A trucking company can be subjected to employer liability, also known as vicarious liability, for a truck driver’s negligence when the driver is classified as an employee of the trucking company. Many truck drivers work as independent contractors as they own their own truck and accept hauling jobs on a per-route basis from the trucking company. If a truck driver is properly classified as an independent contractor, the trucking company cannot be held responsible for the driver’s negligence. However, the trucking company might still be held accountable for negligent retaining or supervising a truck driver it had hired, especially if the trucking company knew or should have known the driver posed a risk of an accident.