Trucking Accidents and Driver Fatigue
Over the last 10 years, there has been an increase in injured victims looking to speak with a Virginia truck accident lawyer. Despite changes and enforcement for stricter regulations to reduce the amount of trucking accidents, trucking accidents still occur all the time.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a trucking accident, the results can be devastating. You may have sustained injuries from the accident that are lifelong, resulting in a permanent disability. It’s common that a personal injury could result in lost wages due to missed time from work. Due to the legal complexities involved with personal injury claims and commercial trucking, it’s important to contact a Virginia truck accident lawyer with experience.
Truck Crash Statistics
Over the course of three years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study of over 12,000 trucking accidents. It was found over that period of time there were more than 1,600 injuries and 249 fatalities. Of these accidents, 75 percent involved another vehicle. As a truck accident lawyer Virginia provides might attest, when another passenger car is involved in a commercial truck accident, the passengers in this vehicle tend to sustain the worst injuries.
The data collected included:
- Interviewing people involved in the accident (including witnesses)
- Overviewing driver logs
- Collecting police reports, crash reports and hospital records
- Gathering information regarding road and weather conditions
- Researching the condition of the truck and vehicles involved in the accident.
- Looked at the condition and behavior of the driver
More than 87% of the truck accidents were due to driver error, such as:
- Tailgating
- Speeding
- Failure to check surroundings
- Slowed driver response time
One of the primary contributing factors to all of the errors listed above was truck driver fatigue. Due to fatigue, drivers are not able to respond quickly enough or fall asleep at the wheel. Although there are regulations in place to prevent truckers from driving without the appropriate amount of rest, sometimes they are not followed as they should be. The time a driver can be on the road is limited by federal laws. Regulations dictate that a driver with a full truck can only drive for a maximum of 11 straight hours in one day. Following this, they must rest for at least 10 hours. Occasionally a truck driver will make the choice to ignore these rules, but a Virginia truck accident lawyer might also find that a driver was pressured into ignoring the rules.
Furthermore, some truckers are under high amounts of stress from deadlines and deliveries — sometimes placed on them by employers. In some cases, truck drivers have experienced heavy pressure from their employers to push through their deliveries without enough rest and at speeds that are too high. In these cases, a Virginia truck accident lawyer might seek compensation from the truck driver or the trucking company.
Speak With a Truck Accident Lawyer in Virginia
There can be devastating consequences both economically and emotionally if you or someone you know is the victim of a trucking accident. It’s imperative to understand your rights as an accident victim. Contact a Virginia truck accident lawyer with experience in trucking accidents to determine if filing a lawsuit is an appropriate next step for you.
Truck Accident Legal Resources: