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Causes of Armored Car and Truck Crashes
Armored trucks require specialized training and skills to operate safely. Why? For starters, trucks are much heavier than passenger vehicles, so they need more time to stop when compared to a car driving at the same pre-braking speed. Additionally, armored trucks typically use air brakes, which have a delayed response following pedal depression not found in cars. Armored trucks also have reduced visibility and line of sight when compared to passenger vehicles.
Some armored truck crashes involve a driver who is untrained or unprepared to deal with the challenges of driving an armored vehicle. In other cases, the armored vehicle is in such disrepair due to maintenance failures that an accident may be impossible for even the savviest driver to avoid. An armored vehicle accident may involve both driver error and mechanical failures.
Other common causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Faulty brakes
- Inadequately trained truck drivers
- Ignoring traffic safety laws
- Speeding
- Texting while driving (distracted driving)
- Tire blowouts
Whatever the crash cause, armored trucks pose more of a risk of causing serious personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage when compared to a collision involving a passenger vehicle, even when the impact seems less severe to the untrained eye. The differences between a truck accident and a car accident highlight the importance of retaining legal counsel with experience investigating and litigating truck accident lawsuits, which are more complex. Our firm has decades of experience litigating truck cases involving:
Who Can I Sue in an Armored Truck Accident?
Armored truck companies like Garda, Brinks, and Loomis are responsible for hiring and training drivers to operate their vehicles safely. They are likewise responsible for maintaining trucks that meet federal, state, local and industry safety standards. Suppose an armored truck company or one of its employees fails to meet these standards by driving inattentively or cutting maintenance corners. In that case, the truck company may be held responsible for any damage an accident causes.
Some examples of liability in an armored truck crash include:
- An armored truck company knowingly hires a driver with a history of reckless and dangerous driving. In this case, the company and the driver may be liable.
- An armored truck company fails to inspect its vehicle before a catastrophic mechanical failure. In this case, the company may be liable.
Brink’s Armored Truck Accident
The Brink’s Company, headquartered in Virginia, is the nation’s largest armored car and truck company. Together with Garda and Loomis, the three corporations account for more than 90% of all armored car and truck services in the United States.
Operations worldwide include more than 1,000 facilities and 13,300 cars and trucks. In 2018, Brinks acquired a leading competitor, Dunbar, for $520 million. At the time, Dunbar was the fourth largest armored truck company in the U.S.
The latest crash statistics for Brinks shows its truck have been involved in 141 crashes. In December of 2020, a Brinks armored truck and a passenger car collided outside of Carthage, North Carolina, killing a woman driving the car and injuring the Brinks truck driver.
When a heavy truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the car occupants often suffer severe injuries or are killed.
Brink’s Armored Truck Statistics
Below we profile Brinks FMCSA safety and Out-of-Service % (OOS) ratings against the national average, along with crash data. A satisfactory rating means the company may have functional and adequate safety management controls to meet minimum safety fitness standards.
Number of Vehicles: 2,228
Number of Drivers: 2,474
FMCSA Rating: SATISFACTORY
(Rating Date: 11/01/1994)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
9.0 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
3.4 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 141 (56 injury, 1 fatal)
Garda Armored Truck Accident
GardaWorld is a private security firm headquartered in Canada. The company is one of the largest armored car and truck companies operating in the United States. Garda has nine subsidiaries operating in various parts of the country:
- Garda CL Atlantic Inc.
- Garda CL Central Inc.
- Garda CL East Inc.
- Garda CL Great Lakes Inc.
- Garda CL New England Inc.
- Garda CL Northwest Inc.
- Garda CL Southeast Inc.
- Garda CL Southwest Inc.
- Garda CL West Inc.
In 2020, the Tampa Bay Times published an exhaustive investigation highlighting years of Garda accidents that could have been prevented. According to the report, since 2008, 19 people have died in accidents involving Garda armored trucks. Twelve of those accidents were caused by either mechanical issues (brake and steering problems in particular) or driver error in which fatigue may have played a role.
The investigative report noted that upper management at Garda was aware of safety issues with the companies armored trucks but allowed the trucks to continue operating without intervention.
In 2018, a truck accident lawsuit against Garda sought $100 million in damages after one of the company’s trucks crashed into a motorcyclist. The Garda lawsuit alleged the truck driver made an illegal left turn before striking and killing the motorcyclist.
Garda Armored Truck Statistics
According to government data, Garda operates a fleet of nearly 2,000 armored cars and trucks, and employs over 3,000 drivers in the U.S. In a recent 24-month period, Garda armored trucks were involved in 103 crashes, including 60 that resulted in injury and four that resulted in death.
