The trucking industry is an essential part of the US economy, with businesses all over the country requiring the services of truck drivers to obtain their products, tools and merchandise. The trucking industry is so vital, in fact, that is rakes in about $255 billion every year.

Relying on the trucking industry so heavily has its drawbacks. Demand is ever-increasing for trucker’s services to deliver the products we all need to keep the economy going. The result of that demand is many truckers are being pushed harder and harder to meet shipping deadlines. Truck drivers get overbooked easily, with little time available for resting, and the more that happens, the more likely a big truck accident is to occur.

In the year 2006, an estimated 140,000 truck accidents were recorded, nearly 5,000 of which were fatal. Of these big truck crashes, approximately 80% of them were caused by an at-fault truck driver. Whether the cause of the accident is truck driver drowsiness, poor vehicle maintenance or the driver’s inexperience operating large vehicles, the truck driver and their companies can be held liable if serious driver or passenger injuries occur in a big truck accident.

Truck accidents, or big rig accidents, carry a much larger recovery value than normal auto accidents because of state and federal law requirements for higher liability coverage. However, due to the complexity of commercial vehicle policies, qualified legal counsel is essential. If you have been involved in a big truck accident, contact a truck accident attorney immediately. You may be able to recover damages from the negligence of a truck driver or the trucking company.

Causes of Big Truck Accidents

The most common causes of trucking accidents, or tractor trailer accidents, include the following:

• Lack of driver training, experience and knowledge of operating the machinery
• Overloaded, lengthy driving schedules
• Drivers rushing/speeding to meet impractical delivery time demands
• Drowsiness and fatigue
• Under influence of alcohol or intoxicants
• Hazardous driving conditions and failing to adapt to them
• Poorly maintained or inadequate roads, signs and lighting
• Poor vehicle maintenance, especially significant safety components like tires or brakes
• Imbalanced or excessively heavy truck load
• Chronically unsafe truck drivers who’ve not yet had their license revoked
• Road rage and aggressive driving
• Differing commercial license requirements depending on state

Another cause of big truck accidents are other motorists who are unaware of how to maneuver around such massive vehicles on the road. It’s not uncommon for someone to misjudge the distance or size of a large tractor trailer, and big trucks have limited mobility on the road, especially during split-second reactions. However, more often than not, it is not the car driver but the truck driver who is responsible for big truck accidents due to driver negligence or subpar vehicle maintenance.

Truck Driver Fatigue

The leading cause of 18-wheeler and big truck accidents nationwide is truck driver fatigue caused by drowsiness, improper rest before driving and driving for too long at a time without proper rest. The risk had gotten so bad in fact that in 2003, new federal regulations regarding hours of service were put in place in an effort to quell non-stop drives for extended periods of time and to make sure truck drivers got the rest they required to function and react on the road.

If a motorist is injured or killed in a trucking accident in which the truck driver was at fault, the victim, or their loved one if a wrongful death, may be entitled to a sizable sum of recovery at the expense of the truck driver and their company, who are likely to be held liable for the accident. Though trucking accidents provide much larger settlements than normal car crashes, it can be tricky to get maximum compensation because laws regarding commercial vehicles are very different and far more complicated than laws regarding normal vehicles. If a truck driver has ignored service hours regulations and consequently initiated an auto accident, both the driver and the trucking company can be sued for negligence.

Truck Accident Lawyers

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident involving a big truck or tractor trailer, our truck accident attorneys can assist in getting you maximum allowable compensation to help pay for your medical bills, property damage, lost wages and pain and suffering. Without legal assistance, your auto insurance company will push to see what they can get away with, offering you far less than what you deserve. Our truck accident attorneys know the ins and outs of complex commercial trucking insurance law, and our track record for injury victims in related accidents is astounding.

If you’ve been in an auto accident involving an 18-wheeler, tractor trailer or any large, commercial vehicle, even if you are not sure if you’re at fault, please contact our big truck accident injury attorneys right away to ensure the best chance at a maximum recovery. You can fill out the free consultation form to speak with an attorney, or give us a call at 912-236-6767.

 

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