6 Main Causes of Truck Accidents
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| Image by markus roider from Pixabay |
Truck accidents are more devastating than small vehicle accidents because of the size, weight of the truck, and long braking time. With over 1.5 million trucks operating daily in the United States, especially on highways and rural areas, truck accidents are not uncommon. A truck accident could easily leave a number of fatalities and countless injuries if it involves a pileup.
You can sue a truck driver after an accident if they were negligent, and you can prove it in court. Negligence is one of the many causes of truck accidents, and in this article, we are going to look into some of them.
What Are the Causes of Truck Accidents?
1. Driver Fatigue
Truck driving is a demanding job and requires drivers to drive for long distances without stopping to get to their destination. There are strict deadlines that they must adhere to, adding intense pressure and stress to the job. If a driver gets little to no quality rest or sleep, they end up driving while tired, which means they can easily lose focus and even fall asleep at the wheel.
Even though there are set rules and regulations that determine how long a truck driver can work in a shift, how long they should sleep, and how long their rest breaks should be, their employers don’t care. They impose very strict deadlines that make it hard to follow these set laws, which can be dangerous for the driver and expensive for the company when paying victims compensation for negligence.
2. Driving While Intoxicated
Some drivers decide to use drugs to stay awake longer e.g. marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, etc. Even though they start using for a seemingly good reason, eventually addiction sets in and they can’t go without using drugs. Drugs lead to sensory impairment, which is dangerous while driving.
Once the drugs start to wear off, the driver is more likely to fall asleep at the wheel because their body is going through a change. They end up doing the same thing they were trying to avoid.
3. Lack of Training
Even if you know how to drive a truck, there might be a need for additional training to handle the trucks used by your employer. Some employers skip this step because they need to get drivers on the road as soon as possible. Some even fail to check their skills at all, which can be very dangerous.
4. Lack of Maintenance
This happens because the driver and the truck company want to cut costs and maximize the time the truck is on the road. This means that the vehicle could be operating with malfunctioning brakes, worn out tires, inconsistent oil , etc. All the vehicle neglect can lead to the vehicle giving out and causing an accident in the process.
5. Low Filled Liquid Load
Trucks that transport liquid loads are designed to carry a certain amount of liquid for safe transportation but some drivers will still transport low levels of liquids anyway. The movement of liquid from side to side can destabilize the truck and cause it to change speeds or roll over. If a driver reacts to an emergency e.g., braking suddenly, the liquid could propel the vehicle and the driver could lose control causing an accident.
6. Transporting Unsecured Loads
Although the truck may be loaded by separate individuals or companies, the driver should check to see how the loading process is happening and ensure that everything is secured before closing the door. He should ensure that the weight of the load is evenly distributed in the truck and that the doors of the truck are properly closed to prevent cargo from flying out of the truck and into oncoming traffic.
Why You Need a Lawyer if You Were in a Truck Accident
As discussed, there could be a number of people that are liable in a truck accident. You will need an experienced truck accident lawyer to look at your case and tell you who you can go after to get the fairest compensation.