Why Truck Accidents Happen on U.S. Roads
When truck crashes happen, 27% of the vehicles were determined to have had brake issues. Another 19% of the causes of trucking accidents include someone who was not familiar with the area in which he or she was driving. When taking these statistics into account, it isn’t surprising that crashes are expected to be the fifth-leading cause of death by 2030.
Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
Figuring out the causes of trucking accidents can be difficult because more than one party can be determined to be responsible. The reason can also be things that presented themselves long before the accident ever happened. There may also be additional causes of the crash that manifest right before the collision occurs. When experts need to figure out what caused an accident, they rarely suggest that there was only one factor involved. When determining causation, experts identify the issues that were likely to have increased the chance of an accident occurring.
Trucking Company and Part Manufacturer Negligence
The fact is that trucks are in operation for several days, and these vehicles are being driven for thousands of miles. This causes a lot of wear and tear on the truck, so it needs to have regular maintenance. If the brakes do not receive this essential service, for example, the truck could be headed for a major accident in the future. Before a truck driver can take his or her rig out on the road, he or she must inspect it first. If they identify any issues that need the attention of a mechanic, they are expected to submit a report to their supervisor. If this isn’t done, the driver may share some of the blame for an accident that causes injuries.
Equipment can fail because the truck company neglected to perform regular maintenance on the truck. It can also be because a truck part’s manufacturer designed the part negligently. The manufacturer may have used an unsafe manner of producing the parts. If any of these explanations caused the crash, the truck’s parts may be defective and dangerous to use. In these cases, the part’s manufacturer and/or designer and the truck’s owner may be liable for the accident that caused your injuries.
Trucking law states that a truck company must load a truck with the approved amount of merchandise. If they try to load the vehicle with more than is allowed by law, the result could be an accident that causes several injuries or even fatalities. One possible result is that a truck jackknifes, or the tires could blow out. In any case, the trucking company may be held responsible for the accident.
A load that has been mislabeled can lead to an explosion or a spill of dangerous chemicals, which is another major danger on the roads. The cargo may also have been loaded in the wrong way, leading to improper weight distribution. Rollover accidents occur because of this reason, and the trucking company can be held liable.
When the truck is being loaded, everyone is required to pay close attention to the load’s weight, height, length and width. The load must not exceed a designated weight. Personnel must only secure the loads in the manner that is dictated by law, or the load may be in danger of falling off the truck. When a truck’s load falls onto the roads, this is a highly dangerous situation for the other drivers. The trucking company will be held responsible in this instance.
Governmental Agency Negligence
Accidents also result from obstacles in the road. Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether the driver was driving in an unsafe manner because the road conditions were unsafe. These hazardous conditions are a reason that accidents between trucks and other vehicles occur. If the roads are not being properly maintained or were designed negligently, these issues can contribute to vehicle accidents too. In most cases, governmental agencies are responsible for the upkeep of the roads. If they fail to do so, and an accident occurs that injures you and damages your vehicle, you will be able to hold the government agency responsible.
Driver Negligence and Inexperience as Causes of Trucking Accidents
When people are driving on unfamiliar roads, they can begin to experience difficulties. This can certainly be the case for a new driver who is driving on unfamiliar roads. This new and inexperienced driver may be able to control an 80,000-pound truck, but because they don’t know the roads well, they may experience issues. This can be a recipe for disaster, and the driver would be responsible for any mishaps.
The scenario described above could be the result of inadequate training. Some important things that a driver needs to learn are how to handle such a large vehicle and what all the security components mean. Drivers also need to learn how to drive defensively. If they are not learning these things, the roads can contain serious dangers for them and for other drivers.
The weather is a huge contributor to the causes of truck accidents. Unfortunately, climate conditions cannot receive the blame for any accidents that occur. A driver inexperienced in driving in inclement weather is more likely than an experienced driver to cause a collision. Trucks are very large, so they are also extremely heavy. Under normal conditions, a truck needs a considerable amount of time to slow down to a stop. That’s the reason that experienced drivers travel at just the right speed that keeps them from skidding, hydroplaning and jackknifing in troubled weather.
According to trucking law, a driver must fulfill several responsibilities before he or she can appear on the roads. This includes the commitment to driving safely, but there will be times when every driver violates this rule. They may also drive recklessly or be distracted by their cell phones. In this case, the driver will definitely be held liable for the collision.
Sometimes individuals will drive under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. This includes illicit and prescription drugs. Prescription drugs can cause side effects that impair a driver’s ability to perform his or her duties, and this can cause serious accidents to occur.
One of the causes of trucking accidents that is cited more often than any other is driver fatigue. Drivers are often forced to remain on the roads for long periods of time without an adequate amount of rest. The driver’s boss is to blame when this scenario occurs because bosses force their drivers to make their deliveries without giving them enough time to get the rest that they need. Drivers know that they must meet a deadline, so they go without sleep and become stressed and fatigued. This results in a loss of concentration and coordination. They may even fall asleep while they are behind the wheel.
If you have been injured in a collision with a truck, contact us at the law firm of Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo. We are located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Somerville, New Jersey. Contact us at our New Brunswick office at (732) 247-3600 or our Somerville office at (908) 448-2560. You can also email us at contact@ram.law. We look forward to hearing from you.
