Truck accidents can be devastating to other vehicles on the road, just their sheer size and weight make them much more dangerous when involved in a crash. Truck accident can happen at any time at the blink of an eye, that is why it is wise to always be cautious when driving near one of those big 18-wheelers. According to the National Highway Traffic Association most truck accidents happen between the hours of 6 a.m. to 3p.m. The reason being there are simply more drivers on the road during those times, which increases the chances for a truck wreck. The NHTA also said Sunday’s were the days with the least number of crashes. Now that we know the times when most truck accident occur, let’s take a look at some of the reasons for these accidents.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
- Insufficient Training or Experience – Some trucking companies want to get their drivers on the road as fast as possible to start hauling cargo. This means some of the drivers might not have the proper training and that can cause accidents.
- Unrealistic Delivery Schedules – Drivers are driving longer hours at higher speeds to make their schedules, this is a big factor in truck accidents.
- Overloaded Cargo- overloaded trucks are more susceptible to accidents, some companies overload their trucks to get more product out the door.
- Unsecured Cargo – Unsecured cargo moving at high speeds can fall off of a truck and cause major damage to other vehicles and people.
- Faulty Equipment- if the safety equipment on a truck fails, this can cause accidents and serious injuries.
- Inadequate Maintenance – some trucking companies will skip preventative maintenance and other types of maintenance to keep their trucks on the road. This can put truck drivers at risk for an accident.
- Rollovers – when a truck is going to fast around a corner it can cause a rollover accident, these are very serious and can injure many people in the process.
- Driving Under the Influence – impaired drivers are at a much higher risk for an accident due to the fact their senses are dulled and reaction time is much slower.
- Reckless Driving – Just like driving any other vehicle, reckless driving is very dangerous. Speeding or changing a lane without a signal for a couple examples can cause accidents.
- Driver Fatigue – when drivers are tired they do not drive as well as needed, tey try to push the hours to get their cargo delivered quicker. There are strict rules about how long a trucker can drive but sometimes those rules are not followed.
- Inclement Weather – weather can be a factor just like with any other type of vehicle crash. Snow, ice, fog or even the sun can cause a truck accident.
- Distracted Driving – There are so many distractions now a days that can take a drivers eyes off the road. Such as cell phones, eating, texting, talking to passengers, changing the radio, and the list goes on.
The Process of a Truck Accident Lawsuit
After you have been in an accident with a large truck, you should immediately call the police and seek medical attention. After that, contact a Plano truck accident lawyer so they can help you through the process of filing a truck accident lawsuit. It starts with the accident itself, then your truck accident lawyer will go through the accident case discovery. This is to uncover the facts of what happened and if was indeed the truck driver’s negligence that caused the wreck.
Then begins the deposition, where all the parties involved are interviewed to get all sides of the story. After that, hopefully a settlement is reached, it could possibly go to mediation. But if mediation does not do the trick and the parties agree on a settlement, the case will go to court. A truck accident attorney will help you win the case and get the compensation you deserve if a truck drivers negligence caused an accident that injured you. They will get the money you need for medical bills and even loss time from work if the injuries you sustained from the truck accident are so bad you can’t go back to work.
As you can see, there are many ways a truck accident can happen, and they usually happen during the busiest hours in the day when people are on the road. If a truck driver caused an accident and you were injured, reach out to a truck accident attorney today so they can help fight for you.
