On average, commercial drivers spend much more time on the road than your average motorist. With the size of the vehicles they drive and the stress that drivers put up with by being on the road for days and weeks, trucking accidents are almost inevitable. Learning the common causes of truck accidents is basic to shield you and your loved ones from the risk of injury.
If you or a loved one has suffered severe injuries from a truck accident that was not your fault, our experienced truck accident attorneys can help you get the medical care you need to recover quickly and seek compensation for any damages you may have incurred from the incident.
There are different reasons why truck crashes are common. Even if it is expected of commercial truck drivers to be more educated on the road and to obtain special Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration licenses and proper training to be able to drive, they’re not totally immune to mishaps.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
According to the FMCSA, the most common causes for semi-truck, tractor-trailers, and commercial vehicle accidents in the U.S. are:
Driver fatigue
Truckers spend most of their time on the road, with many opting to drive overnight or even go more than 24 hours without sleep just to meet their deadlines or quotas. As with every vehicle, driving in a fatigued state can result in microsleeps (when your body shuts down without you realizing it due to exhaustion) while commercial trucking, leading to catastrophic accidents. These driver errors can lead to serious accidents not just for the tired truckers but also for the other motorists and people around them.
Driving under the influence
Alcohol and illegal drugs are prominent problems for truck drivers. Some of them take both non-medical and over-the-counter drugs while stopping through towns in addition to drinking, although it is also common for truck drivers to carry these substances while on the road. Driving under the influence impairs judgment, leads to aggressive driving, and reduces your reaction time in case of uncertainties on the road, putting other drivers and pedestrians at risk.
Driving on unfamiliar roads
Sometimes, truck drivers are forced to pass through unfamiliar places, some of which are crash risks. Not knowing the state of the road ahead, coupled with impaired focus, fatigue, and other factors can lead to fatal accidents.
Excessive speed
Going over the posted speed limit is one of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents. The risk is even higher with trucks. Because of their size, their mass is multiplied exponentially the faster they go. An accident with a speeding truck is mostly fatal for other vehicles involved, while the trucker and their machine can come out unscathed. Drivers of heavy vehicles are, thus, expected to be more careful on the road.
Other issues that can increase the risk for commercial truck accidents are poor maintenance, mechanical failures, lack of driving training, distracted driving, unbalanced cargo, poor weather conditions, and even the recklessness of other commercial or passenger car drivers on the same road.
Driver Mistakes May Also Cause Truck Accidents
While you may think your truck accident case might be clear-cut, there are a lot of factors your specialized truck accident attorney might have to analyze and go through to establish liability. Because there is a possibility that there is more than one party at fault, you must contact an attorney that specializes in truck accidents to analyze your case.
Even though truck drivers are expected to be better at handling the road than other types of drivers, sometimes even their expertise and years of experience cannot help them avoid truck vehicle accidents.
In short, truck vehicle accidents are not always the fault of the person driving the truck. Some conditions that can create a dangerous scenario both for you as a motorist and the truck driver himself can include:
- Driving into the blind spots of the truck driver
- Cutting off a truck
- Accelerating too slowly after pulling in front of a fast-moving truck
- Failing to consider crosswinds around a truck when passing it
- Leaving a broken-down car obstructing the road
- Driving between two or more trucks for longer than necessary
In case you do get involved in an accident, you should know that not only can you hold the truck driver liable for the accident but also the trucking company as a whole if it can be proven to be also at fault.
This can be achieved if your truck accident attorney can prove that the company was negligent in hiring the driver, securing proper licenses, keeping the trucks well-maintained, and providing the overall equipment and training needed to ensure road safety.
If you or your loved one have been injured in motor vehicle crashes involving heavy trucks, it would be in your best interest to contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who will protect your rights and ensure you get the best medical treatments and the highest compensation you rightfully deserve.
Don’t just rely on insurance companies to send you an offer. They will surely send you the lowest offer they can. Seasoned accident attorneys like Farahi Law Firm can get you 5x to 7x more money than what they are presenting and can even get your property damage repaired for free.
Call Farahi Law Firm today for a FREE evaluation of your case at (844) 824-2955. We don’t charge any fees unless we win.
Avoiding these situations as much as you can is a basic step that one should take to prevent being involved in accidents with trucks. In general, any fast moves without proper warning can throw a truck off course completely. While you cannot control how they drive their trucks, you can control how you act around them.
Got Into a Truck Accident? Call Farahi Law Firm Right Away
In case you do get involved in an accident, you should know that not only can you hold the truck driver liable for the accident but also the trucking company as a whole if it can be proven to be also at fault.
This can be achieved if your truck accident attorney can prove that the company was negligent in hiring the driver, securing proper licenses, keeping the trucks well-maintained, and providing the overall equipment and training needed to ensure road safety.
If you or your loved one have been injured in motor vehicle crashes involving heavy trucks, it would be in your best interest to contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who will protect your rights and ensure you get the best medical treatments and the highest compensation you rightfully deserve.
Don’t just rely on insurance companies to send you an offer. They will surely send you the lowest offer they can. Seasoned accident attorneys like Farahi Law Firm can get you 5x to 7x more money than what they are presenting and can even get your property damage repaired for free.
Call Farahi Law Firm today for a FREE evaluation of your case at (844) 824-2955. We don’t charge any fees unless we win.
