Truck Accidents: Common Causes
It is difficult to imagine a more terrifying traffic accident than one involving a massive semi-truck. The sheer size and weight of these vehicles alone make any ensuing accidents that much more deadly – especially for those occupying the other vehicle. Each and every truck accident involves its own highly specific set of circumstances, but these dangerous accidents often share common causes.
Unsafe Truckers
Most traffic accidents boil down to driver negligence in one form or another, and truck accidents are certainly no different. Truck driver negligence can take many shapes, including:
Distraction – Truck drivers have a wide range of safety-related responsibilities while on the road, including remaining focused on their primary task of sharing the road safely with other vehicles. They are also, however, tasked with keeping careful records related to each haul, conducting frequent safety checks, not exceeding hours of service regulations, and much more. When a trucker becomes distracted by anything other than the important responsibilities at hand, a dangerous accident can be the result.
Exhaustion – Truckers are often on the road for long stretches of time, which is why there are careful hours-of-service restrictions in place. Drowsy drivers are dangerous drivers, and drowsy truck drivers are even more so due to the immense size of their rigs.
Speed – Speed plays an outsized role in traffic accidents, and when the speeding vehicle in question is an 18-wheeler barreling down the road, it is not difficult to imagine the extreme inherent danger.
Impaired Truckers
While impairment is a category of trucker negligence, it is such an important issue that it is deserving of separate attention. Truck drivers are professional drivers, and the risk associated with being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs while behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler is so significant that the law has zero-tolerance for such truckers. Truck drivers make their living behind the wheel, and they are often pushed – or they push themselves – to put in more hours than is legal. Some of these truckers resort to amphetamines to help them stay alert. Regardless of whether the drug is alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, or anything else, however, impaired truckers do not belong behind the wheel.
Poorly Loaded Rigs
The massive trailer connected to a semi’s cab often plays a pivotal role in truck accidents. When a tractor is sloppily or unevenly loaded, it can cause or exacerbate dangerous traffic accidents, especially when excess speed or failure to account for the deleterious effects of bad weather are involved. Poorly loaded semi-trucks can end in life-threatening jackknife and rollover accidents, which are some of the most dangerous and terrifying accidents on our roadways.
Reach Out to an Experienced Killeen Personal Injury Attorney Today
If a trucker’s negligence leaves you injured, Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Killeen, Texas, is a dedicated personal injury attorney who has vast experience helping injured clients like you obtain favorable claim resolutions that provide them with the financial means to recover as fully as possible. We are here for you, so please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information today.