Last Updated on March 14, 2024 by Jawad Ali
Commercial transportation is a risky business. According to the US Department of Transportation, there were 112,379 non-fatal truck collisions in 2010 and 12,763 non-fatal bus crashes. There were 44,310 injuries in heavy truck incidents and 6,854 in bus crashes. There were 2,559 heavy vehicles involved in hazardous material incidents. If you have been involved in an accident, check out https://www.ladahlaw.com/ right away.
We can minimize the frequency of accidents and make the roads safer for everyone by understanding the causes of heavy truck crashes and adopting the required safeguards.
- Fatigued driving
According to Forbes, driver weariness is one of the leading causes of truck accidents. Commercial truck drivers frequently exceed the legally allowed driving time limitations, which can lead to weariness and an increased chance of an accident.
Federal regulations enable commercial truck drivers to operate their trucks for up to 11 hours following a 10-hour rest period. In contrast, passenger-carrying drivers can drive up to 10 hours after an eight-hour rest period. It is found that drivers and their companies disregard these restrictions. Finding this material during discovery in a case is frequently critical to the case’s success.
- Overspeeding
Another important cause of commercial vehicle accidents is speeding. According to the Institute for Safer Trucking’s 2022 Safer Trucking Report, there was a 164% increase in deaths caused by truck collisions on highways with speed limits of 75 mph or above between 2011 and 2020.
When commercial vehicles are going fast, the truck driver may find it difficult to react to unforeseen events, which can lead to accidents. The vehicle’s weight and load necessitate longer stopping distances, which are frequently insufficient at such high speeds.
- Not loading cargo properly.
Improperly loaded goods can cause problems such as cargo shift, improper weight distribution, and overloaded trucks. These issues can cause accidents; even worse, goods can spill onto the road, posing extra risks to other vehicles. Identifying the appropriate load is a critical step in establishing the reason for the crash. Furthermore, if another firm was in charge of loading the car and did it incorrectly, this may be an additional defendant to examine.
- Equipment failure
Another important cause of truck accidents is equipment failure. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), one of the three major types of critical events associated with truck fatalities is vehicle loss of control caused by traveling at an unsuitable speed for the road conditions, cargo shifting, vehicle system malfunction, or poor road conditions.
Have you been in an accident?
If you have been in an accident involving commercial vehicles, know the time to pursue a claim is limited. Contact an experienced attorney right away and get the legal counsel you deserve.
