When good trucks do bad things

On behalf of Noland Law Firm, LLC posted in truck accidents on Sunday, March 20, 2016.

Commercial truck accidents are more common than people may realize. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), over 250,000 accidents involving a large truck occurred in a single year (in this case 2013). Common causes of truck accidents include reckless driving, driver fatigue, an overloaded or improperly loaded truck, or a truck that has not been well maintained.

Most of these accidents involve damage to the truck and whatever the truck happened to collide with, be it another truck, car or barrier. Unfortunately, a percentage of these accidents do not involve damage to just inanimate objects.

Again in 2013, over 3,000 of the reported truck crashes involved fatalities. Over 60,000 involved injuries. Victims of a truck accident may suffer from traumatic brain injury, fractures, whiplash and from a host of other smaller injuries.

The reason for the severity of these accidents is simple physics. A car typically weighs between 3,000 and 6,000 lbs. A a pickup or SUV can weigh up to 12,000 lbs. A fully loaded commercial truck (defined in this case as a truck used for business that is large enough to require to require a driver with a commercial license) can weigh more than 80,000 lbs. Even at slow speeds, anything with which an 80,000lb truck comes into contact is going to get crunched.

Legal cases involving commercial truck accidents are complex. Truck manufacturers and professional truck drivers alike are held to higher standards than lay person drivers, and are regulated by both the FMCSA and the state.

In the event of an accident, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries. However, it can be very helpful to consult with an attorney familiar with the myriad of both state and FMCSA imposed regulations.