Common Causes Of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are a major cause for concern on the highways of America. With a fully loaded commercial trucks weighing as much as 80,000 pounds and more, these accidents often result in serious injuries and death. But why do truck accidents occur? Here are some of the many common causes of truck accidents.

1) Truck Accidents Caused By The Truck Driver: Many truck accidents are caused because of a fault on the part of the truck driver. The following actions constitute truck driver errors that result in truck accidents:

• Driving the truck without having the necessary qualifications and the required training.
• Driving over the allowed speed limits in order to meet tight schedules and deadlines.
• Drinking alcohol or taking other drugs that can impair the truck driver’s physical and mental abilities, thus causing truck accidents.
• Driving for continuous hours on end without taking a break and getting enough rest. Truck driver fatigue is the leading type of truck driver error that causes truck accidents. Many truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel, or lose focus while driving as they do not get enough sleep and rest, which ultimately results in truck accidents.
• Not securing heavy loads properly on the truck.
• Loading the trucks to more than the maximum capacity.
• Driving tankers that have liquid loads of less than three quarters the maximum capacity. This causes the liquid load to slosh and move the weight about, thus making the driver lose control of the truck and end up in an accident.
• Not carrying out the required pre-trip and during the trip inspections to ensure that the cargo is secure and safe.

2) Error of Passenger Vehicle Drivers: The majority of the truck accidents are caused because of an error on the part of the driver of other smaller vehicles involved in the accidents. Such errors include:

• Driving in the blind spots and no-zones of the truck. Due to the big size and length of trucks, there are certain areas beside and behind a truck that are not visible to the truck driver. Driving your car in such zones often causes truck accidents as the trucker does not even know that the other car is there.
• Cutting lanes right in front of the truck.
• Not keeping enough distance from the back of the truck.
• Trying to overtake the truck from the wrong side.
• Leaving a stalled car in the middle of a traffic lane and not moving it to the shoulder of the road.
• Drinking and driving.

Other than the above, truck accidents are also caused because of the usual reasons that are typical of many auto accidents such as, reckless driving, speeding, lane cutting, equipment failure, mechanical difficulties, bad weather conditions, bad roads, etc.

In the case of truck accidents, the cargo being hauled also causes many accidents. Many commercial trucks carry heavy loads that pose a danger that is not typical of other vehicles. Trucks that carry hazardous materials and inflammable cargo also account for many truck accidents. In the case of such trucks, even if the truck is not involved in a collision with another vehicle, there is still a danger of accidents occurring because of oil spills, chemical releases, and other such risks involved with hazardous goods.

If you have been involved in a truck accident that was caused because of the fault of another person or body, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries or property damage. Consult an attorney to know more about your rights in a truck accident.

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