common causes of truck accidents

What Are The Most Common Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents?

Traffic accidents involving commercial trucks can be extremely dangerous. Accidents with large trucks typically result in catastrophic injuries and deaths. In many cases, the injuries sustained and the fatalities in the accident involve the occupants of other vehicles. On average, over three-fourths of the fatalities in large truck accidents are occupants of other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

The causes of commercial truck accidents vary. However, it is crucial to identify the exact cause of the crash to recover compensation from the party or parties liable for damages. Texas commercial truck accident attorneys can help you identify the cause of the crash and the liable parties by conducting a thorough accident investigation.

Common Causes Of Commercial Truck Accidents

The causes of commercial truck accidents are similar to the causes of other motor vehicle-related accidents. However, the devastation caused by a large truck accident can be substantially greater than the damages caused by an accident involving passenger vehicles only.

Common causes Texas commercial truck accident attorneys consider when investigating a commercial truck accident include:

  • Truck driver error, including impaired driving, drowsy driving, and distracted driving
  • Speeding, reckless driving, and other traffic infractions
  • Inexperience or improperly trained drivers
  • Defectively designed roads, including poorly maintained roads
  • Improperly loaded cargo or over-weight cargo that can shift during transit causing the driver to control of the vehicle
  • Equipment failure or defective products
  • Poor weather conditions or hazardous road conditions
  • Mistakes by other motorists, such as driving in the truck’s “no zones” or blind spots, following trucks too closely, or cutting off trucks
  • Unrealistic schedules set by shippers or receivers

The cause of the commercial truck accident determines who is liable for your injuries, losses, and damages. Therefore, discovering the cause of the crash becomes a vital element of a truck accident investigation. Texas commercial truck accident attorneys may use a variety of resources when investigating the cause of a truck accident including:

  • Physical evidence from the accident scene and the truck
  • Information obtained from the truck’s black box and other on-board recording equipment
  • Driver’s logs and records
  • Repair and maintenance records for the truck
  • Testimony from witnesses and eyewitnesses
  • Video of the accident, including video of the seconds before the accident if available
  • Experts, including accident reconstructionists, engineers, safety experts, roadway design expert, commercial vehicle mechanic, transportation expert, and forensic toxicologist
  • Medical records

By determining the cause of the crash, we identify who is liable for your damages.

Who Is Responsible For Damages After A Commercial Truck Accident?

In most cases, the driver has some responsibility for causing the crash. However, the trucking company is usually also liable because of a lack of oversight or other wrongdoing. When a defective product is involved, the parts manufacturer may be a party to the action.

In addition, if the cargo contributed to the cause of the crash, the loader may be a responsible party. In a few cases, a government agency may be named as a liable party when hazardous road conditions or defectively designed roads contributed to the cause of the crash.

Contact Our Texas Commercial Truck Accident Attorneys for a Free Case Review

During 2016, 4,317 people died in large truck accidents, which is an increase of 5.4 percent over the previous year. In the overview of fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2017, it appears the deaths from large truck accidents increased again, but by 9% from 2016.

Commercial truck accidents cause traumatic and life-threatening conditions. Contact our Texas personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation. You need an aggressive a law firm of Texas commercial truck accident attorneys to fight for your right to full compensation of all past, current, and future damages from the truck accident.

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