Why Do Trucking Accidents Happen?
Trucking accidents are awful. With the size mismatch between cars and commercial trucks, injuries are often several orders of magnitude worse than they would have been in other circumstances. So why do these accidents happen in the first place?
There are several main causes of truck accidents, which we have compiled below. At Valrico Law Group, we have seen all these scenarios and more. If you have been injured in a truck accident, you need someone who will fight for you and hold the driver, trucking company and other potential defendants to account. That is exactly what we do. Call our Tampa office at 813-661-5180 to find out how we can get justice on your behalf.
Our initial evaluations are always free. Never hire a personal injury lawyer who will not even speak to you without charging.
Truck Accidents: The Main Causes
In many truck collisions, the accident is caused by a truck driver or the trucking company’s negligence. Common situations include:
- Truckers driving while overtired
Because of their size and heavy loads, commercial truck drivers must be well-rested to operate safely. In fact, federal laws require that truckers rest a certain amount of time after putting in long hours. Unfortunately, some of them skip sleep and drive anyway. Drowsy drivers can drift across lanes, cut off other motorists or even veer into oncoming traffic. - Overloaded vehicles
Truckers, trucking companies and their clients have financial incentives to deliver as much cargo as fast as they can. Sometimes they will greatly overload their trucks to make an extra buck at the expense of maneuverability and safety. Even the most seasoned trucker cannot avoid an accident if their rig will not respond in time. - Poor maintenance
Trucking companies, or sometimes a third party that is responsible for maintaining the vehicle, are supposed to keep their fleets in excellent repair. However, some of them will skip the required maintenance and inspections to save money. When parts fail on the road, the results can be deadly. - Distracted driving
With most of their waking hours spent in their trucks, commercial drivers are used to performing many tasks while driving. However, this can put other drivers at significant risk. When truckers are texting, talking on their phones, watching videos or scrolling through their social media feeds, they are only a split second away from a catastrophic accident. - Failure to follow the law
Trucks have special laws and rules of the road they are required to follow due to the dangerous nature of the vehicles. The failure to adhere strictly to these laws and rules of the road can mean the difference in life or death – possibly yours or a loved one’s. Often, trucking companies do not train or hire properly trained drivers, managers or training personnel, which are necessary to ensure compliance with safety provisions and the law.
Trucking companies know exactly what the rules are, so they will often try to obscure the truth after an accident involving one of their trucks. We will move swiftly to preserve evidence, document what happened and pursue the maximum value of your claim, based on the facts.
While we will try to get you a settlement, sometimes true justice can only be obtained by submitting your case to a jury at trial, so every case we take, we prepare like it is going to go to trial. Only in that way does the other side know we mean business and that we are ready, willing and able to go to trial and put your case in a jury’s hands.
We Know How To Protect Truck Accident Victims
If you have been in a trucking accident, you do not have the time or energy during your recovery to prosecute a trucking company. Fortunately, we do. We will do everything in our power to ensure that you receive fair and just compensation for your injuries.
Get in touch to find out how our attorneys can help. We have many decades of experience helping people just like you throughout Florida. You can reach us by email or by phone: 813-433-0331.