Truck Accident - Dangers

Every 16 minutes, another person in the U.S. will die or be injured in a truck accident. In 2002, 434,000 large trucks were involved in traffic accidents in the U.S.; around 130,000 people were injured in those accidents. In addition, 4,542 of those trucks were involved in fatal traffic accidents that killed a total of 4,897 people. As trucks compete for space on our already-overcrowded highways, the results can be disastrous, with occupants of smaller vehicles often becoming the unfortunate statistics in Kentucky and Indiana truck accidents.

Perhaps not surprisingly, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in two-vehicle accidents involving automobiles and large trucks, 98% of the fatalities were occupants of the passenger vehicle. People are killed in truck accidents at a rate of 14 fatalities a day; that is the equivalent of 26 major airplane crashes every year. If you have been injured in a Indiana truck accident, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side.

Big trucks are defined as those with a gross vehicle rating greater than 10,000 pounds and are sometimes referred to as commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Big trucks may include any of the following:

• Single-unit trucks, like UPS and FedEx trucks

• Other heavy cargo vans

• Tractor-trailers, also called combination vehicles, 18-wheelers, semis, etc.; vehicles in this category consist of a single-unit truck or tractor, with or without one or more attached trailers. A single trailer is usually no more than 53 feet in length. Trucks with two 28-foot trailers are called twins or western doubles; trucks exceeding even this size are called longer combination vehicles.

Tractor-trailers are the largest in the category of trucks and can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, a size that makes them a significant threat on the highways. In addition, the numbers of registered trucks have been steadily increasing for years, with their numbers currently hovering around the 8 million mark.

According to the NHTSA, trucks make up just 4% of all registered vehicles but in 2002 were involved in 21% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in multiple-vehicle accidents. This disproportionate involvement in traffic fatalities is largely because of their size, often 20-30 times the weight of passenger vehicles. As a result, drivers of trucks bear a responsibility to operate these dangerous behemoths safely and competently, but sometimes this is not the case. Drivers of trucks are often cited for several different unsafe behaviors including:

• Driving longer than the allowed amount of hours, resulting in debilitating driver fatigue

• Driving at excessive speeds

• Driving trucks that are too big or overloaded

• Driving trucks that are improperly maintained, especially with brake defects

Free Consultation

Have you or someone you care about have been injured in a truck accident? Contact a Indiana truck accident lawyer at Woods and Woods. Our main office is located in Evansville, Indiana, and serve Jasper and Vincennes. Complete a Free Online Consultation Form or call us at 812-426-7200 for an immediate and confidential evaluation of your case.

© 2006 Woods and Woods Evansville, Indiana Injury Lawyers.
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