Given the immense power of semi-trucks, you would think that truck drivers and trucking companies would be very careful about how their vehicles are operated and maintained. For the most part, this is achieved. But there are still far too many trucks out on the road that causes accidents, hurt innocent people and, in doing so, change the lives of those people.
So how do truck accidents occur? It may seem like and obvious and trivial question to ask, but there are important factors to consider here.
First, consider the driver of a truck. They often work long hours (even with rest laws requiring a certain amount of rest for drivers after working a certain number of shifts) and need to maintain their schedule. This can lead to drivers operating their trucks at unsafe speeds or while they are fatigued or sleepy — circumstances that promote the chances of an accident occurring.
Then there is the vehicle itself. Was the vehicle maintained properly? Did a mechanical failure cause the truck to lose control? Was the cargo improperly loaded on the truck bed, making for an imbalanced ride that could easily tip over?
Then consider the training that a truck driver receives to operate a vehicle. Was it adequate? Did the truck driver receive enough training to safely and adequately operate such a powerful machine?
And of course there are the truck accidents that aren’t the fault of the truck driver, the truck company or the truck itself. Sometimes other vehicles on the road drive dangerously around a truck.
These are all possible causes of a truck accident. Knowing these causes, and how they legally impact any accident, is crucial if you are considering taking legal action in the wake of a truck accident.
