Causes of Truck Accidents
Commercial vehicles present distinctive dangers on our nation’s highways. At high speeds, one tiny mistake on the part of the truck driver or another motorist can cause a devastating truck accident.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, the experienced truck accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Why Truck Accidents Happen
A common cause of trucks and car collisions is driver ignorance. Truck drivers cannot brake, accelerate or maneuver as easily as an automobile. Truck drivers experience limited visibility. The auto driver may not fully realize these limitations, placing the auto driver, the truck driver and other vehicles in grave danger.
Unsafe acts routinely contributing to auto accidents include:
- Driving in the truck’s “no-zones” - beside or behind the truck or between trucks
- Making sudden lane changes in front of a truck
- Attempting to “outrun” the truck at intersections
- Merging improperly or unsafe passing
- Preventing the truck from merging or changing lanes
- Driving while impaired by drugs and alcohol
Commercial Truck Driver Mistakes
Commercial truck drivers cannot legally drive on public roads until they have successfully completed special safety training. Because a fully loaded commercial truck can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, the slightest error can be fatal.
Truck drivers sometimes make these mistakes:
- Driving when fatigued
- Improper application of safe driving techniques
- Driving too fast or recklessly for weather or road conditions
- Attempting to meet or break speed records
- Drug and alcohol impairment
- Incorrectly secured loads or loading the truck beyond maximum capacity
It is easy to see how serious injuries and wrongful death might happen. If you are the driver of an automobile, always use caution when sharing the highway with a big rig.
If a truck driver’s negligence or carelessness has caused injury or death to you or a loved one, please contact the nationwide offices of The Cochran Firm.