Updated: January 4, 2022
Armored Truck Accident Lawyer
If you are searching for an armored truck accident lawyer, this free information page will help you. It is written by one of our lawyers at the Injury Advocates Group.
In this article, we provide insights into how we litigate these cases to maximize your settlement or verdict.
It also provides insights which may explain how and why your armored truck accident happened, and how you can prove it was the truck driver’s fault to ensure you get a fair settlement.
Table of Contents
Liability & Claim Info
- Why Armored Trucks Are Dangerous & How That Helps Your Case
- Using Common Accident Causes to Win Your Armored Truck Case
- How Often do Armored Truck Accidents Happen?
- Proving Fault in Armored Truck Accidents
- Who Do I Sue in an Armored Truck Accident?
Injuries
Defendants
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Why Armored Trucks Are Dangerous & How That Helps Your Case
Armored trucks weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds. Compared to an average vehicle of approximately 4,000 pounds, that is twenty times more weight, force, and potential damage an armored truck accident can cause compared to a regular car accident. The result is armored truck accidents often cause life changing, permanent injuries.
Armored trucks are arguably more dangerous than tractor trailers and, for several unique reasons, are particularly dangerous for everyday drivers sharing the road with armored trucks. These include where and how frequently they drive those places, their movement ability, their driver safety functionality, and the people hired to operate them.
These are not just educational points to know. We utilize this information to map out our claim strategy. We also utilize this information to prepare carefully crafted investigation and discovery requests to the armored truck company. This allows us to gather as much helpful evidence as possible to put you in the best position to win your case and maximize your recovery.
Armored Trucks Drive in Pedestrian & Vehicle Vulnerable Areas
Armored trucks drive in and around community streets and shopping malls and plazas at a higher frequency than other heavy trucks, such as tractor trailers. This is because many roads have weight restrictions that don’t allow large tractor trailers or other heavy trucks to drive on them.
Most shopping plazas and malls have special access points for those same trucks, but not for armored trucks. If there is a bank in that plaza or mall, the armored truck will get as close to the bank as possible, irrespective of potential vehicle or pedestrian safety issues with pulling in or out of that location.
The objective of armored trucks is asset safety, not community safety.
This focus on profits over people results in armored trucks being operated at a high frequency in places where they may injure and hurt innocent members of the community
Armored Trucks Are More Agile than Other Heavy Trucks
Armored trucks are more agile than tractor trailers, yet are substantially heavy.
By “agility,” we are referring to the fact that an armored truck can make a sudden lane change or directional adjustment in ways that a tractor trailer or other large construction truck cannot.
Due to its weight, this can cause very high energy side-swipe accidents, which are unavoidable by the victim in the same way a normal car side-swipe accident is unavoidable.
No other vehicle weighs as much as an armored truck, yet can make the same level of fast directional adjustments as an armored truck, while traveling off the highway down residential streets at such high frequencies.
Take for example, two of the largest armored truck operators, GardaWorld and Brinks. It is a common axiom in law that the more often a dangerous event occurs, the greater the likelihood of harm resulting from that activity.
With respect to armored trucks, that concept is disturbing given the dangers posed by armored trucks and the fact that just Brinks and GardaWorld trucks drive over 75,000,000 miles every year, and have almost 3,000 armored trucks operating on our shared roads.
Armored Trucks Have Big Blind Spots
Although there are newer models with advanced safety features, the lion’s share of armored trucks on the road do not have that technology such as blind spot assistance.
It would cost Brinks tens of millions of dollars to upgrade all of its trucks with advanced safety features, which it has not done. There is no indication that Brinks, or any of the large armored truck companies, plan on completing such safety upgrades.
This means thousands of armored trucks with huge blind spots are driving around our streets, unable to fully address the safety issues surrounding them.
This is not, in and of itself, a major issue if all armored truck drivers were experienced, qualified, and tenured drivers. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Armored Truck Drivers Are Underpaid
Many armored truck drivers are paid between $15-25 per hour. With such low pay, the candidates applying for this job role are often substantially under-qualified, inexperienced, and not taking the job as serious as necessary when compared to the potential danger and risk this job poses to the community.
When thousands of underpaid, under-qualified drivers are roaming around America in vehicles with huge blind spots, weighing 50,000+ pounds with long braking distances, the risk of people getting injured is likely to occur. We know this from firsthand experience based on litigating this type of vehicle accident.
Using Common Accident Causes to Win Your Armored Truck Case
Common Causes of Armored Truck Accidents
In conjunction with the above information, this is a short-list of the most common causes of armored truck accidents. Knowing this list is important for a lawyer so that the lawyer can have a more laser focused approach to litigating and resolving liability issues, as opposed to a shoot in the dark approach.
- Inexperienced Driver
- Inadequately Trained Driver
- Inadequately Supervised Driver
- Driver Fatigue
- Aggressive Driving
- Poor Vehicle Condition or Defects
- Mismanaged or Unchecked Blind Spots
- Inattentive Driving
Using Accident Causes to Increase Your Case Value
The goal is to not just use the cause of the accident to prove who was at fault for the accident, but to also use it to increase the settlement worth of your armored truck case.
