Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
An Indianapolis law firm helping protect victims of truck accidents
Collisions between semi-trucks and passenger vehicles often result in devastating injuries to the occupants of a smaller car, van or even a pickup truck. Understanding the common causes for these accidents can help drivers take defensive action. However, if even your best attempts fail to prevent you from suffering injuries in a truck collision — whether in Marion County or throughout Indiana — an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer from Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue the full compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering or the wrongful death of a loved one.
Specific issues that are common causes of truck accidents
Large commercial vehicles play an important role in getting products to the stores you visit every day. However, such vehicles also present dangers. A 2006 Large Truck Crash Causation Study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) identified the many issues related to large truck safety, including the following:
- Driver fatigue. Some drivers find ways to flout hours of service regulations. Others may not recognize fatigue even when they operate in accordance with legal mandates.
- Vehicle maintenance and inspection. Even truckers who follow legislated inspection schedules can be driving unsafe vehicles.
- Relative roles of cars and large trucks. Drivers of small vehicles may not understand how to drive safely around large trucks. Truck drivers may have a higher degree of responsibility for driving safely around small vehicles.
- Vehicle design and load. In addition to the inability of truck drivers to see nearby vehicles on the road, imbalanced loads or liquid cargo can cause jack-knife accidents or the loss of control.
- Truck driver training and experience. Training can help truck drivers learn to respond appropriately to incidents on the road, but nothing truly replaces experience. New drivers may need more supervision before they handle solo runs.
The responsibility for avoiding truck accidents belongs to all drivers
Truck drivers and their companies need to take responsibility for preventing serious accidents by addressing issues like those cited in the FMCSA study. However, small-vehicle drivers can also play an important role, by ensuring truck drivers can see them and recognizing the importance of maintaining appropriate distances from trucks whenever possible. When trucking accidents happen, however; injury victims need to seek the support of an attorney with the skills and investigational resources required to identify the causes of the collisions and develop the evidence needed to prove their cases — at the negotiation table or in court.
Schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney for the thorough support you need
Nothing is more important than obtaining the medical attention you need after sustaining severe injuries in a truck accident. However, legal help is essential when your injuries were caused by the negligent or reckless actions of a trucker, truck company or truck manufacturer. Seeking quick support from an experienced Indianapolis law firm can help level the playing field to protect your rights in these complex cases.
At Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, we advocate for justice for those injured due to the reckless and negligent actions of a driver in any kind of vehicle. Contact us online or call us at 317-639-9501 to arrange a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN. We are available to speak with you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
