertise throughout the trucking industry.