Truck Accidents still High in Number
Commercial trucks are a unique presence in traffic where there are predominantly passenger vehicles. Because of the size and restricted maneuverability, accidents involving commercial trucks or big-rigs can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries. Over the years, the government and truck companies have enforced various laws to reduce truck accidents and make trucking safer. With the increased training and increased number of safety procedures, one might think that the number of truck accidents would be small. Yet, there are still about 400 fatal accidents and more than 8000 tow-away accidents involving big-rig or large trucks in California in 2006.
Causes of Truck Accidents
There could be many causes for a truck accident, but the ones that bring the most concern are tight delivery deadlines, overloading of the truck, and mechanical failure. Wanting to make the tight deadline, truck drivers are inclined to drive faster and longer hours, which often lead to an accident. With the gigantic size and weight, a truck accident at high speed usually causes serious injuries including back injury, neck injury, spinal cord injury, broken bone injury, and even brain injury. Fatality is, of course, another well-known consequence of a truck accident.
A truck carrying dangerous cargo or is overloaded with a large amount of cargo is also more likely to be involved in an accident. With limited view, a truck driver cannot tell if part of his cargo is in danger of falling off and affecting other vehicles until it does, and in addition to the already limited maneuverability, the large cargo makes it even harder to change the current momentum and direction of the truck. Hence, a slight change in normal traffic is likely to cause a truck accident when an overloaded truck is present in traffic.
Car Drivers Also a Cause for Truck Accidents
Unsafe acts committed by car drivers are also a common cause for truck accidents. Oftentimes car drivers don't realize the extent of the truck's restricted view and maneuverability, and there is also that assumption that a large truck will always yield to a smaller car. Most car drivers exploit the superior maneuverability and flexibility of a car to perform dangerous maneuver near a large truck, and sometimes those actions are dangerous enough to lead to a truck accident. Some of the common unsafe acts committed by car drivers are:
- Changing lane abruptly in front of a truck
- Driving in the "blind" zone ? the areas behind and beside a truck where the truck driver has no visibility
- Failure to yield to a truck when necessary and cause a truck to brake quickly
- Passing when there is not enough headway
- Merging or pulling into traffic from a roadside without enough acceleration and headway
Compensation for Injured Victims of a Truck Accident
If you were injured in a truck accident, you could be eligible for compensation. You might be the driver of the truck and were injured at the negligence of another. Sometimes the fault is not of either parties involved in the truck accident, but of faulty servicing, defective products, or dangerous cargo. You may not even be involved in the truck accident, but were affected by the spill from a truck accident. As long as you have suffered a personal injury, the law offices of Thomas S. Geraghty will help you recover compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of earning capacity, etc.
TSG's personal injury attorneys and lawyers are well-known for theirs caring personal service and aggressive and artful representation. Our law offices offer 24-hour free initial consultation, so call now to learn your rights as an injured victim.
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