For example, consider the deposition of the truck driver one of our lawyers took in a prior case. We first cross-examined the driver to establish the standard for driver safety. Then one at a time incorporated additional elements into the questioning – such as weather, and increased weight of large trucks – each requiring additional safety measures. Through this cross-examination sequencing, it was established that the truck driver violated all of the relevant safety requirements.
To employ this level of litigation expertise and deposition skill for your case, call or email the Injury Advocates Group 24/7. We exist to help injured victims seek justice for their vehicle accident injuries, and are on standby to speak with you.
How Often do Armored Truck Accidents Happen?
The important point here is not to recite data but to discuss how this information impacts your armored truck accident claim.
If there is substantial evidence of company wide failures in hiring, training, or supervising practices, or a pattern of conduct, those facts could be admissible and relevant to prove liability and even punitive damages in your case.
That is a case by case analysis depending on which trucking company is involved, when the accident happened, and what conduct caused your specific accident to happen.
The Tampa Bay Times did an investigative piece on this issue in March of 2020. It discovered that during a two-year stretch, Gardaworld averaged 100 accidents per month, injuring someone approximately once every 3 days, and killing someone approximately 2 times per year. The Times article also records accounts from armored truck employees discussing trucks in “dangerously poor condition” operating on the road.
If you or a loved one were in a serious armored truck accident, thoughtful investigation is necessary to uncover every reason why this happened, how to bring that failure to light, how to ensure it does not happen again, and to get you fair compensation for everything done to you and your family.
Proving Fault in Armored Truck Accidents
There are many ways our law office helps prove liability in armored vehicle accidents. Two of which are discussed below. These litigation techniques take advantage of the technology used in operation of these trucks.
Video Surveillance
Armored trucks are in the business of transporting millions of dollars in cash and jewelry, and other invaluable assets. The companies and persons who own these assets want accountability for the people staffing these trucks. Consequently, armored trucks have video cameras inside them that watch what happens both inside and outside the trucks.
This surveillance can show what the truck driver was doing before, during, and after your crash. This evidence can help prove liability, and even gross negligence for punitive damages.
Smartdrive Software
Most armored trucks also have all of their movements recorded via smartdrive software. This software will show their speed, side-to-side movement, forward-backward movement, and even g-force on a timeline.
Similar to the video surveillance, we not only pursue this evidence in every armored truck case, but based on the facts of your specific accident and the positions the armored truck company takes in your case, we sequence this discovery for maximum effect. This allows us to use this evidence to move the ball forward in your case and find opportunities to increase your case value.
Our goal is not only to prove fault and liability, but to also increase the value of your claim. When we can show that the trucking company is being untruthful or changing their story throughout the case, it always leads to increased settlement offers for our clients.
Video surveillance and Smartdrive discovery are just two ways to accomplish that. There are many more. Call us to discuss what we can do for you.
Who Do I Sue in an Armored Truck Accident?
Suing the Armored Truck Driver
Armored truck drivers are employees of the company that owns or operates the armored truck. As an employee, they are an agent of their employer, the armored truck company.
Employers are liable for the negligent acts of their agents. For this reason, a lawsuit against an armored truck driver is sufficient to make a recovery against the company, and will not be limited to the driver’s assets or personal insurance policy.
Suing the Armored Truck Company
Large corporations generally own and operate armored trucks. They are the common culprits when something goes wrong, along with the driver or other employees in the truck if they were distracting the driver.
A claim or lawsuit against the company would be based on negligent hiring and training practices, but could also be based on negligent supervision. Consider the following examples:
Example 1
First time truck driver takes armored truck company’s driving test several times before barely passing, and when he passes it was his brother-in-law who gave him a passing score. There could be a negligent hiring claim here against the trucking company.
Example 2
Tractor-trailer driver is hired to drive armored trucks for the first time. Because of his prior truck driving experience, the armored truck company excuses the driver from completing certain portions of an onboarding process for new drivers. There could be a negligent training claim here against the trucking company.
Example 3
Armored truck driver is driving too fast in rainy weather. His supervisor is sitting in the vehicle with him, yet says nothing, allowing the dangerous conduct to continue unabated. There could be a negligent supervision claim against the trucking company.
Example 4
Armored truck driver was addicted to drugs and now takes rehabilitative methadone treatments regularly, which continues through a period of his employment. The armored truck company has no process of identifying and addressing this. There could be a negligent retention claim against the trucking company.
These are not all hypothetical scenarios. Several of the above examples are real world scenarios from commercial trucking cases that Injury Advocates Group lawyers have handled.
Because we have seen it all, we know what to look for in commercial truck accident cases. This in turn helps you find all the responsible parties and expand the amount of insurance policies and coverage available from which you can make a recovery.
Armored Truck Accident Injuries
Due to the heavy weight of Armored vehicles and the high energy impact that results when they cause an accident, fairly severe injuries are common in accidents involving these trucks. The following is a non-exhaustive list:
- Spine Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Broken Bones
- Crushed Pelvis
- Compressed Nerves
- Dental Damage
- Amputation
- Neck Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
When the injuries are serious, like those expected in an armored truck accident, you need more than a medical expert to establish the issue of medical causation. You need a lawyer familiar with the topics of medical cost billing and life care planning, and who has experts in these fields in their network who can help win your case.
