Personal Injury
While millions of Americans drive or ride in vehicles everyday without incidents, the sad truth is that automobile crashes are very frequent, and they can even lead to death. Truck accidents can especially be dangerous, both for the truck driver and other drivers on the road. We’ll explore some of the top reasons why fatal truck accidents happen.
- Distracted Driving
A truck driver or another driver may engage in distracted driving, which can lead to accidents. We mostly categorize distracted driving as texting while driving, but distracted driving comes in many forms. Essentially, you can consider anything that takes a driver’s attention off the road as a form of distracted driving. Accidents often occur due to actions like eating while driving, self-grooming, reach for an item in another seat, or listening to music too loud.
- Driving While Under the Influence
While truck drivers are professionals, that doesn’t mean they can’t make mistakes like driving while drinking or engaging in other forms of intoxication. Of course, another driver drinking while under the influence can suddenly find themselves unsure how to handle themselves when a truck driver is on the road.
- Drowsy Driving
Attempting any activities while tired or fatigued can be difficult, but especially when it involves operating heavy machinery. Unfortunately, many truck drivers have to battle feeling tired while on the job, because they’re expected to work long shifts that can be ten hours or more with little to any breaks. To battle drowsy driving, many truck drivers drink excessive amounts of caffeine, in the form of coffee or energy drinks. Some drivers may even use illegal substances like meth or cocaine to keep them alert. Of course, using such substances can trigger a “crash”, making a driver feel further sleepy or irritated. During this crash is when vehicle crashes often happen.
- Bad Weather
Ideally, during a winter or rainstorm, no one would be on the road and instead at home sipping on something hot to pass the time. Unfortunately, not everyone has this luxury and many truck drivers are required to be on the road, delivering essentials to people that help them wait out these storms. Even the most experienced truck driver can have difficulty making their way through brutal flurries of snow or ice. Of course, being behind a truck that suddenly starts swerving on the road can be scary.
- Road Conditions
There’s no denying that the United States have some infrastructure issues, and you can often experience this problem in rural areas. While truck drivers typically don’t have too many issues on highways—though accidents still occur—when driving on roads in town, fatal accidents can happen. Issues like potholes, narrow roads, or improperly marked signage can all lead to accidents.
Determining who’s at fault following an accident on a road with poor infrastructure or conditions can be difficult. Parties like the driver themselves, the company they represent, or the local government as a whole might be held liable, but the proper trucking accident attorney can make the entire process easier to determine, a fact our friends at Barry P. Goldberg agree with.