Information About Truck Accidents
It is estimated that trucks are involved in 12-13% of all fatal accidents. Three general areas are of concern when it comes to trucking accidents. These are external conditions, defective equipment, and driving error. There are many incidences where are people harmed and killed each year because standards and regulations are not followed.
Statistics from 2001 state that there were 429,000 large truck accidents. Approximately 5,000 of these accidents were fatal (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). A truck is defined as large when it weight exceeds 10,000 pounds.
Truckers need to maintain safe operation of their vehicle at all times, just due to their size. Any simple mistake can have fatal consequences. Many truck drivers are plagued with unrealistic delivery times. This can lead to fatigue, speeding, and the use of drug substances to stay awake. All of these factors could cause an accident. The driver may not mean for all of these factors to lead to negligent harm to others, but they often do.
There are many situations where trucks are at risk of a jackknife or rollover. These situations are excessive speeds over 55MPH, curved roads, and poor weather. When a truck's load increases, the odds of a rollover increase as well. Increased cargo will actually decrease the chance of a truck jackknifing. If a truck is longer in length, this will increase a jackknife and decrease a rollover.
It is the responsibility of the trucking companies to properly maintain their vehicles. Companies are required to keep records of vehicle maintenance. If trucks are not maintained, accidents can occur due to equipment failure such as brake, steering, and tire problems. Restraints that are weak may lead to big loads of cargo falling onto other cars. If a truck is overloaded, they may experience brake failure due to too much weight. Hazardous material trucks can have containers that are defective.
Truck accidents occur due to many factors. Drivers need to be properly trained and alert, while trucks need to stay properly maintained. This would cut down on the amount of injuries and deaths caused by trucking accidents every year. Legislators have been working on ways to regulate trucking regulation and laws.
Many people have their life changed permanently due to truck driver negligence, or a company’s inability to maintain their vehicles. If you have been injured in a trucking accident, let a Sarasota personal injury attorney work for you. They will ensure that you get the recovery that you need. In many cases, claims are files against multiple parties or someone other than the truck river. You may need to file a claim against the company for not maintaining the truck. The truck drivers themselves may not know that their vehicle is ill maintained.
Never take on the law by yourself. You need a Sarasota personal injury attorney to work for you to help you gain the compensation that you deserve. An attorney can take critical evidence and turn it into a case that will prove the negligence of the driver or the company.
THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE.
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