subject: How A Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You [print this page] Truck accidents cause a lot of damage to smaller vehicles involved in the crash. This is due to the extreme size and weight of large trucks compared with that of passenger vehicles. When loaded, a large truck can weigh as much as 10,000 pounds, which can cause serious injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident.
Every year, truck accidents in the United States number in the thousands. Most often, serious injuries are sustained by the occupants of smaller vehicles or pedestrians involved in the accident, while the truck driver suffers only minor injuries or none at all. There are many factors which contribute to causing truck accidents, including:
Driver fatigue Fatigue can cause the driver to fall asleep or become drowsy behind the wheel, which often leads to loss of control of the vehicle due to over-correction.
Overloading An overloaded or improperly loaded truck can be unbalanced, causing the truck to overturn or the truck driver to lose control of the vehicle, placing everyone else on the road in harm's way.
Driving under the influence of alcohol Alcohol can decrease the driver's reaction time, causing deadly truck accidents.
Driving under the influence of over-the-counter and prescription drugs Even a seemingly harmless over-the-counter medication, such as a cold medicine, can affect the performance of the driver due to the side effects it will cause. It is necessary to educate drivers regarding the use of these medications, and to instruct them not to operate trucks while on any type of medication.
Driver distraction Distractions such as talking on a cell phone or texting while driving can lead to serious injuries and fatalities.
Improper maintenance of the truck and truck parts A truck owner and the truck driver are responsible for ensuring the truck is maintained properly. Failure to do so can give rise to truck accident lawsuits.
Improperly trained drivers Truck drivers require proper training to operate a commercial vehicle. Untrained drivers can cause major accidents on the road.
Speeding Truck drivers who fail to obey the speed limit place the lives of everyone else on the roadway in jeopardy.
Aggressive driving Aggressive driving, such as following too closely, can cause serious accidents.
When a truck accident occurs, it is often the fault of the truck driver or trucking company. In such cases, injury victims and surviving family members of those killed in the accident should seek the legal representation of an experienced truck accident attorney. Truck accident cases are complex involving both state and federal laws. An experienced truck accident attorney can help victims receive just compensation for their financial losses and physical injuries.
