The Most Common Causes Of Semi Truck Accidents
You can receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Additional expenses and losses may also be recovered. A local truck accident attorney will examine the nine most common reasons for semi-truck crashes and determine the cause of your accident.
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A lawyer will use an array of investigative techniques to help determine the cause of your accident. Your personal injury attorney will establish negligence and determine the correct at-fault person to pursue in order to receive financial compensation.
The Driver’s Errors and Actions that Cause Semi-Truck accidents
Your lawyer will need to prove negligence by proving the elements of duty of care and breach of duty. They also have to prove causation and damages.
Trucks are huge machines that require special training and concentration to operate safely on highways and roads. According to research conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, large truck accidents are often caused by driver error.
Semi-truck accidents are often caused by drivers driving too fast for the conditions.
Speeding is dangerous since it can make stopping–especially for a vehicle as massive in size and height as a semi-truck–difficult or impossible. At the appropriate speed, trucks require up to 40 percent more stopping distance than smaller cars.
When a truck speeds or drives too fast, it may be impossible for vehicles to move out of the way. This can cause catastrophic accidents, particularly if the truck has a potentially toxic, flammable, or caustic cargo.
Semi-truck accidents are often caused by illegal driving maneuvers
Truck accidents can occur when drivers ignore or disregard traffic signs and signals. These drivers can also cause dangerous collisions when driving the wrong way. An accident reconstructionist can be consulted by a lawyer to determine the cause of the accident and document it. This information can then be provided to the insurance company for the party at fault.
Driver Fatigue is a common cause of semi-truck accidents
FMSCA’s hours of service regulations protect truck drivers from fatigue. Fatigued driving is possible when:
- Driving longer than allowed
- Driving while on medication
- Driving without enough sleep
Your lawyer can use the black box data from your truck or the in-cab camera footage to determine if a driver who was sleepy caused or contributed to an accident.
Driver distraction is a common cause of semi-truck accidents
Distracted driving can be just as dangerous and intoxicated driving. Truck drivers are distracted by a variety of things such as GPS systems and radios. Drivers can be distracted by taking their eyes off of the road, which results in a visual distractor, taking their hands off the wheel, which results in a mechanical distraction, or losing focus, leading to a cognitive distractor. Both types of distractions can lead to an accident.
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Drug and alcohol use are common causes of semi-truck accidents
Semi-truck drivers’ ability to operate their vehicles safely is greatly impaired when they are under the influence. Under the influence, drivers cannot:
- Focus on the road in front
- Take quick decisions
- Traffic gauges around the traffic
Your lawyer can ask for BAC test results to prove that the driver was intoxicated.
Environmental and other factors that commonly cause semi-truck accidents
Some semi-truck accidents can be caused by factors other than driver behavior. This can include factors that are beyond the control of the driver, such as environmental conditions. Your lawyer will determine if these common truck accident causes are liable.
The weather and road conditions are common causes of semi-truck accidents
When the roadway–particularly, a fast-moving highway–is wet or slick, it can significantly increase stopping distance. The wheels of a truck can lose contact with the roadway if it is wet or slick.
Snow and ice can cause accidents, even invisible black ice. These can include spills, debris and uncleansed spills.
The weather can make roads more dangerous and reduce visibility. This is another reason why semi-truck accidents are more common than car accidents.
Improper Driver Training Can Cause Semi-Truck Accidents
Semi-truck driving is a big responsibility and requires special training. A trucking company can be held responsible if it fails to train and vet a commercial driver properly.
A truck driver who lacks training may not be able to safely and accurately load and secure cargo or maneuver the truck. Your lawyer will provide documentation of the trucker’s driving record, training, accident history and other details about their license.
A trucking company may also be responsible for an accident if they allowed cargo to be improperly loaded or failed perform routine maintenance.
Semi-truck accidents can be caused by design or manufacturing flaws
Your lawyer can request that the truck involved in your accident be forensically analyzed or access any testing results. The truck manufacturer could be held responsible if a medical failure which led to the accident was caused by a design flaw or manufacturing defect.
Semi-truck accidents are often caused by unfamiliar roads
Trucks transport goods and products across the country, and they can encounter unfamiliar routes and roads. Unfamiliar roads and routes can lead drivers onto unsafe roads, or roads that lack the necessary infrastructure or support. Drivers may also drive faster to compensate for lost time.
On untested roads, the driver may brake more often or aggressively. They might also make sudden or sharp turns or dangerous U-turns. These negligent acts can force the party at fault to compensate you.
Find out the cause of your semi-truck accident with 24/7 support
Our truck accident attorney will determine the cause of your injury or that of someone you care about if they were injured in an accident with a large vehicle. Our truck accident lawyer will also seek the appropriate financial compensation for you.
Contact our team of case analysts at Jeanette Secor Attorney At Law to find out if your accident was caused by one of the nine common causes of semi truck accidents.