Dangerous Cargo In Trucking Accidents

However, there are even more dangers to consider other than weight disparity in a Big Rig / tractor trailer / 18-wheeler commercial truck crash.  First, there is the truck cargo.  Semis and 18-wheelers often carry huge loads of flammable or hazardous materials.  In a crash, this can mean devastating chemical burns, respiratory injuries, spills, and fire.

HOS As A Contributing Factor To Commercial Truck Fatalities

Second, there is the potential impairment of the truck driver’s ability and skill. Federal studies have found that a Big Rig / tractor trailer / 18-wheeler commercial truck driver is 10 times more likely to be the cause of a fatal commercial truck accident than bad weather, road conditions, or any other cause of the accident.

Exhausted truckers abound on US roadways today, and they do so legally.  Under federal law, commercial truckers are allowed to drive their big rigs non-stop for a continuous 11 hours a day.  Truckers must stop work after this 11 hour of service (HOS) mark, but they are free to drive — without stopping — straight up to that deadline.

Research shows that this HOS deadline becomes dangerous when the 18-wheeler truck driver keeps driving after his 10th hour behind the wheel.  He can do so legally, but an exhausted truck driver risks a crash, and taking drugs to stay awake (which is not legal) only adds to the current problem.  Accordingly, fatigue is a major cause of commercial truck accidents, and jackknifing and turning accidents are also common.

Big Rig / Tractor Trailer / 18-Wheeler Commercial Truck Accidents Are Usually Deadly

It is a tragic truth that in the United States today, most large commercial truck wrecks result in death. These huge semi trucks crashing into passenger vehicles, even at relatively slow speeds, all too often kill or seriously injure the passengers of the sedan, minivan, or SUV.

Trucking Companies Are Prepared To Respond In Case Of A Big Rig / Tractor Trailer / 18-Wheeler Crash

Trucking companies and truckers are well aware of the risks of their business, and they have spent the time and money necessary to organize an immediate response to a commercial truck accident.  The trucker will be trained to report the accident as soon as possible, and this will sometimes happen immediately after the crash.  The trucker’s insurance company will have experience in commercial truck crashes, and this insurance company’s local adjuster will begin immediately defending the trucker and his employer, as well as the owner of the cargo, its distributor, and possibly, the store where the load was headed.  They’ll start collecting evidence to defend against the truck crash as soon as they can.

Victims Need Experienced Plaintiffs’ Attorneys To Fight For Justice In Commercial Truck Crash Cases

As Florida injury attorneys who have represented many victims of a Big Rig / Tractor Trailer / 18-wheeler crash, we know it’s sad but true that a victim of an 18-wheeler truck accident might be introduced to the trucker’s insurance adjuster before the ER physician.   At Allen & Abaray, P.A., we are also well prepared to prosecute these cases on behalf of the injury victims and their families.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with a large, commercial truck, then you may be entitled to recover significant financial compensation for your losses. Compensation may include money damages for wrongful death, physical disfigurement, pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost income, and lost earning capacity.

For more information:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials  AASHTO

The Large Truck Crash Causation Study

If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury or wrongful death due to a commercial truck accident, then please feel free to contact the experienced trial attorneys at Allen & Abaray, P.A.to schedule a free, initial legal consolation.