Most of the accidents that involve commercial vehicles like eighteen-wheelers and other large freight carriers, tractor trailers can prove fatal for smaller vehicles and most of these accidents are caused due to the recklessness of the auto drivers and at times, truck drivers.
Most of the fatalities and injuries involve passengers while truck drivers escape truck-vehicle collisions with little or no personal injury mostly. A truck accident endangers the lives of other small vehicles when truck or tractor-trailer operators do not follow legal driving norms.
Truck accidents involving 18 wheeler tractor trailers turn out to be fatal. An average loaded commercial truck can weigh anywhere between 55,000 to 80,000 pounds whereas an automobile weighs only around 3,000 pounds.
The huge size of the trucks combined with driver inattention, fatigue, work pressure and longer working hours lead to accidents.
Following are some of the unsafe acts that result in serious truck accidents:-
- If you are ever driving in the “No-Zones” area or you are driving behind or beside a commercial truck then it can result in fatalities. In these situations, the truck driver has limited or zero visibility and that results in accidents.
- Changing lanes in front of a truck suddenly and/or swiftly
- Maneuvering to the right of a truck that is making a right turn all of a sudden.
- Improper merging into the oncoming traffic
- Weaving in and out and between large trucks
While some truck-related accidents result from these reasons, there are instances where truck drivers are responsible for the crash and most of the truck drivers are made to work overtime that can result in fatigue and lack of concentration while driving on the road.
Following are just some of the cases where lack of attention by the truck driver can result in a serious accident.
In most of the cases, these are the potential causes of truck accidents on the road:
- Driver fatigue, tiredness or sleep deprivation
- Lack of proper maintenance of the truck or trailer
- Lack of concentration while driving
- Aggressive or bad driving like tailgating or over speeding
- Driving with an unsecured load that can fall off
- Improper truck loading
- Use and abuse of amphetamines by the truck driver
- Tire treads separation
- Tire blowouts
- Negligent driving in bad weather conditions
- Negligent passing and over-taking on the road
- Obscuring the view of small vehicles
- Truck jackknifing and rollovers on slippery roads
So, if you or someone close to you has been a victim of truck accident due to negligence of the truck driver then you should file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver as well as the trucking company. You can also consult with a New York Truck Accident Lawyer if you are a victim of trucking accident within New York State including Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx.
Trucking accident cases are quite different from other auto accidents like car accidents or those involving other vehicles. Tractor trailers generally are insured for big policies that usually goes up to million dollars or more. Further, truck accidents result in serious injuries as compared to accidents by cars or motorcycles. Thus, even if an accident victim survives a truck accident then the chances are that he may have to live with a serious physical disability throughout his life.