Truck accidents can cause serious, permanent, life-threatening, and even deadly injuries. In the blink of an eye, you could lose your ability to work. You could lose your ability to even perform basic tasks for yourself. Your family could be robbed of your presence. Because truck accidents are often incredibly serious, it’s important for everyone traveling Texas roads and highways to understand the most common causes. When we understand truck accident causes, we are better able to protect ourselves and possibly even avoid an accident.
If you or someone you love was involved in a truck accident, contact Thompson Law right away at 844-308-8180 to discuss your potential case. Consultations are free and 100% confidential.
Improperly Loaded Trailers
One of the most common truck accident causes is an improperly loaded or secured trailer. When the goods being transported aren’t properly loaded and secured, they can shift when the driver takes a turn, changes lanes, or even slows down. The shift can cause the trailer to move unexpectedly. It can make it more difficult for the driver to stop or correct the movement. This can cause the truck to lose control, rollover, or jackknife.
Speeding Truck Drivers
Another common truck accident cause is speeding truck drivers. Most truck drivers are professionally trained and experienced. Even if they care about their safety and the safety of other drivers, they are often given unrealistic deadlines for delivery. In addition to the pressure of making the delivery on time, truck drivers are subject to state and federal trucking laws that tell them exactly how long they can drive in a 24-hour period. Some truck drivers feel pressured by their employers to ignore speed limits and safety regulations so that deliveries are made on time.
A speeding truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Because these trucks are so heavy, they don’t respond to a decrease in speed or an emergency stop in the same amount of time as a passenger vehicle. If they run into an unexpected traffic jam or if a passenger car darts out in front of them, hitting the brakes doesn’t mean the truck will immediately come to a stop. Because it takes longer to stop, there’s a higher likelihood of a devastating truck accident.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is another truck accident cause that we should all be aware of. Distracted driving doesn’t just mean talking on a cell phone while driving or texting while driving. Distracted driving is a way to say that the driver isn’t devoting their full time and attention to the road. Distracted driving also occurs when a truck driver has driven for long periods of time and is experiencing fatigue.
How Can You Protect Yourself from Truck Accidents?
Although we cannot remove 100% of the risk, there are some things that we can do as passenger vehicle drivers to minimize the chance that we’ll be involved in a truck accident.
- Don’t try to beat a truck through an intersection. Remember that their braking system doesn’t work the same as the one in your vehicle. They may not be able to slow down or stop to avoid hitting you. Wait for the truck to clear the intersection.
- Don’t tailgate a truck. Always drive at a safe distance behind the truck. This can help you avoid a collision.
- Use safe passing guidelines. Do not drive for long periods of time in the blind spot of large trucks.
- Drive defensively. Always pay attention to what’s going on around you while you’re on the road.
If you are involved in a truck accident, contact Thompson Law right away at 214-444-4444 (Dallas), 817-444-4444 (Fort Worth), 972-444-4444 (North Dallas), or 469-444-4444 (DFW Mid-Cities).
Truck accidents can be complex. You need the experienced legal team of Thompson Law to help you get the compensation that you deserve for your injuries. Thompson Law provides free consultations to victims of truck accidents. To have your case evaluated, call us now at 844-308-8180 or use our contact form.
