Trucking Accidents Spell Tragedy for Drivers

When it comes to accidents between semi-trucks, dump trucks, and other large vehicles and the smaller vehicles like sedans, SUVs, and passenger trucks that they must share the road with, in most cases, the results end more tragically for the drivers of the smaller vehicles. In fact, when it comes to the aftermath of such accidents, more people are seriously injured or killed due to the involvement of larger and more powerful trucks.

How do Trucking Accidents Happen?

Like those accidents involving two passenger vehicles, there are many reasons why trucking accidents happen. Below are just a few of the numerous possibilities.

Driver Error

Behaviors such as driver inattention, speeding, driver fatigue, or negligence by the driver in some way can not only significantly increase the amount of damage that occurs, but they can also result in worse results.

There are laws in place regarding items such as rest requirements, distracted driving, and hours-of-service regulations, they aren’t enough to protect other drivers during every scenario.

Truck Maintenance Issues

Driver error or behavior isn’t the only way that an accident between an oversized truck and a passenger vehicle can occur. In many instances, the truck driver hasn’t had an adequate amount of training before being allowed out on the road.

Sometimes the truck itself hasn’t been adequately maintained. Truck loads can create hazards that could lead to an accident.

Improper Truck Load

A truckload that hasn’t been adequately secured, for example, can allow items to become projectiles or litter the roadway with debris that leads to an accident.

In other cases, a truck could be overloaded. These trucks then become more difficult to handle, which can be deadly when the driver must stop quickly or change lanes unexpectedly.

Who’s Liable in a Trucking Accident?

Just like any other accident in which someone is hurt or there is damage, a person or a company could be held liable for the damages.

This could be the owner-operator if the truck driver is found to be at fault, or it could be that the company that owns the truck might be found at fault.

It’s essential that drivers who have been in an accident with a truck seek professional legal advice to protect their rights.