Causes of Truck Accidents, Common Injuries Sustained & How A Lawyer Can Help Settle Claims

It has been estimated that every year approximately more than 400,000 Truck Accidents occur in the United States which include the big heavy weight 18 wheeler trucks, a garbage truck, truck used for moving items and even a school bus. The intensity of these crashes are huge and the impact is more due to the weight and size of the trucks which results in some serious damage and injuries than a normal motor vehicle collision.

The United States Transport Department states that approximately 10% of all road traffic accident fatalities are due to truck accidents. The victim involved in a truck accident may be left with some serious injuries which may leave him permanently disabled and if the victim is the sole bread winner of his family then it may put his family in severe financial crisis.

While being involved in a truck accident is a medical emergency for the victim it is equally important for the friends and family of the victim to seek legal opinion and advice from an experienced truck attorney with respect to claims that the victim would be eligible for due to the injury caused by a Truck Accident.

There are different factors which can cause or result in a Truck Accident. These factors may be:

• Poor road conditions or an animal crossing the road all of a sudden resulting in the driver of the truck losing control of the truck
• Weather conditions like if it is too foggy, rainy, or if there is heavy snowfall it may result in poor visibility for the driver which may cause a Truck Accident
• Driver Fatigue is one of the common causes of Truck Accidents. Some of the drivers of heavy duty trucks like the 18 wheelers drive extremely long distances which make them fatigued and tired which results in them losing concentration and causing Truck Accident
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs which is rare but is still a factor in accidents involving trucks
• The brakes or other parts of the truck not functioning properly resulting in Truck Accidents
• Loading excessive cargo on the truck which the truck is not able to handle may result in the driver losing control of the truck and cause an Accident
• Reckless driving and not following the rule of the road is yet another factor which may result in a Truck Accident
• It is believed that more than 90% of all Truck Accidents are caused by human error.

Below mentioned are some statistics about Truck Accidents occuring in the United States:

• The weight of an average truck is about 230 times than that of a normal SUV
• There are currently about 16 million trucks plying on the roads of the United States on a daily basis of which around two million are the heavy weight trucks or the 18 wheelers
• There are only about 4 million Americans who have a valid license to drive a truck
• A startling statistic is that majority of truck accidents happen during the daytime in the rural areas and on weekends.
• Intoxication of the truck driver constitutes only 1% of the total truck accidents in the United States

As mentioned above, the injuries sustained in a Truck Accident are more severe and serious than a normal motor vehicle crash.

The type of injuries sustained during a Truck Accident depend on various factors:

• The point and intensity of the impact
• The speed of both vehicles at the time of impact
• The size of both the vehicles involved in truck accident
• Whether the passengers on both vehicles were wearing seat belts and whether or not the air bags deployed.

Depending on the above factors some of the injuries that an individual can sustain in a truck accident are:

• Injuries to the lumbar or cervical spine which may range from a whiplash to fractures
• Crushing injuries
• Deep lacerations causing profuse bleeding
• Limb deformity which may be temporary or permanent
• Loss of limb
• Loss of vision or hearing
• Paralysis
• Permanent disability
• Burn injuries
• Traumatic brain injury
• Loss of life

It is also known that 90% of all truck accidents happen due to reckless driving and human error. Some of the examples of human error resulting in a major Truck Accident are

• Driving while intoxicated
• Talking on cellphone while driving
• Running red lights
• Inexperienced drivers

This is a pertinent question related to a truck accident. If the accident is caused due to an error on the part of the truck driver then the victim is definitely eligible for a claim and settlement which may include treatment bills, loss of wages, damage to the vehicle, the pain and suffering that the victim goes through and compensation in cases of loss of life or permanent disability.

In order to get the settlement done, the victim or his or her family needs to consult with a skilled truck accident lawyer who can put forward the case of the victim in an aggressive way so that the victim gets appropriate compensation for all the losses.

If an individual is a victim of a truck accident in which he or she believes was not at fault then the individual is advised to hire a skilled attorney for claiming compensation as a result of the lass that happened to the victim due to the accident. The victim needs to approach a skilled Truck Accident Lawyer.

The personal injury lawyer will study the case and will go through various evidences including the photographs of the accident scene, the police report, witness statements and the statements of both the victim and the driver of the truck, and the medical reports. Using these, the lawyer will try to build a strong case in favor of the victim. The truck accident lawyer will also try to find out weak points in the claims of the opposing party. The accident lawyer would also try to furnish reports of forensic experts and even may ask them to testify in favor of the claimant to make the case more stronger in favor of the victim.

Once all the evidence and reports are put forth in front of the judge, there is a high likelihood that the victim or the victim’s family in case of loss of life of the victim will be granted compensation to be paid by the owner of the truck involved in the Truck Accident and will have to bear the cost of:

• Outstanding medical bills
• Ongoing treatment costs
• Compensation for permanent disabilities
• Compensation for loss of wages till the time the victim can go back to work
• Pain and suffering that the victim and his or her family have gone through due to the Truck Accident.

Also Read:

• Auto Accident Injuries: 7 Common Injuries Following Auto Accident and Its Symptoms & Signs
• Automobile Accident Injuries: Types of Injury-Mild, Moderate or Severe Injuries, Medical Management of Injuries Following Automobile Accident
• Common Injuries in a Rear-End Collision & Role of Personal Injury Lawyer in Rear-End Collision
• Common Injuries in a Side-Swipe Car Accident
• Common Injuries in Head-On Collision & Role of Personal Injury Lawyers in Head-On Collision