Trucking Accidents

Frequently Asked Questions about Trucking Accidents

How much does reckless driving contribute to trucking accidents?
Reckless driving includes, but is not limited to, excessive speed, improper lane changes, following too closely, failure to yield right-of-way, illegal turns, and failure to obey traffic signals. Experienced trucking and auto accident attorneys know that speeding, whether exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for conditions, accounts for 20% of all fatal crashes involving large trucks, and over 17% of the injury accidents. Speeding is also a common cause of rollover and jack-knife semi tractor-trailer accidents.

How does the weight of a truck affect the risk of fatal injuries?
There is a dramatic increase in truck crash fatality rates with each extra ton of truck and cargo weight. Trucking accident lawyers have shown that accidents involving trucks weighing 80,000 pounds are more than twice as likely to have a fatality as those with trucks weighing 50,000 pounds. A 100,000-pound truck travels 25% further after the driver steps on the brakes than will an 80,000-pound vehicle. And a 120,000-pound truck travels 50% further than an 80,000-pound vehicle.

How does a truck’s weight affect its braking?
Heavier trucks have increased brake temperatures when traveling downhill. Trucking accident attorneys see more instances of total brake failure and runaway crashes with heavier trucks.

Does a truck’s weight affect its center of gravity?
Heavier trucks have a higher center of gravity, and are therefore more likely to roll over.

How do mechanical failures contribute to trucking accidents?
Large semi tractor-trailer truck accidents can be caused by something as simple as non-working taillights that cause a rear-end collision on a dark highway, or as major as brake failure on a steep downhill grade.

Is driver fatigue a significant factor in trucking accidents?
Driver fatigue is a critical factor in over 30% of heavy vehicle accidents. Trucking accident attorneys call fatigue "the silent killer" because it cannot be measured in accident scene tests, like those for alcohol or other drugs -- which surprisingly, play a statistically minor role in most large truck accidents.

What contributes to driver fatigue?
Casey Gerry trucking accident lawyers cite The National Transportation Safety Board’s research that the most important measures in predicting a fatigue-related accident are the duration of the last sleep period, the total hours of sleep obtained during the 24 hours prior to the accident, and split sleep patterns. Although truck drivers with split sleep patterns get about 8 hours sleep in a 24-hour period, they obtain it in small segments averaging 4 hours at a time. The NTSB's research suggests that sleep accumulated in short time blocks impedes recovery of performance abilities.