Truck Accidents

Did you know that truck accidents involving large commercial vehicles and semi-tractors account for a fourth of all fatalities in multiple vehicle traffic accidents on the highways in the United States? When you consider the fact that only 3% of all registered vehicles on the roadways are large trucks and 18-wheelers, you can see that the number of accidents is disproportionably high when commercial vehicles are involved.

The larger the vehicle, the greater its propensity for damage is. When a bicycle collides with a subcompact car, the bicyclist has the greatest likelihood for serious injury or death. When a subcompact is involved in an accident with an SUV, the occupants of the subcompact are most likely to suffer serious injury. And so on up the ladder it goes. Large truck accidents often cause the most damage of all. When a large commercial vehicle collides with anything, the damages and injuries can be severe.

Owners and operators of big rigs and other commercial vehicles have a responsibility to keep their vehicles in proper working order, and strap loads tightly. Operators are supposed to conduct an inspection of the vehicle at the end of each workday and keep a log of all parts that aren’t in good working condition. Before they operate the vehicle again, all the parts are supposed to be in working order.

The sad fact is that many commercial drivers are lax in conducting their daily inspections. Many simply write in their logbooks that the inspections were conducted, when in fact they are not. Due to such carelessness, spare tires may fly off, tires in poor condition may burst, insufficient load tie downs may cause trailers to lose their loads, air hoses that operate brakes may be in serious disrepair or perhaps may not even be connected to the trailer.

These and many other problems that the motoring public is not aware of can cause countless serious truck accidents. Some innocent victims suffer fatal or life-altering injuries from loose parts flying off trucks and trailers, dropped loads, and tools crashing through automobile windshields. These are only a few of the problems caused by bungling or slothful truckers.

There are hundreds of CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Administration) certified inspectors around the country, but their numbers are insignificant when compared to the number of commercial vehicles on the highways. There simply are not enough inspectors to catch all the unsafe commercial vehicles, or their drivers, that should not be on the highway.

One of the most significant causes of truck accidents is driver fatigue. The law limits the number of hours a commercial vehicle driver may legally drive in a day or a week. To get around this requirement, many drivers carry two logbooks—one to show police or CVSA inspectors, and one to turn in at work for pay. When two logbooks are used, the hours seldom match. In such cases, the logbook turned in at work is probably more accurate, and will likely show that the driver has exceeded the legal number of driving hours. Most any CVSA inspector is replete with stories of truck drivers who carry more than one logbook. When asked to see the second logbook, some drivers will turn them over to inspectors without even trying to deny their existence.

If you have been involved in any kind of truck accident with a big rig or other large truck, be sure you check with a reliable attorney to help you collect any damages you deserve. The commercial enterprise may be liable for damages you aren’t aware of.