Commercial truck drivers have to keep track of many elements to travel the highways of North Carolina safely. Failure in any single area could lead to a crash. The Large Truck Crash Causation Study published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration warns drivers about the top sources of truck accidents.
In an analysis of 963 accident records for two-vehicle accidents involving trucks, safety researchers placed the primary blame for the accidents on trucks in 44% of cases. Among the wrecks caused by trucks, 29% of them occurred because of brake problems. Trucks with failing brakes had a 170% greater chance of causing a crash compared to trucks with fully functional brakes.
Speeding proved to have an even greater impact on a truck’s likelihood of causing an accident. Researchers defined speeding as driving too fast for weather or traffic conditions or exceeding the posted speed limit. Overall, when truck drivers violated speed limits or did not reduce speed appropriately for bad road conditions, their trucks were 670% more likely to be declared at fault for accidents. Speeding emerged as the reason for truck accidents in 23% of cases studied.
A victim of a truck accident might not have the resources to find out if the truck driver made a mistake. Serious injuries can impede a person’s ability to investigate an accident, but an attorney knowledgeable about personal injury law might uncover evidence crucial for an accident claim. Commercial truck accidents might involve some complex elements, like subcontractors or defective parts, that benefit from an attorney’s evaluation. After gathering important facts, an attorney may assemble a thorough insurance claim or lawsuit that resists a responsible party’s attempts to avoid paying for a victim’s damages.