Being involved in an accident with a large truck can be one frightening event. All you have to do is search YouTube for “truck accidents” and a series of intense videos will come up. Some will take your breath away as you watch cars and SUVs split into a million pieces in some of the crashes.
Considering the massive size of semi-trucks, it’s understandable why most deaths in trucking accidents involve the passenger vehicle occupants instead of the truck drivers themselves. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute:
- About 1 in 10 deaths on America’s highways involve a large truck crash.
- A large truck can weigh up to 30 times more than a car.
- Large trucks have a greater ground clearance, so smaller vehicles can get stuck underneath (underride crashes).
- A loaded tractor-trailer takes up to 40 percent further to stop, even longer when the road is icy, slippery, or wet.
- Truck driver fatigue is a known crash risk.
To learn more about large truck crashes, click here.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), between 2011 and 2012, the number of large trucks that involved fatal crashes went from 3,633 to 3,802, a 5 percent increase.
Over that same time period, the number of large trucks that were involved in injury crashes went from 63,000 to 77,000, a 22 percent increase, the FMCSA reports.
While large trucks are involved in a small proportion of the total accidents in the United States, when they do occur, they have a greater chance of being deadly than an accident involving a passenger car.
When Truck Drivers Are at Fault
Like everyone else, truckers are human. This means that truck drivers can easily make a mistake that ends up causing a serious injury accident. Here are some common examples of truck driver negligence that lead to large truck crashes:
- Aggressive driving
- Driver inattention
- Unfamiliarity with the road
- Driving with bad brakes
- A lack of training
- Taking a turn too fast
- Improperly loaded truck
- Medically unqualified to operate a CMV
- Driving without a valid commercial driver license (CDL)
- Texting while driving (illegal in ALL states)
- Truck driver fatigue (violating the FMCSA’s hours-of-service regulations)
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (including sedating medications)
While there are plenty of good carriers and drivers out there, we cannot ignore the fact that there are also many trucking companies and commercial drivers who do not follow the federal regulations set forth by the FMCSA. In fact, the FMCSA has employees who specifically seek out violators who are noncompliant so they can shut them down.
Injured in a trucking accident?
If you, or someone you love was injured in a trucking accident, you need an experienced New Jersey attorney on your side. At Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, we understand how these types of claims work and would be glad to help you file a claim for compensation.
Call (201) 870-1909 for representation throughout New Jersey!