Frequent Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents
- Driving longer than the federally permitted number of hours in a day
- Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Violating speed limits
- Following too closely, large trucks take longer to stop than most vehicles and must be driven with extra care.
- Improperly secured loads
- Violating traffic signs or traffic signals
- Mechanical failures
- Liability for damages caused by negligent truck drivers
Trucks may be owned by an individual independent truck driver or by a trucking company. Responsibility for insuring a truck depends on whether the driver owns the vehicle personally or if the driver is an employee of a trucking company. If the truck is being driven during the scope of employment, the employer will be responsible for the negligent actions of their driver. If an accident is caused by a manufacturing defect on the truck or if defective maintenance was involved, other parties may share fault.
Good Driving Practices around large trucks
It is always a good idea to stay where the truck driver can see you. If you can see the truck’s mirrors, the truck driver can probably see you.
Trucks make wide turns. Give them the extra room they need if you are driving near a truck that is making a turn. Do not drive close between a turning truck and another vehicle or close between a turning truck and the curb.
Leave space between your vehicle and the truck. That means leaving ample following distance and sufficient distance in front of a truck if possible.
Pass trucks with care and never cut a truck off by changing lanes in front of them and quickly stopping or slowing down. Trucks take longer to stop than other vehicles because of their great weight.
Motorcycle riders can pay a high price for the excitement and freedom of riding
Even if you are a careful defensive rider, other drivers often do not take the appropriate care around motorcycles. A small lapse in concentration by another driver can have devastating consequences for a motorcycle accident victim.
Motorcycle riders are at great risk for several types of injuries
The most common type of injury from riding is probably lacerations and abrasions that are often referred to as road rash. This kind of injury can be minimized by wearing good protective clothing. Leather clothes can take a lot of the abuse that happens when you skid on the pavement. Road rash is likely to cause serious scarring and is a very painful condition.
Head injuries are another serious risk. Helmets are good but they are not always used and they do not prevent all head injuries. Traumatic Brain Injuries or Spinal Cord injuries can cause permanent disability or death. Head injuries can cause a permanent decline in cognitive abilities. Spinal injuries can cause paralysis of legs or arms.
Many broken bones often occur. Arms, hands, legs, and feet are likely to suffer fractures. Wrist fractures often occur when a rider attempts to break his fall. Also, rib fractures often occur. They take a long time to heal, cause great pain and there is usually very little treatment for them.
One thing that motorcycle accidents and truck accidents have in common is that they are very likely to cause serious, painful and even life-changing injuries. When a serious injury occurs as a result of someone else’s negligence it is time to have serious legal representation. The truck accident attorney Steven Montag can help you through difficult times so that you can make the best of a difficult situation. Call (800) 533-0067 for a free initial case evaluation.