When a trucking accident occurs, the results can be devastating on a physical, emotional, and financial level. Each year, more than 500,000 truck accidents cause approximately 5,000 deaths in the U.S. While fatalities don’t occur in most truck crashes, the results can still leave victims seriously injured, permanently disabled and in serious debt (due to medical bills, property damage, and an inability to work).
Regardless of the cause of a truck accident, victims will likely be entitled to seek compensation if they can prove that another party’s negligence, recklessness, or carelessness played a role in the wreck. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck crash, or your loved one has died in a trucking accident, consult with a seasoned truck accident attorney to find out if you have a legitimate claim. Experienced truck crash lawyers are dedicated to helping you and your family recover the compensation you need and deserve.
Truck Accident Causes
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There are a number of factors that can cause or contribute to a truck accident. In a truck accident case involving a passenger car, driver negligence may be to blame. Some passenger car drivers are unaware of how to safely share the road with large trucks and may misjudge a truck’s visibility, acceleration, and braking capabilities. Abandoning a car on the roadside, unsafe merging, passing, lane changes, driving between trucks, and similar passenger car driver conduct can all lead to a truck accident.
A truck accident can also be caused by the conduct or negligence of a truck driver. The Department of Transportation estimates that thirty to forty percent of all truck accident cases involve truck driver fatigue. Truck driver fatigue is listed as the probable cause of death in thirty percent of all truck accident cases. Because of the high rate of driver fatigue-related truck accident cases, the federal government has placed restrictions on the number of hours that a truck driver can work before taking a rest break.
Other causes of truck accident cases may include truck driver inexperience, improper training, reckless driving, intoxication, and other types of truck driver negligence, oversized loads, unsafe road or weather conditions, mechanical failures, and improper truck maintenance. If any of these factors are involved in a truck accident case, the victims of the accident may be able to seek compensation for their losses from those parties responsible.
When Truck Drivers Cause Accidents
Truck accidents may be caused by the truck driver, a driver of another vehicle, or conditions beyond any drivers’ control such as harsh weather conditions. When either truck drivers or other drivers are responsible for causing an accident, it can be due to their:
- Carelessness
- Negligence
- Failure to obey traffic laws
- Fatigue (Studies show that driver fatigue can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.)
- Inexperience or lack of training
- Intoxication due to alcohol consumption and/or drug use
- Reckless driving, such as speeding, failure to use signals, unsafe lane changes, etc.
- Use of a cell phone, MP3 player or another portable electronic device
Around 75 percent of all truck accidents are caused by drivers in other vehicles. Unfortunately, truck accident fatalities tend to affect these drivers, as smaller cars are far more easily damaged than larger, heavier trucks.
Other Factors that Cause Trucking Accidents
Factors other than driver error that may be responsible for a truck crash may include:
- Animals or debris in the road
- Poor road conditions, such as slick or icy roads
- Dangerous weather conditions, such as heavy winds, rain, or snow
- Vehicle equipment defects or malfunctions (Many major automakers, including Toyota, Ford, GMC, and Chevy, have issued a number of recalls on defective parts over the past decades)
Truck Accident Injuries
In many cases, truck accident injuries are more severe and are more likely to be fatal than auto accident injuries due to the significantly larger weights of trucks. In addition to causing drivers, passengers, and/or bystanders physical harm, trucking accidents can also result in devastating financial damages, such as medical bills, vehicle repair costs, and an inability to work.
During such stressful times, it’s crucial that victims of truck crashes remember that they are not alone. While doctors and surgeons can help them with medical needs, experienced truck accident lawyers can aggressively defend their legal rights in an effort to help them win the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one has been severely harmed in a truck accident and you would like to find out if you qualify to seek compensation for your damages, contact our truck accident injury lawyers today.
Truck Accident Case
A legal truck accident case is a personal injury (tort) lawsuit brought against the party who caused, in whole or part, the truck accident. A truck accident case is filed on behalf of those who suffered damages in a truck accident as a result of another party’s negligent or reckless conduct. A truck accident case can be filed against a liable truck driver, employer, company, contractor, the insurance company, or any other party that is responsible for the damages caused in a truck accident.
When a commercial truck accident occurs, the damages can include catastrophic injury or death. At least five thousand people lose their lives every year in a truck accident and another 135,000 are injured. Of those injured in a truck accident case, one-third suffers catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injury, loss of a limb, or severe burns. The majority of those who are injured or killed in a truck accident case is car drivers or passengers. Of the five thousand who were killed in a truck accident case in 2002, more than four thousand were in a passenger car at the time of the crash. More than two hundred pedestrians and bicyclists are killed every year in a truck accident case.
Compensation for Trucking Accident Injuries
To recover the highest possible compensation for truck accident injuries, it’s vital that victims secure the services of a qualified lawyer with extensive experience going up against tough corporate lawyers and insurance representatives. Our truck accident lawyers are familiar with the court documents and deadlines necessary to start your case. We have a network of medical professionals, forensic scientists, and other experts who are willing to testify when expert testimony is needed in legal proceedings.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck crash, schedule a complimentary initial consultation with an experienced truck accident attorney to learn more about your legal rights and entitlements..
Contact A Trucking Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of a truck collision, contact a qualified truck accident attorney who will help you recover the compensation you are entitled to. Our attorneys are highly familiar with truck crashes and can help you.
To learn more about your rights and options in a truck accident case, you may wish to speak with a qualified and experienced legal professional. Don’t hesitate to contact a truck accident attorney today.