The large trucks and semi-truck commercials are a ubiquitous sight on the highways. They drive at enormously high speed weighing around 10,000 pounds. These trucks are involved in so many accidents and injuries. While traveling at night, accidents tend to happen when visiting rural areas. Further, collision with other vehicles is one common cause of the accident.
Due to the semi-truck size, the people in the smaller vehicles tend to get injured most often. Truck drivers are ten times more likely to cause accidents. Some of the accidents are caused by the divers, while some happen due to negligence or other reasons.
Your Rockford lawyers have a Rockford Trucking accident lawyers team to look after cases caused by trucking accidents. Sharing the road with semi-trucks is not an easy task at all. The group helps in deciding whose mistake was it and whether the personal jury will sit or not. They assist during difficult times to provide a seamless experience.
Accidents caused by the truck drivers
· Cause of overspeeding
Truck drivers are at high speed on the roads because of reach specific locations. They don’t see the road correctly and indulge in overspeeding. Most of the time, drivers are forcefully expected to drive fast. Overtaking these trucks at break speed often led to collisions and fatal injuries.
Over speeding also reduces the time of reaching on time. While driving at high speeds, the driver might have to break immediately. This is not possible all the time, leading to accidents.
· Fatigue of the driver
The truck drivers have to drive for long hours with hectic work schedules. They don’t get the required rest needed by the body. Likewise, some truck drivers are also forced to remain awake during the long hauls. They have to take breaks to rest the body and mind.
The truck drivers are compensated in such a way that they drive faster in all weather conditions. They have to meet deadlines in seemingly impossible weather conditions as well. About 40% of the accidents happen due to the fatigue state of the drivers.
· The driver remains distracted.
The inattention of the drivers also causes accidents and injuries most of the time. They have to cover long distances, so they sometimes check the phone or talk while driving. This turns out to be so much dangerous. The most distractions are drivers reading text messages or visiting social media.
Changing the car radio station during driving also leads to accidents. And sometimes they drive at reckless speed while changing the radio. Drivers can’t take their eyes off the road, or else it might result in precious lives.
· Not having enough training.
Sometimes the trucking companies don’t have enough training to drive on highways. This can lead to severe accidents since the trucks are so massive and bulky. Besides, before moving, the truck drivers must be given enough training to lead the way.
They should instil the skills before taking on the roads. There are threshold training hours that drivers must meet; they should only give the permit to drive. All truck drivers should adhere to the guidelines.
· Lower filled liquid loads
Many modes of transport liquids like gas and oil. The trucks are permitted to hold certain liquids before getting full. It is not good to keep the car partially complete as the oil will spill and cause havoc. If a liquid makes a sudden movement, the drivers can lose control leading to accidents.
· Tires and brakes
As per reports, about 29% of the accidents are caused by brake failures. Likewise, there can be faulty inspection along with lack of maintenance also. The brakes must be checked and should be kept in good condition. Not just the driver but the authority is also responsible for checking the brakes.
Another common problem is tire malfunctioning. A large number of truck accidents happen due to bad tires also. Since the tires are used so frequently, they must be changed from time to time. The design flaws and poor performance are some reasons for faulty tires. Without a proper inspection, there can be tire blowouts.
Accidents not caused by the drivers
· Issues arising on the roads
Truckers sometimes take the wrong route while traveling at night. They seem to forget the way since everything looks identical. Moreover, when roads are not that excellent, keeping up becomes a problem.
Sometimes climatic conditions also stop the truckers from reaching on time. This causes a lot of accidents on the roads. Even the mindful driver cannot stay away from accidents. The truck crash is common, mostly at nights when the roads are not safe.
· Vehicle malfunctioning
There can be mechanical failures in the trucks leading to crashes and accidents. Further, this can be due to any faulty design or faulty installation of truck components. When the brakes don’t run effectively, it also indicates something terrible.
While loading trucks, it should be loaded effectively. Failing to do so can result in rollovers, or other dangerous scenarios truck drivers think in their heads.
Common truck injuries
· Spinal cord injury
There can be partial or complete damage to the spinal cord, making the driver wholly paralyzed. If the spine gets injured, it is not easy to fix it. It will involve so many years of treatment.
· Head injuries
Head injuries can be either minor or significant. Some of the brain injuries can be very traumatic lasting for years.
· Back injuries
The neck and back both contain very fragile bones that can be easily replaced. This injury might not appear sooner, but with time, it will cause immense pain.
· Burns
If there is rapturing of the fuel tanks, it will cause burns in the drivers. Fire is easy to spread and engulf the driver.
Conclusion
If you have been in a truck accident, the first thing is to seek medical attention. Many people die each year in these fatal accidents. Jury lawyers are helping in truck accidents. You can seek their help for determining the long-term costs.