Who Are the Major Armored Truck Companies?
The major armored truck companies can be measured by a number of metrics, including total number of vehicles, total annual profits or market share, or total miles driven per year. Depending on which metric you use, the list may be organized in a different order.
Putting aside that order, the following is a list of the major armored truck companies:
If you were involved in an accident with any of these major companies, there is substantial insurance coverage from which the company can reimburse you for your losses.
A lawyer on our team previously uncovered a $25,000,000 accident insurance coverage policy for an armored truck. This is the standard GardaWorld and Dunbar policy.
We suspect, although we do not have specific evidence of it, that the other large armored truck company’s would also have at least $25 million dollars of total coverage.
Armored Truck Accident Q&A
Who is responsible in my armored truck accident case?
The people who are responsible in such an accident will include those operating the trucks as well as those who own the companies that operate the armored truck companies. This is, assuming, you can prove that the armored truck is at fault for your accident.
Are high settlements common in armored truck cases?
Recent cases have shown that armored truck cases can average around $300,000. So yes, armored truck settlements are typically fairly high.
What are armored trucks?
These are vehicles that are contracted out to help transfer and deliver valuables for banks, schools and private companies. They are generally bullet proof due to massive armor, which has massive weight, which makes them incredibly dangerous vehicles.
What kinds of accidents occur with armored trucks?
With armored trucks, there is the possibility for accidents involving both vehicles as well as the accidental discharge of weapons carried by individuals in armored trucks. Vehicular accidents are often rear-end accidents due to inadequate space being left between lead and following vehicles.
Are armored truck accidents common?
Armored truck accidents are not as common as some other types of accidents involving vehicles, but they are still a possibility and many have died in the last decade alone from these accidents.
Is it possible to get copies of recordings that the armored truck had before the accident?
Yes, this information is not easy to get, but through the courts and a process of discovery, it is possible to get access to information found on the truck such as the video recording and movement data.
Can I try and show that the driver was reckless and unqualified to help my settlement?
Yes, this is a way to ensure that the liability falls onto the company that owns the truck and can help your settlement value be higher. This is because it can show that the hiring as well as training practices helped to lead to your injuries as the driver was not qualified to be driving. This points the finger, appropriately, at corporate higher-ups who were negligent, which typically results in larger settlements.
I have back pain since I was hit by an armored truck, what should I do now?
You should always seek medical attention in the aftermath of your accident because your injuries are not always visible and will need medical help. It is also important to contact and get help from an attorney as soon as you can after an accident. We understand medical issues very well, but always defer to doctors on medical issues related to patient care.
Are armored trucks more dangerous to get hit by?
Yes, getting hit by an armored truck is more dangerous than getting hit with a car, van, SUV or pickup truck. Very often armored truck drivers are not well-qualified and this coupled with the strength of their trucks makes an accident with them worse than other kinds of accidents, such as those with a car. To make matters worse, armored truck drivers also drive aggressively and this can lead to devastating accidents.
Los Angeles Armored Truck Lawyer
Armored truck accidents can have life changing effects for the victims who survive those crashes. In the armored truck accident cases our lawyers have handled, the injuries have always been permanent.
You need a zealous advocate to ensure the armored truck company and driver who caused these lifelong injures are held accountable.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in an armored truck accident, call our Los Angeles based law office, even if you are outside of Los Angeles. We will do everything possible to help ensure you receive a fair financial recovery and teach the armored trucking company that their negligent conduct will not be swept under the rug.
You can reach us by Phone, email, or by submitting the contact form below to get for your free consultation.
Supporting Citations, Literature & Resources:
KCBD (2020). Security camera video from armored truck robbery released.
Konin, B. (2018). How hard is it to rob an armored truck? Nearly impossible, expert says. Courier Journal
Fisher, J. (2020). SmartDrive unveils new SmartSense tech to keep drivers safe. Fleet Owner.
Calfee, B. E. (1998). Workers’ compensation litigation review: Part II. AAOHN Journal, 46(1), 45-46.
Peebles, K. A. (2011). Negligent hiring and the information age: How state legislatures can save employers from inevitable liability. Wm. & Mary L. Rev., 53, 1397.
Brown, H. L. (1995). Vicarious Criminal Liability of Corporations for the Acts of Their Employees and Agents. Loy. L. Rev., 41, 279.
Pereira, S. (2020). Armored Truck Driver Fatally Hits A 7-Year-Old Girl On Her Scooter In Brooklyn. The Gothamist.
About the Author
Article Author: This law article was written by attorney Ray Benyamin, Esquire. Mr. Benyamin received his Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and his license to practice law from the State Bar of California. His law license number is 277263. He has been practicing law for 10 years. Mr. Benyamin is a registered member of the following legal organizations: Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association (ABA), and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Mr. Benyamin has personally helped his clients recover over $10,000,000 in vehicle accident insurance claims in the State of California.
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