The most deadly and costly occurring accidents are those involving trucks. One out of every eight automotive accident fatalities involve large trucks such as big rigs, tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles. When a commercial truck is involved in an accident, eighty-six percent of fatalities and seventy-seven percent of those injured are the drivers and passengers of the smaller vehicles involved in the crash.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, truck accidents occur an average of eleven times a day in the United States. These accidents result in over 100,000 injuries and 4,000 deaths each year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there has been an increase in fatalities involving large trucks – trucks such as 18-wheelers and semis. Accidents involving large trucks result in multiple-vehicle accidents, causing more deaths and injuries to a larger group of people.
Truck accidents occur for a wide variety of reasons, the most common causes are driver error, mechanical failures, and conditions such as poor weather, traffic signal failure and road issues.
Although there are laws regarding the number of hours a truck driver can spend on the road each day, these laws are rarely followed. Drivers are not getting sufficient sleep due to tight deadlines, in fact, most trucking accidents are caused by driver fatigue and sleep deprivation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a study that found that eight-eight percent of trucking accidents were due to driver error.
The second most common cause of truck accidents is related to truck maintenance issues. Most truck accidents caused by mechanical issues are due to improper maintenance. The most common problem with commercial trucks are unsafe brakes.
Because a truck is much bigger and heavier than a car, when a car and a truck are involved in an accident, the car suffers most of the damage and the driver is more likely to suffer serious injury or death.
Speeding poses another danger. Speeding along with being unfamiliar with the road causes many truck accidents. The truck driver may be unable to reduce his speed if traffic suddenly slows or if an obstacle appears in the road. The size of the truck along with the momentum results in the truck being unable to slow down enough to avoid causing an accident.
Rear end collisions caused by tailgating. Many truck drivers are on a tight deadline and will “ride the bumper” of the car in front of them. This type of aggressive, intimidating driving endangers everyone on the road and greatly increases the chance of a rear end collision, and unlike a rear end collision with another automobile, most rear end collisions with trucks result in a fatality.
There are also some issues related to the size of the truck itself. Trucks have blind spots just like cars do. However, the blind spots on trucks are much larger and not include the sides but also directly in the rear. Trucks also require larger braking zones to avoid accidents.
Truck accidents can be devastating and can cause critical injuries to accident victims such as burns, neck and back injuries, broken bones, bone fractures, internal injuries, brain injuries and the worst possible injury – death.
Victims of truck accidents can incur major financial expenses related to medical bills, vehicle repairs, and time off work. The families of people killed in truck accidents incur additional expenses related to lost time at work and funeral expenses.
If you or a family member have been involved in a truck accident it is crucial that you hire an experienced lawyer. Many trucking companies and insurance providers will try to avoid taking responsibility for the accident. They may also encourage you to accept less of a settlement than you’re entitled. to.
When you’re trying to recover from the injuries sustained in a truck accident or deal with the loss of a loved one, it can be difficult to figure out what to do. You’ll require the services of an experienced Providence Truck Accident Attorney.
Hiring the right Providence Personal Injury Attorney for Your Truck Accident Injury Case
When choosing a Rhode Island Attorney to represent you, it is important that you choose someone with specific experience in truck accident case. There are two reasons why this is especially important:
- Your lawyer must be thoroughly familiar with federal and state trucking regulations.
- Your lawyer must understand the long-term ramifications of catastrophic injuries and the costs and damages involved.
For the expertise that comes with four decades of focused experience in truck accidents and serious personal injury cases in Rhode Island, choose the Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd..
Call today for a free consultation. You’ll have no out-of pocket expenses, and you’ll only pay legal fees if we win money for you and your family.
Don’t wait. Let us begin our investigation now, while evidence is still fresh and before statutory time limits expire. Call the Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd. today at 401.751.8855 to speak with an experienced Providence Truck Accident Attorney.
