First of all, they’re huge.
In fact, the legions of 18-wheel big rigs, tractor trailers and varied semi-trucks that routinely crisscross roadways in Alabama and Western Georgia are flatly outsized.
And they’re cumbersome.
Along with that sheer size and girth (a commercial truck can easily take up an entire traffic lane and weigh tens of thousands of pounds) comes a resulting instability that can yield serious or fatal consequences for other drivers in mere seconds.
Here is a key fact conveyed by one proven Alabama legal source addressing big-rig accidents and linked personal injuries: Reportedly, “Each year in the U.S. there are more than 104,000 accidents involving large trucks.”
That number stands out as truly perilous when extrapolated: It equates to nearly 285 crashes a day.
Tragically and predictably, the crash outcomes involving the country’s largest commercial conveyances are routinely catastrophic for injured victims and their families.
Notable reasons why big trucks are prime crash catalysts
The dimensions of large trucks are duly noted above. They are coupled with other crash-inducing factors, including these:
- Slow stopping time
- Unstable loads
- Limited driver visibility
- Driver fatigue
- Industry challenges tied to driver substance abuse issues
- Irregular/deficient vehicle service and maintenance
Those bulleted concerns, while multiple and varied, don’t remotely underscore all the truck-tied safety concerns posed for drivers and passengers in smaller passenger vehicles.
Truck crash accountability: often a slippery slope of truth
The above-cited Alabama personal injury source poses a direct inquiry that is often centrally important following a truck-tied crash.
That is this: “Who is responsible for your trucking accident?”
Where large trucks are concerned, that is not always obvious. Contributing factors can play out singly or together in ways that make discovering and legally responding to accountability a complex endeavor. Experienced truck crash attorneys must closely probe accident details to get to the truth. And, culpable parties often seek to disguise or minimize personal negligence that was a key factor in causing injuries.
Here are some common injury catalysts:
- The truck driver, who might have been culpable in myriad ways
- The driver’s employer (e.g., failure to adopt adequate safety plans, hiring of incompetent employees, lax vehicle inspection and so forth)
- The vehicle manufacturer (brakes, lights, tires, gears and more are commonly found to be defective in truck crash investigations)
A crash victim (and their loved ones) needs timely, on-point and aggressive legal advocacy to fully address third-party negligence and pursue a legal remedy marked by maximum compensation.
An experienced and empathetic team of personal injury attorneys can ensure those key goals are secured.