Almost 6,000 people lost their lives to truck crashes over the course of a single year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA. Fatal accidents and those that cause injury have devastating consequences, leaving behind shattered lives.
It’s important to understand why so many accidents occur, and it’s crucial for victims to understand their legal rights when those collisions happen because of the negligence or improper actions of truck drivers or the companies that employ them.
Drafahl Law Firm can provide help and support to those who are victims of a truck accident. Our St. Louis truck accident attorneys will work with those involved in the collision to identify the cause of their crash and to identify all those responsible for harming them so they can take legal action.
We’ll also put our legal skills to work to conduct investigations, identify FMCSA regulatory violations, and more. You can reach out to our firm today to find out more about the assistance we can offer. You can also read on to learn about some of the most common causes of truck accidents, and to find out how the cause of the crash can impact your right to pursue justice.
Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents
While truck accidents can happen for many reasons, here are some of the most common causes of collisions involving commercial motor vehicles:
- Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol: Intoxication is so dangerous for truckers that they are subject to a lower BAC limit of .04%. Unfortunately, drivers still drink or use drugs, causing impairment that results in serious accidents.
- Inadequate training: Truck drivers must obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), which requires them to be tested on both their knowledge and driving skills. Drivers of certain large vehicles or those transporting hazardous materials must also have additional endorsements. Unfortunately, untrained drivers still get behind the wheel, and their inexperience increases accident risks.
- Negligent hiring: Trucking companies must conduct background checks, verify that drivers have a valid license, and ensure adequate training. If they fail to do so, they increase the risk of an unsafe trucker getting behind the wheel and causing a collision to occur.
- Negligent truck maintenance: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require truckers and trucking companies to properly maintain trucks and their components to reduce the risk of serious issues, including brake failure and tire blowout. Failure to follow proper maintenance procedures can result in an increased collision risk.
- Reckless driving: Speeding, tailgating, and unsafe lane changes are just a few examples of reckless driving that can increase the collision risk. These moving violations can be disqualifying for truckers, but many still engage in high-risk behaviors and put others on the road in jeopardy.
- Hours of service violations: Federal motor carrier safety regulations impose strict limits on how much time drivers can spend behind the wheel before they must take a rest break. Violations can lead to fatigued driving, which increases the crash risk.
These are just some of the many common causes of truck accidents that can leave victims facing devastating loss– and that can result in drivers and trucking companies being held responsible for the harm they endured.
Getting Help Proving the Cause of Your Truck Crash
If you can prove your truck accident was caused by a driver or trucking company that violated Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations — or that was unreasonably careless compared to a typical trucker — you should be able to pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more.
It’s up to you to prove the cause of your crash, which means you must work with an attorney who can gather the right evidence, find the right witnesses, and stand up to big trucking companies that fight to pay as little as possible. Drafahl Law Firm is here to help, so give us a call today to learn how we can get to work on proving the cause of your crash and getting the justice you deserve.