Truck Accident Facts

Truck Accident Information and Data

Who May Be Responsible?

When an accident occurs involving a large truck, there may be several responsible individuals and companies, including:

• The truck driver
• The trucking company
• The owner of the trailer
• The manufacturer of component parts, such as tires, brakes, lights, devices used to secure loads, and more
• The governmental entity responsible for design and maintenance of the road

What Factors Cause Large Truck Accidents?

According to a recent study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the most common causes of large truck accidents are:

• Drivers who are unqualified and improperly trained
• Drivers who are fatigued
• Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Drivers who are careless, even reckless
• Compensation systems that incentivize drivers to speed and drive more hours than is prudent
• Unreasonable schedules that cause drivers to rush, notwithstanding safety risks
• Inadequate truck maintenance
• Tire blowouts
• Engine problems
• Brake failures
• Trucks that are overloaded
• Trucks that drift out of their lanes
• Excessive speed
• Shifting cargo
• Poor road conditions

It is noteworthy that driver fatigue is a contributing factor in 30 to 75 percent of all big truck accidents, depending on which federal government agency data are used.

Data Regarding Deaths from Large Truck Accidents

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) published these data for the year 2010:

• 3,413 people died in 2010 as a result of accidents caused by large trucks.
  (By 2013 this number grew to 3,964.) More than 100,000 others were injured annually – many permanently.
• 72 % of these deaths were occupants of passenger cars, while 14% were occupants of the trucks. Motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians comprised the remaining fatalities.
• The large trucks in these accidents accounted for just fewer than 4% of all registered vehicles in the United States, but were responsible for 9% of all motor vehicle crash deaths.

Our Truck Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help You

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