Big trucks are intimidating to look at; they typically weigh up to 40 times the weight of a standard passenger vehicle, and they’re almost always loaded to the hilt with cargo, adding to their unstoppable force on the road.
Truck injury accidents are not uncommon in Pennsylvania, with the state’s roads a hub for companies hauling their wares throughout the region. In 2015 alone, our state was home to nearly 7,500 crashes involving large trucks.
Of those crashes, 130 were fatality crashes, accounting for nearly 12 percent of all crash-related fatalities in the state. If you or a loved one has experienced a truck injury, you need an advocate by your side to navigate the tricky claims process.
Our Doylestown Truck Injury Attorney has years of experience helping accident victims get the just and fair compensation they deserve.
If one vehicle rules the roads from coast to coast in our country, it’s the big truck. Tractor-trailers, big rigs and semis barrel down our highways, interstates and freeways at blazing speeds, all in an effort to keep the supply chains of America running.
Nonetheless, in that endeavor, driver negligence, carelessness and recklessness can leave innocent drivers in other vehicles reeling from truck injuries that affect them for the rest of their lives.
Truck Accident Causes
While each truck accident is unique, the causes of such accident usually boil down to a handful of scenarios that crop up quickly in traffic. Some of the most common include:
- Speeding. Drivers have a limited amount of time to get deliveries where they’re going. This oftentimes results in drivers exceeding the posted speed limit, leading to disastrous outcomes.
- Impaired driving. Drug and alcohol use is not limited to drivers of standard passenger Cars and truck. Big truck drivers have the same problems with these substances as other people—a mix that can be doubly deadly on the roadway.
- Texting and driving. Driver inattention due to texting is a common cause in all accidents across the board. Truckers are not immune to it.
- Sleepy and fatigued driving. Although DOT rules state that drivers must drive for no more than 11 hours out of every 14, this is not always followed to the letter. When drivers nod off while steering tons of steel down a busy highway, the outcome is seldom good.
- Mechanical failure. Problems with the truck can also lead to devastating accidents. For example, braking and steering system failures, failure in the truck’s powertrain components, or blown tires.
Collecting Damages
Because truck injuries are almost always serious, requiring a lot of medical care, surgeries, therapy and rehab, insurance companies are extra aggressive in their quest to minimize any payout to victims.
For this reason, it is important to have an aggressive Doylestown Truck Injury Attorney in your corner, fighting for you for payment of your medical bills, lost wages, property damage and more.
Contact Our Legal Team to arrange a free consultation with our truck injury attorney now to determine the best way to move forward with your claim.