In 2020, there were 415,000 police-reported crashes involving large trucks and passenger vehicles. Of that number, one percent of these accidents were fatal. Another 24% of the accidents had injuries.
Most people assume the sheer size of a large truck is a factor in the number of truck accidents. A Georgia truck accident attorney will dig deeper and help to prove there are often causes of truck accidents that go well beyond the size of the truck.
If you’ve been in a truck accident, you know the severe ramifications it can create for your life. You want Georgia truck accident attorneys who will get to the bottom of what caused your accident.
Read on to learn about some common causes of truck accidents and how they could be avoided.
Truck Accident Statistics
There are many causes of truck accidents. Yet, the sheer size of a truck, along with the weight in the truck, are often factors in an accident. A truck can take as much as 40% longer to come to a stop than a regular-sized vehicle because of its size and weight.
A truck accident lawyer will almost always consider the speed a truck travels as they build a case. A large truck traveling at 65 mph can take up to 525 feet to come to a stop, compared to a passenger car traveling at the same speed, only taking 300 feet to stop.
Another consideration is braking for a truck when it can’t avoid an accident. With a fully-loaded truck, as it increases speed, the rate for braking also increases at a rate of four times. When a truck doubles its speed, it will need four times the braking distance to come to a stop.
Causes for a Truck Accident
Georgia truck accident attorneys with experience will tell you how complex truck accident cases can be. Unlike motor vehicle accidents, which are often the fault of a driver, a truck accident is more complicated.
Not only will the driver’s actions be a factor, but the truck equipment and parties who had contact with its care are also potentially a factor. Often it’s not just one entity that must take the blame for an accident.
This is also the reason it’s so important to get a truck accident lawyer involved in your case quickly.
Let’s look closely at some of the causes of truck accidents.
Distracted Driving
Since the onset of cell phones, the number of distracted driving accidents has skyrocketed, including with big rig trucks.
Drivers who travel long distances can get bored. Once that starts to happen, mistakes can be made. They pick up a phone and take their eyes off the road.
Many truck drivers are alone for hours and hours on end. This kind of work can feel very isolated and lonely. It’s then that drivers start to use their phones.
Phone usage should not happen while a truck is in motion.
Exhaustion
Truck drivers spend hours on end on the open road. While some might think they aren’t doing much but sitting, the sheer monotony of endless driving can be exhausting.
Drivers who must navigate city traffic and make many stops also find their job exhausting.
Federal regulations say that a driver can only drive for eleven hours before a ten-hour break is required. This often doesn’t happen where a driver stops for the entire ten hours.
Drivers feel pressured to get on the road and make deliveries more quickly.
Improper Truck Maintenance
Because large trucks spend so much time moving, routine maintenance is overlooked. This is an area where truck accidents get complicated because who’s responsible for the upkeep varies.
Often the company owns the truck, and they’re responsible for maintenance. If the driver owns the rig, the maintenance falls on them. Sometimes, the truck and the trailer are owned by different parties.
When truck maintenance is overlooked, things like brakes don’t work the way they should.
Improperly Loaded Trucks
A Georgia truck accident attorney will consider how a truck was loaded to see if it was a factor in the accident. Trucks can be overloaded, causing both weight and volume issues.
If a truck isn’t loaded with a balanced load, it can cause the truck to swerve.
Weather Conditions
The reality is that truck drivers often feel the pressure of a deadline. They’re expected to deliver a load by a specific day and time.
These deadlines don’t consider weather conditions that might make being out on the road unsafe. Yet, truck drivers feel the need to drive through weather conditions like rain, ice, snow, or heavy fog.
Speeding
Truck drivers often lament that their bosses have unrealistic expectations regarding delivery times. This causes drivers to speed while on the road to make up time.
Speeding is one of the most common causes of truck accidents. The trucks are going too fast and either lose control or can’t stop the truck to avoid an accident.
Driving Under the Influence
When a truck accident occurs, truck drivers will be tested for the possibility of driving under the influence. It could be alcohol or drugs.
Sometimes, the truck driver takes a prescription drug that impairs their ability to drive safely.
Get Help From a Duluth Truck Accident Lawyer
A Decatur truck accident attorney will want to learn about your truck accident and then dig into the root causes of the accident.
Often truck accidents are complex and involve many parties because the cause of the accident can go well beyond the actions of just the truck driver.
Whether you’re looking for a Duluth truck accident lawyer or a Decatur truck accident attorney, find one who will work to get you the compensation you deserve from all parties who contributed to the cause of your truck accident.
Hire Your Georgia Truck Accident Attorney
A Georgia truck accident attorney will meet with you and learn about your accident. They’ll want to research and get to any outlying causes of the accident so they can hold all parties responsible.
If you’ve been in a truck accident, we want to help you get the compensation you deserve for your case. Contact us to schedule a consultation about your case so we can work on your behalf.