Trucking Accidents Have Many Causes
There are seemingly so many trucks on the roads these days, that it is easy to miss the fact that they are even there. We drive side by side with mammoth vehicles, much bigger than our cars. When these vehicles crash, we, and our cars, are no match–catastrophic damage is often the result when cars and trucks collide.
We know trucks cause serious damage when they crash. But why do they crash? There are a lot of reasons, but sadly, many of them are actually quite avoidable.
Fatigue and Failure to Rest
One main reason trucks crash is a reason that cars crash: driver fatigue. However, unlike you or I, who may only drive a little while at any one time, a truck driver can be on the road for hours or days on end. They may be rushed by their employers to get their payload to its destination as fast as possible, and may be paid extra, for getting their trucks to their destinations as quickly as possible.
There are federal laws that regulate how long a driver can drive, before the driver has to be allowed to stop and sleep. The law says that after a given number of hours, a certain set number of rest hours must be provided to the driver.
However, many drivers ignore these rest breaks, or try to fight through fatigue, leading to fatigue, and accidents.
Load Weights
Trucks carry heavy loads. You probably knew that. However, when the load is too heavy, or when it isn’t loaded properly, the load can shift, causing the truck to have balance problems, and making it harder for the driver to maneuver the truck safely. In fact, sometimes the driver may not even be aware that the company overloaded the truck, or loaded it improperly.
Repairs and Maintenance
Trucks have special mechanical needs as well. Their brakes, shocks, and internal components are different from our cars. That means that they have to be serviced more often, and by certified technicians. Often, when parts on a truck fail causing an accident, it is because the truck was not maintained properly.
Driver Error
Drivers often cause problems that lead to accidents as well. Many will drive when they are sick, or on prescription medication. Many will drive in bad weather, without compensating their driving techniques to compensate for wet or slippery roads.
Investigating the Case
All of this means that a truck accident case can require getting a lot of records, and doing a deep inquiry into how the accident happened. As you can see, there are a lot of potential causes for trucking accidents. Your lawyer, often with the help of an expert, can help you get to the bottom of what happened, and help you recover from your injuries after an accident.
Have you been injured by a truck, or in a trucking accident? Contact our Rhode Island personal injury lawyers at Robert E. Craven & Associates at 401-453-2700 today for help with your personal injury case.
Sources:
fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations
truckstop.com/blog/trucking-regulations/
