When a Semi-Trucker Driver Causes a Roadway Accident, What Happened?
First off, semi-truck drivers are held at higher driving standards than other drivers due to the weight they haul. There are some issues that semi-truck drivers must face, such as seen in a few of the following. Semi-Truck Drivers,
- Cannot drive over 13-14 hours per day without a mandatory 11-hours in the bunker.
- Truckers may not operate over their allotted hours per week, meaning; a trucker cannot drive 13-14 hours per day seven days per week and remain within their legally allotted hours per week.
- Other non-truck drivers do not understand all that a trucker must go through to fulfill their job responsibilities. There are many individuals driving cars that can become the reason for a semi-truck crash. These crashes work both ways.
- Most semi-truck companies have computers installed within their trucks that record everything they do.
This computer keeps the driver on schedule for everything relating to pickup, deliveries, time on the road, and rest times. These computers do not consider barriers that the driver must face while trying to get to their destination on time. These barriers are road construction sites, bad road conditions such as snow, sleet, rain, mechanical issues with the truck, blown tires, accidents on the road that hold up traffic for hours, and more.
The factor that separates a semi-truck from other trucks is the weight of the truck. A truck weighing 10,000 pounds or more is considered a semi-truck. If something happens to that truck, and you realize that 10,000 pounds are quickly coming towards your car without stopping or swerving away from that truck, you know that the results will not be good. You know in an instant that someone is going to be hurt or killed. That someone is no doubt you and your passengers. These 10,000 pounds or more of semi-truck require a much longer stopping time.
There are the good, the bad, and the ugly semi-truck drivers. A few less than perfect truck drivers ruin it for the most conscious of truck drivers. These few drivers can cause crashes involving severe injuries and death. According to reports, most reckless semi-truck accidents occur on interstate freeways and in rural areas.
Most private citizens driving the highways become nervous when they must share the road with semi-trucks. A good share of private citizens feels that truckers drive too fast and take too many chances when poor road conditions are present due to bad weather, construction zones, and even when the road conditions are excellent.
Trucking companies demand that their drivers reach their destination within a specified time, and this is not always achievable due to the reasons stated above. However, truck drivers risk losing their job or face suspension if they do not deliver their goods by a specified time. Semi-truck drivers are what keeps businesses open with ample supplies and contribute to the economy in remarkable ways.
Causes of Semi-Truck Mishaps
The majority of trucking accidents involve the truck hitting another vehicle on the roadway—these trucking accidents happen for the same reason that there are automobile crashes. Semi-truck drivers are many more times likely to be the cause of a crash. All it takes is a split second for a car or semi to cause a crash. Read on to discover the typical sources of truck crashes.
- Driver error make over 80 percent of reasons for semi crashes
- Speeding
Most semi-drivers speed because their company forces them to keep a strict schedule that puts many truckers under much pressure and stress. Individuals driving cars and sharing the road with a trucker find themselves speeding to keep an assured distance away from trucks. Cars may be forced to veer off the road and end up in a crash. Stopping or slowing speed is not always possible for cars or trucks when speeding.
- Drivers who forget to check blind spots before switching lanes
- Distracted driving such as texting and using cell phones
- Negligent driving
- Substance abuse related to drugs and alcohol while driving
- Driver exhaustion, sleep deprivation, tiredness
- Errors in judgment
- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some semi-truck drivers delivering essential goods do not have a schedule. The trucker can drive however long they wish and rest or not rest during the long leg of their journey. These essential drivers may forego breaks, rest periods, and sleep for the sake of meeting deliveries as soon as possible.
- Boredom
- Inattention and interruption
- Truckers eating and snacking while driving.
- Daydreaming
- Changing radio stations
- Medicinal and non-medicinal drugs causing impairment in synchronization, reasoning, judgment
- Failing to secure their loads appropriately risking loads partially or entirely to fly off their truck, causing a highway crash.
- Uneven distribution of weight
- Trucks that haul gas, oil, and other hazardous loads must fill up their trucks to the specified amount of liquids. When a truck is only partially filled, it can cause the truck to sway back and forth and cause a crash.
- Rear-end crashes happen to trucks that fail to quit or slow their truck when approaching another vehicle. Due to the truck’s weight, the smaller car they hit can crumble, causing severe injuries or death.
- Lack of training by the trucking company to examine the driving skills of the new employee. Trucking guidelines require them to follow specific guidelines for new drivers. If they do not follow these guidelines causing the trucker to go on the road with little experience, this can increase crashes.
- Lack of truck maintenance and checking the truck’s safety-driven by poorly trained drivers increases crash risks. This neglect puts truckers at risk for rollovers, jackknifing, and more.
- Poorly maintained truck breaks.
- Poorly maintained tires
- Inexperienced and bad drivers in vehicles on the roadways other than truckers cause crashes.
A Call to Action for a Fair and Just Monetary Settlement Due to a Roadway Accident
Vehicle crashes on the road involving a semi-truck, or another car may cause you and your vehicle’s occupants permanent lifestyle changes. The injured need help paying for medical costs and replacing lost wages.
There are many things that your car crash settlement pays. If your injuries are to the extent that you can never work again, how will you support yourself and your family? Allow us to help you calculate your past, present, and future accident/injury/death claim. We fight for victims’ rights.
If you or a family member were injured or killed in a crash involving a negligent semi-trucker or other vehicle drivers on the roadway, contact our seasoned, experienced, and skilled attorneys as soon as possible.