Accidents in commercial trucking have become the nature of the work. When you do 14 hours of driving per day in some cases, accidents happen. Unfortunately, these accidents can be deadly because of how you have a 40,000-pound semi truck and a 3,000-pound car. Many times, when an accident with a big truck happens, the person will either get badly injured or they will die as a result. Having a lawyer on hand who can represent you in the case of personal injury can make a big difference in how much compensation you get for the accident. Getting legal guidance after a crash can ensure you don’t settle for less than you deserve.
The Fatality Rate
When it comes to a commercial trucking accident, 65 percent of those who get killed in these accidents with a large truck were the passengers of the smaller vehicle. Looking at the statistics of personal injury, it becomes sobering to see how these vehicles pose a danger to your well-being. When you look at large commercial vehicles, which means vehicles over 10,000 pounds, there are more than 400,000 police-reported crashes each year involving large trucks. Oftentimes, these accidents will happen in more rural settings. Of the 400,000 accidents that occur, 5,000 of them will turn out to be fatal. In most cases, it almost always becomes fatal for the passenger vehicle. Because of the size of the truck that they drive in, the truck drivers will normally be encased and protected from any accidents that might occur.
However, there have been cases where the driver of the semi truck gets badly injured or even killed as well. If you were involved in an accident, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to help you win your case. After an accident, the evidence starts to fade immediately, which is why you want an experienced law firm on your side and to snap into action with jaws open and teeth barring.
The Leading Cause of Accidents in Trucking
National FMCSA crash-causation research shows that driver-related factors account for the majority of large truck accidents. The most common issues include:
- Recognition errors: Inattention, distraction and failure to observe changing road conditions
- Decision errors: Speeding, following too closely or misjudging the actions of other drivers
- Non-performance: Fatigue, falling asleep or sudden medical impairments
- Performance errors: Over-steering, loss of control or poor maneuvering
What Happens if Your Loved One Died?
In cases where you lost a loved one in an accident, you can still file a personal injury lawsuit against the individual responsible and against the company responsible in many cases. If they were drunk and got into a trucking accident, you could also go back and file a personal injury lawsuit against the establishment that served them alcohol. Law firms have represented many disgruntled clients who were injured because of a drunk driver, and they go after a variety of people, including those who served the alcohol if it was above a reasonable limit.
Higher Rate of Fatality Than Many Other Jobs
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers consistently rank among the occupations with the highest rates of work-related fatalities. This reflects the inherent risks of long hours on the road, exposure to high-speed traffic, and the demands of commercial driving.
It’s important to note that this statistic reflects occupational fatality rates, which are different from traffic crash statistics alone. Occupational data includes all causes of work-related deaths, not just highway accidents.
Where and When Truck Accidents Occur the Most
Freeways and interstates are the roads on which commercial truck accidents occur the most. In 2014, those areas accounted for the second-highest incidence of fatalities involving a crash with a commercial truck. Only nine percent of these accidents occurred on smaller roads.
Federal crash data indicates that a large portion of fatal truck accidents happen during the daytime (6 AM – 6 PM), and that weekday traffic accounts for most fatal truck crashes overall (82%).
If you have been injured in an accident with a commercial truck, you need to get in touch with a personal injury attorney immediately. It can help you to recover the compensation you deserve for your medical expenses, damages, pain and suffering and ongoing care.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, The Gorospe Law Group can assist you in claiming the compensation you deserve.
