Trucks are involved in 74% of all cases where a driver or passenger in a car is killed.A Greenville man tragically lost his life when a truck collided with his car as recently as September 2020. Truck-involved crashes devastate the lives of thousands of Americans every year.
Clauson Law Firmhelps victims and their families recover the maximum available compensation when a truck destroys the life they knew before the crash.
Injuries and fatalities suffered in catastrophic accidents with big trucks require the legal assistance of experienced truck-accident lawyers. At Clauson Law Firm we know how to handle the special issues you will confront after a collision with a large truck. Clauson Law’s expert lawyers, investigators, and support staff skillfully handle issues that arise in truck accidents that rarely appear in typical car crashes.
Truck accidents require analysis of commercial regulations, the condition of the truck and its load, maintenance and driver log records, and layers of corporate liability. The Clauson Law Firm employs an experienced and highly motivated team of professionals to guide you and your family through the legal process to deliver the highest compensation recoverable in your case.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that 2018 saw 5,096 fatal crashes involving large trucks and buses, an increase from 2017. The number of large truck and bus crashes causing injuries rose from 112,000 to 121,000 in only two years, from 2016 to 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
An astounding 499,000 large truck involved accidents were reported to police in 2018 alone.
Large Truck & Bus Crash Facts 2018 September 2020 Trends Fatal Crash Involving Large Trucks by State, 2008-2019 | |||||||||||
YEAR | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
NORTH CAROLINA | 140 | 112 | 98 | 108 | 117 | 122 | 109 | 114 | 152 | 139 | 160 |
Life-changing, catastrophic injuries suffered in large truck-involved accidents ruin lives. People lucky enough to survive one of these horrific collisions often live with the residual pain and disability from injuries like these:
The reason large trucks cause so many fatalities and serious injuries is a simple matter of physics. Some large trucks and tractor-trailers can weigh from 30,000 pounds to as much as 132,000 pounds. An average passenger car weighs approximately 4,100 pounds.
When a tractor-trailer weighing 80,000 pounds is traveling at a speed of 55 miles per hour, the distance needed to bring that truck to a complete stop in an emergency is 335 feet. That’s longer than the height of the Statue of Liberty. The stopping distance for a passenger car travelling at the same 55 mph is 60 feet.
The amount of roadway required for a semi or a tractor-trailer to stop on a rainy day on a slick surface could be far greater than the figures shown on this chart:
Stopping Distances: Truck vs. Car 1
When a truck is involved in a collision with another vehicle, the probability of severe injury and death increases. Remember, a tractor-trailer with a full load could weigh 25 times more than a passenger car.
Tires and Brakes – Poor Maintenance: Tires are a truck’s sole point of contact with the road surface. As they wear down, they are less able to grip the pavement. Poor tire maintenance leads to high-speed blowouts and loss of control. A truck with worn tires will need more roadway to stop than one with better tires.
Brake failures due to poor maintenance can lead to catastrophic accidents. An 18-wheeler with a full load driving down an incline needs every bit of braking power to slow itself or stop. Slower stopping leads to more collisions.
Driver Fatigue: Commercial truck drivers work under the pressure of short delivery deadlines. The need to reach their destination on time means drivers skip rest breaks and exceed their maximum allowed driving-hours. Tired drivers exhibit slower reactions to hazards and exercise poorer judgment. Some even fall asleep behind the wheel.
Speeding and Aggressive Driving: We’ve all been on a highway when a huge tractor-trailer truck seems to fly past us so fast that our car shudders from the air turbulence. It’s also intimidating to see the grille of an 18-wheeler in your rearview mirror.
A passenger car driver who becomes startled may change lanes suddenly or drive faster to get the truck off his back bumper. Trucks being driven aggressively cause accidents even if they don’t collide directly with another vehicle.
Other Causes:
If you or a family member suffered injuries in a truck-involved accident, you deserve the help of a skilled Truck Accident Lawyer.
