Revenue generated by commercial trucking in the United States has doubled in the past decade, to over $1.2 trillion. With the increase in revenue has some a related rise in the number of commercial big rigs on roadways in the U.S. With more semi-trucks in the U.S., there has been an associated uptick in the number of trucking accidents each year in the country.
A key step to protecting your safety on the road is to understand the more common causes of a trucking accident. Moreover, if you have the misfortune of sustaining injuries in a collision caused by a big rig, you best protect your legal rights by understanding the common causes of a trucking accident. If a wreck occurs, reach out to The Doan Law Firm’s Texas-based truck accident attorney.
Most Common Causes of Trucking Accidents in the United States
Numerous common causes of trucking accidents exist. No matter the underlying cause, when a commercial big rig is involved in an accident with a passenger car, the results truly can prove devastating and life-altering for the people in the automobile struck by a semi-truck.
Common causes of trucking accidents include:
- distracted driver
- impaired or intoxicated driver
- driver fatigue
- improperly trained driver
- dangerous driver compensation system
- road rage
- speeding
- defective part
- improper maintenance
- installation of non-compliant parts
- no maintenance
- lack of safety inspection
- improperly repaired prior damage
- manufacturing defect
- carriage company owner’s negligence
In contemplating the numerous underlying potential causes of trucking accidents, the common reasons can be grouped into one of three general categories:
- driver causes of trucking accident
- mechanical causes of a trucking accident
- combination of causes of a trucking accident
Driver Causes of Trucking Accidents
A significant percentage of commercial truck collisions are caused by some type of negligence on the part of a driver of a big rig. A distracted semi driver represents one of the most common causes of trucking accidents in the United States. Examples of semi driver distractions that frequently result in serious trucking collisions include texting, eating or drinking, and using navigation devices.
Another large number of commercial truck accidents are the result of a big rig driver who is somehow impaired. These include accidents caused by intoxicated and fatigued drivers.
Mechanical Causes of Trucking Accidents
Mechanical defects of different types frequently prove to be the underlying causes of trucking accidents. These defects run the gambit from something that occurred in the truck assembly process to the inclusion of a defective part in a big rig. Other examples of mechanical issues that result in a commercial truck accident include improper maintenance.
Multiple Causes of Trucking Accidents
In many accidents involving commercial semi-trucks, a combination of issues represent the underlying causes of a collision. For example, a semi can experience some sort of mechanical failure. A driver does not respond to the mechanical failure in a reasonably acceptable manner. A collision occurs. In the final analysis, the mechanical issues and the fatigued driver both contributed to the accident and any resulting injuries.
Retain a Skilled, Experienced Trucking Accident Lawyer
If you are the victim of a trucking accident, you need to be proactive when it comes to protecting your legal rights and interests. This includes retaining an experienced, tenacious trucking accident lawyer, like a member of the legal team at The Doan Law Firm.
You can schedule an initial consultation with a trucking accident lawyer from our firm right now by calling (800) 349-0000. Our injury hotline is staffed and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including on all major holidays.
We can schedule an initial consultation at any one of our offices located across the United States. We can also schedule an appointment at your home, or any other location that is convenient for you. A virtual consultation can be scheduled online as well. There is no charge for an initial consultation with a member of The Doan Law Firm’s legal team.
Trucking Accident Lawyer Fees
The Doan Law Office has a fee guarantee for you. Our firm charges no fee until we obtain a favorable settlement or judgment for you. During our initial consultation with you, we will reach an agreement on the fee to be charged when a settlement or judgment is obtained for you. The fee will be a reasonable percentage of a settlement of judgment, an amount we mutually agree upon when you retain a trucking accident lawyer from The Doan Law Firm.