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What Are the Top Causes of Negligent Truck Accidents?

 Posted on November 01, 2021 in Uncategorized

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Commercial truck accidents can be devastating. 18-wheelers and similar heavy trucks have the potential to cause major accidents involving multiple vehicles and serious injuries. Smaller personal vehicles are defenseless against commercial trucks. Since these trucks have the potential to cause so much damage, truck drivers and trucking companies operating safely is incredibly important. When truckers are careless, people get hurt. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a commercial trucking accident, you should contact a qualified attorney immediately.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Negligent Trucking Accidents?

When proper safety procedures are followed, commercial trucks can operate safely. Numerous federal and state laws are in place to help prevent the negligent behaviors that lead to serious crashes. If a truck driver or trucking company is breaking a law that was put in place for safety reasons, this is called “negligence per se.” Should your case go to court, negligence per se is a simple way to establish negligence. Types of negligence that may cause serious 18-wheeler accidents include:

  • Hours of service violations - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets strict rules governing how long a trucker can drive for before taking a break, and how long those breaks must be. These are safety laws designed to prevent driver fatigue, which frequently causes accidents when drivers fall asleep at the wheel or fail to react appropriately behind the wheel due to exhaustion.
  • Negligent maintenance - Trucking companies are required to regularly inspect their fleets for any safety hazards, such as bald tires, ineffective trailer hitches, and brake issues. Drivers are required to inspect their truck while on the road to make sure that their load is appropriately secured and that their vehicle is safe to drive.
  • Distracted driving - Like other drivers, truck drivers are not permitted to use their cellphones or perform other distracting activities while driving. Since a mistake while driving a large tractor-trailer can have much more severe consequences than a mistake while driving a small personal car, it is critical that truck drivers take their responsibility very seriously and follow the law.

There are many ways that a truck driver or a trucking company can fail to exercise reasonable care and put people in danger. In the three examples listed above, it is likely that a safety law was broken, and an attorney may be able to establish negligence per se.

Call a Collin County Truck Accident Lawyer

If you were injured by a careless trucker, Burress Injury Law may be able to help. Our experienced Allen commercial truck accident attorneys are dedicated to recovering compensations for victims of negligent trucking accidents. Call us at 214-726-0016 for a free consultation.

Source:
New Hours-of-Service Safety Regulations to Reduce Truck Driver Fatigue Begin Today

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