Despite huge advances in technology over the last few decades, trucks remain the most prevalent way to transport goods and supplies in the United States. Estimates are that there are over half a million trucking companies in the United States with over 3.5 million trucks. Truckers log over 400 billion miles each year. It’s virtually impossible to spend more than five minutes on one of the nation’s highways without seeing at least one semi-trailer. As a nation, we are dependent on trucker to get goods and supplies from point A to point B. With the number of trucks on the roadways, accidents are bound to happen. Unfortunately, truck accidents can cause significantly worse injuries than passenger vehicle accidents.
Anyone operating a commercial vehicle must go through an intense training program and pass a series of examination in order to gain his license. Most truckers are highly competent and vigilant drivers. They must drive in some of the worst roadway conditions in some of the most difficult vehicles to operate. In addition, truckers must now abide by very strict federal rules regarding the amount of hours they can log in a day or a week, the amount of cargo they may haul and a variety of other rules designed to protect the general driving public and the truckers from accidents. Most truckers pay close attention to the rules and do not make any attempt to avert them. In some cases, however, a truck driver may still try to push through just another hour on the road since his paycheck is generally determined by how much he can deliver in a week. As a result, accidents happen. Another common cause of truck accidents is distracted driving. Truckers practically live on the road. As such, they often have every conceivable electronic gadget available to make life on the road easier. Talking on a phone, watching a television or concentrating on a gps map may be the cause of a truck driver’s distraction which often leads to accidents. Substance abuse remains an issue with truck drivers despite strict licensing rules intended to prevent substance abuse by commercial drivers. The long hours on the road can cause even he most seasoned truck driver to become fatigued. Although a small percentage, there are some truck drivers who attempt to beat the fatigue by using illegal substances to stay awake.
If a truck driver is the cause, or a contributor, to an accident, then anyone injured in the accident may have the basis for a negligence claim against the driver and/or the trucking company for which he works. If you have recently been involved in an accident with a truck and you think that the driver may have caused, or contributed to, the accident, then you owe it to yourself to explore your legal options as you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
For a free and detailed evaluation of your potential truck accident case, contact the truck accident law firm of Ledger & Associates. The firm may be reached online at www.ledgerlaw.com or by telephone at 1-800-300-0001.
