Truck Accidents

Overview

Businesses, organizations and government agencies rely on big, commercial trucks to transport cargo. Such trucks may weigh up to 80,000 pounds and can stretch as long as 75 feet. When trucks of this massive size and weight are involved in accidents, the results are usually catastrophic. These accidents may be magnified if the truck is carrying hazardous or flammable materials. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 500,000 truck accidents occur each year in the United States, which result in an average of 130,000 injuries and 5,000 deaths.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

More than 75% of all truck accidents are caused not by truck drivers, but by the negligence of drivers in smaller cars. This is not surprising, considering the amount of training and experience a driver must have to obtain a truck license. Drivers of smaller cars often treat big trucks as they would any other vehicle on the road. Big trucks, however, have significantly more blind spots than typical vehicles and are unable to maneuver and brake quickly.

Truck accidents that may be attributed to truck driver negligence generally result from stressed and fatigued truck drivers. Trucking companies often impose stringent deadlines on drivers to arrive at particular destinations by certain dates and times. In an effort to meet these deadlines, truck drivers may exceed speed limits or drive all night without taking proper breaks. Other truck accidents occur for the same reasons that all automobile accidents occur—a truck driver may drive recklessly, fail to check for blind spots, or experience a tire blowout or other mechanical failure. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol causes only one percent of all fatal truck accidents.

Trucking Laws

Federal laws regulate the trucking industry by imposing stringent requirements on truck drivers, trucking companies and truck manufacturers. In addition to enforcing extensive licensing prerequisites, trucking laws attempt to regulate the number of hours a truck driver may drive at one time. By forcing drivers to rest between shifts, trucking laws seek to decrease the number of accidents caused by driver fatigue. Federal law also requires that truck companies routinely inspect their trucks and comply with all safety guidelines and procedures.

Proving Liability in Commercial Truck Accidents

Victims of truck accidents may recover for their injuries and property damage if they can prove that the truck driver acted negligently. Truck drivers are negligent if they fail to act as a reasonable driver would under similar circumstances. This requires that truck drivers operate their vehicles with reasonable care. If a victim can prove that the truck driver was negligent, and that negligence was the cause of the accident, the victim may succeed in their claim against the driver. If the driver was employed by a trucking company, and was driving the truck in furtherance of his employment, the victim may seek compensation from the trucking company or their insurance provider. If the accident was the result of a mechanical failure, the victim may also recover from the truck manufacturer.