Below we profile each Garda subsidiary’s FMCSA safety and Out of Service % (OOS) ratings against the national average along with crash data. A satisfactory rating means the company may have functional and adequate safety management controls to meet minimum safety fitness standards. A conditional rating means the company does not have adequate safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the safety fitness standard.
Number of Vehicles: 233
Number of Drivers: 80
FMCSA Rating: CONDITIONAL
(Rating Date: 02/12/2014)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
12.5 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
0.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 27 (11 injury, 1 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 53
Number of Drivers: 94
FMCSA Rating: CONDITIONAL
(Rating Date: 06/09/2019)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
0.0 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
0.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 11 (8 injury, 0 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 97
Number of Drivers: 157
FMCSA Rating: SATISFACTORY
(Rating Date: 02/08/1988)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
0.0 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
0.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 8 (3 injury, 1 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 391
Number of Drivers: 606
FMCSA Rating: SATISFACTORY
(Rating Date: 11/25/1992)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
18.2 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
5.6 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 25 (9 injury, 0 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 90
Number of Drivers: 120
FMCSA Rating: NOT RATED
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
33.3 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
0.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 5 (4 injury, 0 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 218
Number of Drivers: 318
FMCSA Rating: NOT RATED
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
25.0 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
0.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 6 (3 injury, 0 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 187
Number of Drivers: 418
FMCSA Rating: NOT RATED
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
0.0 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
0.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 18 (11 injury, 0 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 275
Number of Drivers: 573
FMCSA Rating: SATISFACTORY
(Rating Date: 10/04/2013)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
7.7 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
13.3 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 12 (5 injury, 1 fatal)
Number of Vehicles: 434
Number of Drivers: 805
FMCSA Rating: SATISFACTORY
(Rating Date: 12/28/2005)
|
Type |
Out-of-Service % |
National Average % |
|
Vehicle |
1.6 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
1.3 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 18 (6 injury, 1 fatal)
Loomis Armored Truck Accident
Loomis is a cash handling company based in Sweden that operates in Europe and the United States. The ‘Cash in Transit’ armored car and truck side of the business accounts for roughly 61% of Loomis’ 2020 revenue. Loomis armored trucks transport cash to and from banks, stores, and automatic teller machines (ATMs). Among other things, Loomis collects daily receipts and supplies retailers and banks with change and currency.
In December of 2017, a Loomis truck driver reportedly disregarded a traffic light and struck a passenger vehicle. The occupant of the car, a Georgia woman, sustained severe injuries in the accident. The woman filed a Loomis truck accident lawsuit, alleging the company’s driver was negligent in operating the vehicle, and Loomis was negligent in hiring, training, and supervising the driver.
In 2020, a Georgia jury awarded the woman over half a million dollars in damages. Both Loomis and the driver admitted fault in the accident.
Loomis Armored Truck Statistics
According to government data, in a recent 24-month period, Loomis armored trucks were involved in 91 accidents, including 37 resulting in injury and two resulting in death.
Below we profile Loomis FMCSA safety and Out-of-Service % (OOS) ratings against the national average, along with crash data. A satisfactory rating means the company may have functional and adequate safety management controls to meet minimum safety fitness standards.
Number of Vehicles: 2,829
Number of Drivers: 5,424
FMCSA Rating: SATISFACTORY
(Rating Date: 08/17/2004)
|
Type |
OOS % |
National Avg % |
|
Vehicle |
5.8 |
20.7 |
|
Driver |
1.0 |
5.1 |
Total Crashes: 91 (37 injury, 2 fatal)
Do I Need An Armored Truck Accident Attorney?
Armored truck companies like Brink’s, Garda, and Loomis will go to great lengths to limit their liability or avoid liability altogether when one of their vehicles is involved in an accident. How do they do this? First, they may try to take advantage of crash victims by offering a settlement offer that would pale in comparison to what the victim might receive if he or she hired a truck accident lawyer and pursued their claims in court. Alternatively, the company may use its vast resources to mount the strongest possible case in an attempt to defeat or minimize your claim.
Retaining an experienced truck accident injury lawyer is your way of leveling the playing field. Wisner Baum’s truck accident attorneys know how to conduct a thorough investigation, determine fault, professionally present your case for settlement or trial, and thereby maximize your compensation. It has the resources and experience to fight for your rights and maximize your probability of receiving fair compensation for your losses, pain and suffering. When you sustain severe injuries in an accident, your priority should be restoring your health. Let our accident lawyers fight your legal battle so you can focus on getting well.
Call Wisner Baum at (855) 948-5098 to schedule a free consultation.
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