Speeding Truck Accident Attorneys
Truck drivers spend their days and nights crisscrossing the country delivering the products we use on a daily basis. That’s where speeding can sometimes come into play. Truckers under intense pressure to perform may feel the need to resort to speeding to stay ahead of the game. Yet, tight deadlines and pressure to stay on track should never trump someone else’s safety on the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that in 2018, “speeding of any kind” was the most frequent cause of driver-related crashes.
The Warwick truck accident attorneys of Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd. understand the significant impact that a large truck collision can have on an individual’s physical and financial well-being. You may be in a very vulnerable position afterward, and trucking companies know this. They may even resort to bullying tactics and pressure from their own team of lawyers and insurers to get you to settle for significantly less than what your accident injury claim is worth.
If you’ve been injured in an accident with a speeding semi-truck, contact the legal team at Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd. for a fair and honest assessment of your situation. We may be able to help you recover full compensation for your injuries and pain and suffering. You don’t have to take the trucking company’s word for the value of your claim. Talk to an experienced accident attorney for free. Call Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd. at (401) 751-8855 and learn more about your legal options today.
Common Causes of Speeding Accidents Involving Trucks
Speeding is considered a form of aggressive driving. Aggressive driving is a set of behaviors that are performed by a driver intentionally with disregard for the safety of others with whom they share the road. This type of behavior is especially dangerous when the driver is in control of 80,000-pounds of steel and products.
It can take an enormous amount of time and distance to slow a speeding truck. In good conditions, a fully-loaded tractor-trailer going 65 miles per hour needs approximately 525 feet to stop. That is almost the length of two football fields. Faster speeds, inclement weather conditions, and oversized loads can significantly increase the amount of time and distance it takes for a truck to come to a stop.
The problem of speeding is compounded when you take into consideration the fact that braking too quickly can cause its own set of problems, like rollovers and jackknifing accidents. Improper braking in poor conditions can also result in serious collisions.
Why the need for speed? These are some of the most common causes of speeding and speed-related accidents in the trucking industry:
Tight Deadlines
- The trucking industry is a vital part of transporting a variety of goods and products across the country. However, tight deadlines from trucking companies can make drivers push the limits. A driver under pressure to make a delivery in a short amount of time may resort to speeding in order to stay ahead of their target date. A driver that needs to stop for food, sleep, or other necessities may also feel like they need to speed in order to “make up the time.”
Traffic Conditions
- Across the board, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration notes that traffic is the number one factor cited as contributing to speeding. Drivers may speed in an attempt to get out of heavy traffic and away from congestion and other drivers. Truckers may also speed through traffic in order to keep on schedule, knowing traffic conditions may slow them down.
Distracted Driving
- At times drivers may end up speeding and not even realize that they are doing it. Distracted driving is anything take takes a driver’s eyes or attention off the road and the safe operation of their vehicle. Using a phone or GPS, texting, eating, or watching videos can all take a driver’s attention off the operation of their vehicle, resulting in an inadvertent increase of their speed.
Rural Settings
- Some truck drivers are most apt to speed on lonely stretches of a rural road. These roads are less frequently patrolled and monitored by law enforcement. In addition, without the presence of heavy traffic, a driver may feel a false sense of security and that speeding won’t hurt anyone if they are in the “middle of nowhere.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t bear out. Statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that in 2018, at least 57 percent of all fatal collisions involving large trucks happened on rural stretches of road.
Compensation Following a Speeding Truck Accident
Following a large truck accident, the question of compensation can get complicated. Trucking companies employ teams of insurers and attorneys to protect themselves and their business interests. This means keeping money in the pocket of the trucking company, not in the hands of victims impacted by a significant trucking-related accident.
The best bet a victim has for obtaining the maximum amount of compensation that they are due is to hire their own legal representation. An attorney can be an advocate for your rights, in addition to being a powerful resource when it comes to investigating the circumstances of the accident and holding the driver or trucking company accountable for their actions.
While every speeding accident is unique, victims can reasonably expect that they may be compensated for certain portions of their accident-related damages. These expenses or damages may include:
- Current medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Property damage
- Loss of wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Disability
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Wrongful death
Contact a Skilled Truck Accident Attorney Today
Trucking companies and their lawyers want to pay you a fraction of what your injuries may truly be worth. By signing on the dotted line without checking with an attorney of your own, you are forfeiting your legal rights and may not be getting all the money that you deserve after a severe truck accident caused by speeding. Before you agree to anything, talk to the experienced truck accident team at Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd.. We can review your case for free and give you honest advice about your best course of action.
At Law Offices of Ronald J. Resmini, Accident & Injury Lawyers, Ltd., we work on a contingency basis, which means we don’t collect money from you upfront. Ready to talk about how we may be able to help you collect the maximum compensation for your truck accident claim? Call us today at (401) 751-8855, and let’s get started.
