Preventing Truck Accidents
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on March 16, 2021
The average long-haul truck driver spends 60 hours per week on the road, faring fatigue, bad weather, traffic, and tight deadlines. Unfortunately, this challenging lifestyle often results in severe accidents due to the size and weight of trucks. These accidents have devastating physical and financial effects. They can completely upend the lives of surviving accident victims. If you’ve been involved in an accident and want to seek legal action, consider contacting an experienced truck accident injury attorney like the team at Cooper and Friedman PLLC. If you haven’t, still being informed of truck accident statistics and preventative practices can save you or a loved one’s life.
What Causes Truck Accidents?
Although the circumstances behind an accident vary, many are due to the tough conditions truck drivers face. According to the CDC, 73% of the truck drivers claimed that their delivery deadlines were “unrealistically tight.” This results in unsafe habits such as speeding, driving while fatigued, and driving through bad weather/road environments. Since many drivers make money by-the-mile, they willingly subject themselves to difficult conditions, allowing their employers to turn a blind eye to accountability. Furthermore, 38% of drivers said they didn’t receive proper training at the beginning of their career. This results in safety concerns with cargo weight/balancing, braking, and truck maintenance. Without proper training, drivers unknowingly operate hazardous vehicles.
These reasons are evidence to why truck companies are accountable for their employee’s negligence in court. However, drivers are certainly not faultless. According to the CDC, 14% of truck drivers sometimes/never wear a seatbelt, which is a major safety hazard. Drivers who choose not to wear a seatbelt are also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors. These include speeding and also committing moving violations. Truck drivers who choose to break laws always put themselves and others at risk.
Tips To Prevent Trucking Accidents
Preventing accidents requires action on all levels. Individuals, truck drivers, truck companies, and state and federal governments all play a role in reducing truck accidents. First, as an individual or truck driver, you can reduce risk by educating yourself, driving rationally, and maintaining caution. Also, truck companies need to be accountable for driver training and general safety. This falls on the state/federal government to enforce and establish better accountability measures.
Luckily, change is already happening. In December 2020, the Truck Safety Coalition sent President Biden an urgent letter calling for better federal practices and leadership concerning truck accidents. Many members of the coalition lost family members to truck accidents. They also bring a newfound sense of urgency and pressure to the federal level.
Stronger regulations can prevent future accidents.
At the Cooper and Friedman law firm, experienced truck accident injury attorneys are ready to help you or a loved one who has been in a truck accident. Our truck accident attorneys have the experience and resources to protect your rights to the full extent of the law. This includes helping you get the legal support and also compensation you deserve as the victim of a truck accident.
There are many complicated variables in truck accidents. If you or someone you love is the victim of a truck accident in the state of Kentucky or Southern Indiana, the experienced injury attorneys at Cooper and Friedman are ready to help. Contact a Cooper and Friedman PLLC truck accident lawyer now at 502-459-7555 for a free case consultation. Check out our blog for more information about truck accidents, including important terminology.