What Are the Risks Associated With Commercial Trucks?
Truck accidents are extremely dangerous, as our Pasadena attorney could tell you, and the occupants of the other vehicles involved are at much greater risk of being seriously injured than the truckers themselves. The size difference between a semi-truck and the car you drive is significant. Even a relatively minor accident with one of these commercial vehicles can cause life-altering injuries or even prove deadly.
Additional factors that make truck accidents that much more dangerous include the following:
- Truckers require much longer stopping distances, making tailgating far more dangerous
- Truckers experience large blind spots all the way around their vehicle, and failure to check these areas before changing lanes puts everyone on the road at risk
- Truck drivers are more vulnerable to the dangerous effects of bad weather, including rain and high winds, and those who fail to make the necessary adjustments make the roadways more dangerous for everyone
Who is Responsible for Losses After a Truck Accident?
Truck accidents are often the direct result of truck driver negligence. Sometimes, however, negligence on the part of the trucking company may have contributed to a wreck. In other cases, both the driver and trucking company share responsibility.
Truck Driver Negligence
Truck driver negligence can take many forms, but some of the most common include the following:
- Distraction
- Impairment
- Exhaustion
- Excess speed
- Aggression
- Failure to yield the right-of-way or abide by other rules of the road
Any form of negligence can prove deadly when it comes to operating a tractor-trailer. If a trucker leaves you injured, consult with our trusted Pasadena truck accident attorney early in the legal process.
Trucking Company Negligence
The trucking company itself also bears considerable responsibility when it comes to safety. This includes maintaining a safe fleet of vehicles and hiring experienced truckers who take safety seriously. Additionally, trucking companies must implement careful truck maintenance schedules and require their drivers to follow all safety and maintenance protocols.
Trucking companies that put profits before safety can be held directly responsible for resulting accidents. One clear example of this is a trucking company that requires drivers to evade hours of service laws to bolster their profits.
However, whether negligence lies with the trucker, the trucking company, or both, you will very likely file your claim with the trucking company’s insurance provider.