How Much More Fatal Is A Big Truck Accident
How Many Accidents Are Caused By Semi Trucks?
Trucking Accidents Statistics
More than $70 billion is spent every year on medical care and productivity losses caused by truck accidents in the United States every year according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Big and heavy trucks such as 18-wheelers and tractor-trailers can cause severe injuries or fatalities. They often weigh 20-30 times as much as passenger cars and are taller and wider.
While many truck companies hire trained truck drivers, this hasn’t prevented truck accidents from happening. Get in touch with a competent truck accident law firm In Houston TX to learn more.
Truck Accident Statistics
Accidents Involving Semi Trucks
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS):
- More than 4,000 people died in truck accidents in 2020 alone
- 68 percent of those who died were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles
- 16 percent of those who died were pedestrians
- Fifteen percent of those who died were occupants of the trucks that were involved in the accident
- Tractor–trailers were responsible for up to 78 percent of truck accidents in 2020
- Single-unit trucks were responsible for 27 percent of the truck accidents in 2020
- 60 percent of fatalities happen in crashes that involve impact with the front end of the truck
Causes Of Truck Accidents
Big Trucks Wrecks
Driver error is the main reason why truck accidents occur. Other causes of truck accidents include:
- Driving while distracted by a phone or other things
- Driving while under influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving while fatigued or drowsy, which is often caused by overwork
- Driving aggressively
Considering that truck drivers are operating vehicles that are up to 80,0000 pounds in weight, it is important for them to always drive cautiously. When they fail to drive carefully, many people’s lives are put at risk. Truck drivers are not the only parties that can be held liable for a truck accident.
The truck company, manufacturer, or the truck, and loading companies can also be held liable depending on the nature of the accident. For example, if the truck company hired an untrained driver that ended up causing an accident, then both the driver and the truck company can be held liable for the accident.
How The Cause Of The Accident Is Determined
Commercial Truck Accidents
Your truck accident lawyer can carry out a thorough investigation to determine what caused a truck accident so that the at-fault party or parties can be identified. To determine if the accident happened because the driver was fatigued, your lawyer can look if the driving time is more than 11 hours a day or over 70 hours a week. Any indication that they spend more time driving than is recommended means that the truck company is forcing its drivers to stay on the road longer than it is legal.
In that case, both the driver and the truck company may be held liable for your accident. Another scenario is a driver making an error that leads to an accident. Your lawyer will want to find out if the driver’s lack of training is the reason behind that error and so on.
Evidence gathered from this investigation can be used during negotiations with insurance companies or during trial.