Truck Accidents

Around 500,000 truck accidents occur each year in the United States, with about 5,000 resulting in fatalities. Large trucks, commonly referred to as "big rigs", "semi-trucks" or "tractor trailer" trucks typically weigh 80,000 pounds and can be up to 75 feet in length. Despite the fact that large trucks represent less than 4% of all vehicles on the road, they account for over 25% of passenger vehicle fatalities in multiple vehicle accidents. Due to the large size differential, most of the deaths and injuries involve the passengers of vehicles while the drivers of the tractor-trailers usually escape truck-vehicle collisions with little or no injury.

Truck drivers work long hours and have to meet rigorous and often unrealistic deadlines. As a result, truck driver fatigue is one of the main reasons for truck accidents. Fatigue can severely impair the judgment of the truck driver. In a survey done in 2003, almost 20% of truckers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at least once in the previous three-month period. Federal regulations prohibit a big-rig driver from “driving" more than 10 hours per day, and require 8 hours off for each 10 hours of driving. Unfortunately many drivers violate these regulations. The National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) reports that driver fatigue is responsible for more than 30% of all truck accidents.

Speeding is another major cause of accidents involving large trucks. It takes a lot more distance to stop a large tractor trailer combination that can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds than a 3,000 or 4,000 pound passenger vehicle. Federal statistics demonstrate at least 20% of large trucking accidents are due to excessive speed. Other common causes of truck accidents include inadequately trained drivers, maintenance and repair failures, violating safety procedures, brake failures, overloaded trailers and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In truck accidents it is vital that steps are taken preserve evidence, investigate the accident, secure federal investigative reports and eyewitness testimony. Our firm has successfully represented many victims injured as a result of truck accidents and has the experience to handle these cases.

Mr. Corwin can be emailed at scott@sjclaw.com.