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Semi-Truck Accidents

Are semi tractor-trailer accidents viewed differently than other auto accidents?
What is a "commercial truck"?
Why is a traffic accident involving a commercial truck more likely to cause injury than one involving passenger cars?
Who can be sued in a truck accident case?
What are the most common factors in collisions between commercial trucks and automobiles?
Is investigation important in a truck accident case?
If a semi-truck is carrying a hazardous liquid, and the victim of the accident is now suffering from respitory problems, can the driver as well as the shipper of the chemicals be held liable?

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Common Causes Of Truck Accidents & Big Rig Dangers: Truck Driver Issues

In the last article, we discussed how the size and weight of a truck can lead to accidents on the highway. However, the simple bulk of a big rig is only one issue that results in deadly semi accidents. In a significant number of cases, the truck collision is caused by the truck driver himself.

Here are some common causes of truck accidents in which the truck driver is at fault:

· Speeding. This may be the most common cause of truck accidents, despite its simplicity. Speeding in a regularly sized car is dangerous - but speeding in a truck that weights up to 80,000 pounds can have devastating results. Trucks take a longer time to brake - and when they lose control, they can take out a large number of vehicles around them.

· Driver fatigue. Despite federal regulations to prevent tired truck drivers, sleepy big rig drivers are still on the road. Since driving is their job, and they get more money the more they drive, drivers are often caught falsifying their trucker log and staying on the road for far too long to drive safety. Being tired at the wheel is just as dangerous as being drunk at the wheel.

· In-cab distractions. It can get lonely driving a big rig across the country and back for a living, and truckers have come up with a number of novel ways to keep busy on the road Unfortunately, many of these ways are distracting to their job. Mini-televisions, CB radios, cell phones, and other mobile devices can take their attention off the road and easily cause truck accidents.

· Driving under the influence. Some truck drivers take uppers so that they can driver longer without getting sleepy. Others drink due to addiction problems. Still others may be on prescription drugs that make them tired or less responsive. Truckers are not allowed to have a blood alcohol level about 0.02, but even still, there are drunk and drugged truckers on the road every day, just like there are drunk or drugged people driving cars and motorcycles.