In 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 317,000 large trucks were involved in accidents that resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths and over 100,000 injuries in the United States. As you can see, when you’re involved in a semi-truck or tractor trailer accident it can have tragic results. The NHTSA defines a “large truck” as a truck that weighs over 10,000 lbs., and their collisions with smaller vehicles cause severe injury and death. For decades, the expert Great Bend Trucking Accident Lawyers at Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys have taken on countless trucking accident cases. In order to comprehend this startling trend, we need to look at some of the primary factors that contribute to trucking accidents.
Our Great Bend Trucking Accident Lawyers Typically See These Factors Contributing to Trucking Accidents
Big rigs and tractor trailers are not systematically inspected for maintenance. The negligence of industry safety standards, results in large trucks malfunctioning on the road during critical times. This tragic recklessness results in horrific accidents with other automobiles. With faulty brakes and defective tires, these large trucks are unable to meet the most basic of commercial vehicle safety guidelines. A truck’s uneven cargo weight also contributes to the high frequency of trucking accidents. Far too many times, large trucks are loaded inappropriately with the weight loaded haphazardly. This causes difficulties for a large truck to drive in a single lane. They’ll need even more luck keeping the beds upright during their journey on the highway.
Truck driver error is unfortunately the most prominent cause of trucking accidents. They are usually faced with short deadlines and little time to make deliveries. As a result, truck drivers don’t stop for sleep and spend long stretches on the road without breaks. Suffering from severe exhaustion, fatigue or substance abuse, truckers take unnecessary risks in traffic due to their inability to judge their own reaction time. The results are often tragic when another vehicle is nearby. Snow, sleet, rain and ice also have serious affects on large trucks and their ability to safely navigate the road. Inclement weather causes dangerous road surfaces that wreak havoc on large trucks with oversized loads and bad tires. If you’ve been the victim of a trucking accident, call the Great Bend Trucking Accident Lawyers at Mann Wyatt Tanksley Injury Attorneys. With a passion for helping others reclaim their health and lost assets, our Great Bend Trucking Accident Lawyers are ready to help!
Site by