Accidents caused by or involving semi-trucks often lead to serious injuries for those in a smaller vehicle. When someone is hit by a semi-truck, they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. To obtain this, they will need to prove the truck driver was at fault for the accident. Some of the common reasons a truck driver may cause an accident will include the following.
Distracted Driving
One of the biggest causes of accidents altogether today is distracted driving and truck drivers aren’t exempt from this. Truck drivers who are not paying attention to the road when they’re driving can easily cause an accident by failing to stop in time to avoid an accident or by swerving or overcorrecting to try to avoid an accident. Those who are injured in a truck accident because of distracted driving can speak with a lawyer from The Robert Pahlke Law Group to get help obtaining compensation for the accident.
Driving Errors
Truck drivers, like every other driver, may make a mistake while they’re driving. The difference is in the size of the vehicle. Semi-trucks are much larger than personal vehicles, so it’s far more difficult to correct an error once it has occurred. If the truck driver starts merging into a lane too soon, they may hit the vehicle in that lane or another lane if they end up overcorrecting for the error. Even a seemingly minor error that wouldn’t cause an accident in a personal vehicle can lead to an accident with a semi.
Trucking Company Policies
Laws have been enacted in many states to limit the amount of time a driver can be on the road. This was done to make sure the drivers are well rested before they get on the road to try to minimize the potential for errors that could lead to accidents. However, some trucking companies still try to push their drivers to go as far as possible each day or to drive longer than the allowed period. When this happens, it’s more likely the truck driver will end up causing an accident.
Equipment Failure
Equipment failure can lead to the truck driver not being able to safely stop or pull over their vehicle or for cargo to become loose and fall from the truck. Truck drivers are supposed to check their vehicle before driving each day, but many don’t. Even when they do, it’s possible there is an equipment failure they are not able to see or don’t know to look for, which means an accident could occur when they’re on the road.
Improper Loading of Cargo
Semi-truck drivers often carry very heavy cargo, so it needs to be loaded properly. Improperly loading a truck can cause the truck to tilt, can make it more difficult to maneuver the truck, or can allow the cargo to fall out of truck and hit any car that’s driving behind the truck. Improperly loaded cargo can lead to serious accidents for drivers near the truck if the truck tips or some of the cargo falls out of the truck.
Trucking accidents have a variety of causes, so it’s always a good idea to use a little bit of caution around semis. If you have been in an accident because of a semi-truck, speak with an attorney to learn more about how you can get compensation for the accident today.