Top Causes of Truck Injury Accidents

Whether you are commuting to work or heading across the country on a road trip, you share the road with very large commercial vehicles. Semi-trailers deliver our goods and keep the shelves full, but they also can pose a hazard on the roads. These vehicles can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and if the driver makes a mistake, it can be deadly to the people in the passenger cars around him. Let’s look at some of the top causes of truck injury accidents that may occur on the roadways this summer.

Speeding Trucks

Trucks often have different speed limits than passenger vehicles on major roadways and for good reason. It takes much longer for a semi-truck to come to a stop than a car, and that distance increases the faster the truck travels. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), over 75% of large truck fatalities in 2020 were trucks going over 50 MPH, with almost 25% of these crashes with trucks traveling over 70 MPH.

Lane Shifts and Truck Movement

If you have shared the road with semi-trucks, you likely have seen a truck cross the dotted line into another lane. While these mistakes are usually corrected, if they are not, they can result in serious injuries and fatalities. Large truck movement accounted for 32,000 injury accidents and 968 fatalities in 2020, according to FMCSA statistics.

Distracted Driving

It is easy to become distracted when you are driving, but it is also one of the most dangerous causes of accidents. Truck drivers that are on their phones, eating meals, or not paying attention to the road can put others at risk. According to the FMCSA, an estimated 71% of truck crashes are caused by distracted driving.

Driver Fatigue

Truck drivers are often on the road for up to 11 hours legally, and many drive longer than that illegally. Sleepy drivers behind the wheel of a giant commercial truck can careen into other vehicles and even cause head-on collisions on two-lane roads. The exact statistics on truck driver fatigue causing accidents are not known as it is rarely reported by the driver. However, a truck accident injury lawyer can investigate the accident and often will find proof of driver fatigue and negligence.

Drug and Alcohol Use

Truck drivers using alcohol and drugs while driving put others at risk and also put their job on the line. Laws regulating substance use for commercial truck drivers are stricter, but that does not mean it does not occur. If drug or alcohol testing shows substances in the truck driver’s system, it can be used to build a truck accident injury case for victims.

If you are in a large truck accident that was caused by a truck driver’s negligence, you need an experienced injury accident attorney on your side. These cases are very complex and require extensive research to ensure victims receive the compensation they deserve. Contact our team at Race Law Firm for a free legal consultation if you are injured in a truck crash this summer.