What Causes Truck Accidents?
Accidents involving large commercial trucks are frequently fatal, particularly for the occupants of passenger vehicles.
They can happen for a variety of reasons in any conditions.
When a huge truck collides with a small passenger car, the victims in the passenger car are extremely vulnerable to severe injury or death, regardless of the reason.
The main reason for this is because commercial vehicles frequently weigh over 30,000 pounds, whereas a passenger vehicle weighs around 4,000 pounds.
The passenger car has little chance against the 18-wheeler.
Aside from the truck's sheer size, the driver of a huge commercial truck is elevated above the ground, whereas the driver of a passenger vehicle is much lower.
Driving defensively and paying attention to your surroundings is the greatest method to avoid an accident with semi-trucks.
If you've been injured in an accident, it's important to contact an Atlanta truck accident attorney.
Another method to avoid them is to be aware of the most typical causes. We'll go over the most prevalent causes of truck accidents in the article below so you'll be ready the next time you see an 18-wheeler.
Driver Fatigue
A common cause of accidents can be driver error, and when a motorist is sleepy, they are far more likely to make mistakes.
Driving a truck is a difficult, stressful, and high-pressure profession.
Trucking companies rely on their drivers to deliver their cargo within a certain time frame.
As a result, many truck drivers work long hours with little relaxation.
The number of miles truckers must drive each day can often leave them with insufficient time to get a good night's sleep.
Drivers experience reduced reaction times as well as a loss of coordination and focus as a result of this.
That's not even taking into account the possibility of falling asleep behind the wheel.
Fortunately, laws and trucking rules govern how many hours a trucker can drive every day, how much sleep they require, and when they must take rest breaks.
However, many organizations and truck drivers do not always follow these guidelines, resulting in a significant problem with driver fatigue.
Speeding and Overtaking
Large trucking businesses demand its drivers to be at specified places in a certain period of time, therefore they may speed in addition to not sleeping.
Truckers are slowed by things like bad weather and heavy traffic, so they do everything they can to make up for lost time, which sometimes includes speeding.
It's not ideal, but you can understand why truckers breach the speed limit because they're under pressure to meet their deadlines so their employment aren't jeopardized.
Being overtaken by these large trucks at high speeds might cause oncoming drivers in smaller automobiles to veer off the road, resulting in potentially catastrophic collisions.
In addition, speeding causes a considerable reduction in reaction time.
Commercial drivers may be needed to break suddenly or veer into another portion of the road, however this is not always practicable when traveling at high speeds.
Driving Under the Influence
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is obviously unlawful in every state. Commercial truck drivers are subject to greater standards than the general public in many jurisdictions, and rightly so.
If a truck driver needs to go behind the wheel, they should have very little alcohol in their system.
This is because the semi-sheer truck's size and weight make it an inherent threat to the general public if the driver is inebriated.
Truckers are held to a higher standard since, if not properly handled, their trucks can turn into weapons.
Truckers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs endanger themselves and others on the road.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a problem that affects everyone, and it's just as bad on city streets as it is on highways.
When drivers engage in an activity that diverts their attention away from driving, this is known as distracted driving.
If you've ever taken a lengthy road trip, you know how tedious it can be to drive long distances.
Truck drivers in remote locations, in particular, may not have adequate radio reception, which means they won't be able to listen to music or other things to keep them engaged.
The boredom that results from this may prompt a trucker to take up their phone, text, listen to podcasts, eat, or do whatever else they can to keep themselves occupied.
Even if the truck driver isn't driving distracted intentionally, anything that takes their attention away from the road for even a second could be fatal.
Failing To Secure Loads
Whatever a semi-truck is transporting, the cargo or items must be securely packed and secured so that the truck's weight is uniformly distributed.
A terrible trucking catastrophe, such as a truck rollover, can occur if the driver or truck business fails to ensure the weight is evenly distributed.
Uneven weight distribution is especially dangerous during maneuvers or when the truck is attempting to stop.
If merchandise aren't securely secured or stowed on a flyer, they risk flying off the trailer and into oncoming traffic.
On an interstate, this might easily result in a big accident.
Low Filled Liquid Loads
Liquids such as gas and oil are transported in some delivery trucks.
Before they become too full, these tanks can only contain a specific amount of liquid.
Leaving a tank partially full, on the other hand, is more risky than most people realize.
If a trailer is less than 3/4 full, the liquid inside the tank can splash around, causing the vehicle to sway back and forth.
This is particularly dangerous when the vehicle turns or speeds up.
It's very easy for the driver to lose control and cause an accident when the liquid moves suddenly.
Wide Turns
A semi-truck will perform a far wider turn than a regular passenger car, regardless of which way it turns.
Its length, size, weight, and small turning radius all contribute to this.
When the truck is turning, this can result in blind zones.
Truck drivers, on the other hand, do not have full use of the road to perform their turns and must stay in their lane of traffic while doing so.
They must also take reasonable care of others and ensure that nothing is in their blind zones.
They could easily be engaged in a trucking accident if they don't.
Improper Training Or Maintenance
Before driving a commercial vehicle, there are rules and regulations governing how many hours of training each truck driver must complete.
Some drivers, on the other hand, are able to get on the road before they have completed all of their qualifications.
This leaves them unprepared to deal with some situations when driving, such as bad weather, and they may not be aware of all federal requirements.
Whether it's wind, rain, or snow, every truck driver will have to drive through inclement weather.
To successfully drive in inclement weather in a commercial truck, you'll need a lot of practice and good instruction.
In bad weather, truck drivers should drive slower than usual to avoid skidding, hydroplaning, or jackknifing the vehicle.
Everyone on the road around them is at risk if a driver isn't adequately schooled in driving in poor weather.
Before a truck is allowed to go on the road, it must pass a series of inspections, which can be hastened or bypassed entirely.
Maintenance has expenses, and it requires time that companies would rather spend making deliveries.
As a result, normal maintenance is frequently disregarded for as long as possible, leaving the trucker at the wheel of a risky vehicle.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Law Firm
You should seek compensation for your injuries and other damages if you were injured in a trucking accident that was not your fault.
If the trucker is judged to be at fault for the accident, you are entitled to financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other losses you have suffered.
A careless truck driver may change your life forever in a matter of seconds, but navigating the convoluted legal system can feel like a lifetime.
After a truck accident, an expert truck accident attorney from the Mabra Law Firm will fight to preserve your rights.
The Mabra Law Firm can assist you in recovering both physically and financially after a truck accident.
Our Atlanta truck accident lawyers know where to seek for evidence to prove that the truck driver was at fault, and they will go to any length to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.