Gwinnett County Truck Accident Attorney Shane Smith Discusses Reasons Why Truck Accidents Happen
According to a recent study by the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA), there were 120,000 truck crashes involving large trucks between April of 2001 and December of 2003. Highlighted statistics include:
- Nearly three quarters of the sampled trucks (1,123) were involved in 963 accidents.
- These accidents lead to 249 deaths and 1,654 injuries (serious and minor)
How and why do truck accidents happen?
There are many errors that are attributed to large truck accidents. According to the U. S. DOT and the FMSCA, some reasons include:
- Vehicle malfunctioning problems – faulty brakes, improperly inflated problems, etc.
- Driver Error – driver’s not paying attention to the road, not being familiar with the road, etc.
- Environmental problems – road not in driving shape, poor weather conditions, etc.
If you have been injured by a Loganville truck accident lawyer, you need to call our law firm at (770) 487-8999 to determine what your legal rights are. If you wait too long, the statute of limitations may prohibit you from pursuing a legal claim if one exists.
What are the most pressing and problematic causes of large truck accidents?
According to both organizations, the top five reasons and respective percentages include:
- Brake issues contributing to 41,000 accidents, or 29 percent of all large truck accidents.
- Speeding contributed to 32,000 crashes, or 23 percent of accidents.
- Not being well versed with the road caused 31,000 or 22 percent of all accidents.
- Roadways not able to handle normal traffic accounted for 29,000 or 20 percent of accidents.
- Truck drivers using over the counter (OTC) drugs contributed to 25,000 or 17 percent of the total accidents.
Understanding how truck accidents occur is one thing. Understanding your legal rights by speaking with a Gwinnett County truck accident lawyer is the first step after you’ve been injured by a large truck. Suffering severe injuries, along with property damage, may entitle you to a personal injury claim. However, the only way to do that is by speaking with a Georgia truck accident lawyer.