According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 333,000 large trucks involved in traffic crashes in 2012.
Many of these big truck, or semi accidents are the result of a negligent driver. When a big truck driver breaks the law while driving, the results can be disastrous to the people sharing the road with them. Something as simple as failing to signal can cause a fatal collision on the highway.
Commercial trucks like big rigs and delivery trucks post a significant danger to smaller vehicles and their passengers, especially if there’s an overworked or negligent driver behind the wheel. Not only do truck drivers need to be aware of the dangers presented by their large and unwieldy vehicles, they must also be patient when sharing the road with smaller vehicles.
Big trucks cans easily be the faulted party in a traffic accident, especially if the driver has had inadequate training in driving technique, safety, and defensive driving. Sometimes a truck company will have unrealistic and unsafe expectations for speed, creating monetary compensations that invariable encouraging risk-taking behavior. Speed expectations and unrealistic deadlines will often contribute to missed sleep while on the road. A groggy driver is an unsafe driver, especially behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound truck, and this type of situation is a disaster waiting to happen. Sometimes both the driver and the company employing them are found to be legally negligent when a lawsuit arises from an accident.
If you have been involved in a truck accident with a semi or other large commercial vehicle, you will need to speak to an experienced attorney who can guide you through this specialized field. We can start protecting your interests right away, just contact us to get started.