Commercial trucks bring products to people and businesses throughout the United States. In fact, 71 percent of all the freight (by ton) in the U.S. is carried by commercial trucks. The products you purchase at the mall, the heating oil for your home, and the car you may have purchased from a dealership all likely arrived at their point of sale by truck. There are 3.6 million large commercial trucks on the roads to carry this freight.
But with many trucks comes, unfortunately, many accidents. Large trucks are involved in more than 4,000 fatal crashes and over 100,000 injury-causing crashes per year, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Georgia is a crossroads of the nation, and as such sees more than its share of large commercial trucks. Last year, 34 people were killed in large truck accidents in our state, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Although that’s just 2 percent of all fatal accidents in Georgia, it’s nearly three people per month taken from their homes and loved ones. Truck accidents can be deadly and injurious because trucks are so much larger and wider than other vehicles on the road. If you have already been involved in an accident then contacting the skilled truck accident attorneys at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can help discuss your compensation.
The Prevalence of Commercial Trucks on Roadways
American consumers rely heavily on commercial trucks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that commercial trucks haul approximately 71 percent of freight in the United States. However, not all commercial trucks are the same. Products travel to their destinations by a variety of means. Some of the most common trucks on Georgia’s roads include:
Tractor-trailers
The common tractor-trailer may be referenced by many names. Many people refer to tractor-trailers as semis, big rigs, or eighteen-wheelers. The term tractor-trailer refers to a truck with a separate driver’s cab connected to the hauling portion of the truck. The trailer is the hauling portion of the truck where goods are stored. The part of the vehicle containing the cab and engine is a “semi-truck” and can haul one or more trailers or travel alone. When a semi-truck is combined with a trailer, it is called a “tractor-trailer.” Tractor-trailers are utilized to carry the majority of the nation’s goods.
Tanker Trucks
Tanker trucks are similar to tractor-trailers in design, but they carry freight in large cylinders rather than a rectangular storage container. Tanker trucks commonly transport liquid products including milk, water, gasoline, and even wine. Liquid products react differently than solids during transport, so drivers of these trucks are required to obtain additional certifications.
Flatbed Trucks
Flatbed trucks consist of a semi-truck attached to a flat, open bed. The beds typically have no walls or cover. Flatbed trucks are generally used to transport very large or very long items, such as pipes or pre-manufactured houses. Extra care must be given to secure loads on a flatbed truck to prevent items from becoming loose and creating roadway hazards.
Delivery Trucks
Delivery trucks are used by large and small companies alike. Delivery trucks are generally box trucks, consisting of a unibody cab attached to a trailer. Similar to larger commercial trucks, they typically have a roll-up door to access the cargo portion of the truck. Because these trucks are smaller, there are much lower weight restrictions for these vehicles.
Truck Accident Types
In addition, there are specific truck accident types that cars don’t face. Underrides, for example, occur when a vehicle traveling behind the truck can’t stop in time to avoid hitting the rear of the truck. What could have been a rear-end collision with a regular sized vehicle becomes far more dangerous, because many vehicles are too small to actually strike the rear of a truck. Instead, due to the truck’s greater height, they go beneath the truck. These types of accidents can be deadly, as the truck’s size can crush the smaller vehicle and its occupants.
Legislation has mandated that trucks have guards installed in the rear to prevent underrides. However, many trucks don’t have them, and some are installed improperly, so a car’s bumper slips under them.
Jackknives, also, occur only with trucks. A jackknife happens when part of the truck ends up perpendicular to the rest of it, resembling a jackknife with the blade open. A jackknifed truck can not only cause injuries and fatalities itself, but can cause multiple secondary accidents as vehicles try to avoid the out-of-control truck.
Some accidents occur because trucks have to be handled differently than cars. A truck driver who wants to make a wide ride turn, for instance, must angle the truck left first, so that the entire truck can make the turn. An inexperienced driver can turn too far to the left even as he or she signals to go right, and hit other vehicles in the process.
Similarly, trucks have much wider blind spots than other vehicles. An experienced driver should know to check all blind spots before changing or merging lanes, but an inexperienced one may fail to check appropriately.
Trucks are more prone to accidents in which the vehicle rolls over, because their center of gravity is higher than that of other vehicles. Rollovers in a truck can be caused by improper placement of cargo, which unbalances the truck. But they can also be caused by speeding, improper braking, and turning too tight or too fast.
Both jackknifes and rollovers can cause cargo to spill from the truck. This type of accident, termed “falling cargo,” is not entirely unique to trucks, but is much more common with them than with other vehicles. Falling cargo can kill or injure as it falls, or become an obstacle in the roads that precipitates accidents as drivers swerve to avoid it.
I Was Injured in a Truck Accident. What Recourse Do I Have?
People injured in a truck accident have the right to compensation for damages if the accident was caused by another person or another party, such as negligent actions on the part of the trucking company.
“Negligence” essentially means careless or imprudent behavior that falls below what the law defines as an ordinary standard of care. In the context of truck accidents, it can mean breaking traffic or other laws. A driver going 65 miles an hour in a residential area zoned for 35 miles per hour can be said to have demonstrated negligence in obeying traffic laws and being prudent. A trucking company that so poorly maintains its trucks that the brakes are shot can be deemed negligent if the brakes are unable to stop the truck at a red light. Such negligence makes the responsible party liable for damages.
Victims of a truck accident can receive compensation for economic and non-economic damages, including:
- Medical bills for doctor’s visits, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitative therapy, prescription medication, and more.
- Wages lost from work due to the accident
- Expected future medical bills
- Expected future loss of wages from work
- Pain and suffering
Generally, this compensation is pursued through the at-fault party’s insurance company. If the insurance company does not compensate victims adequately, however, the victim can pursue a personal injury claim in court for these damages.
How Do I Determine Who Is at Fault for My Accident?
Commercial truck accidents can have very complex causes.
An accident that seems like driver error, such as failure to stop at a light or stop sign, may in fact be the fault of shoddy maintenance that has rendered the truck’s brakes virtually inoperable. Trucking companies and owners are mandated by Federal regulation to regularly inspect, maintain, and repair their fleets. An accident could also result from defective manufacturing standards or defective truck parts.
As a result, the causes of truck accidents often need investigation.
If you are in an accident with a large commercial truck, be sure to keep any evidence relating to how the accident happened. Law enforcement, for example, will file a police report. Get a copy of it. Take pictures of the accident with your smartphone if you are able. Take pictures of your injuries and any other harm, such as damage to your vehicle, as soon as possible.
For further questions about commercial truck accidents in Georgia, contact an experienced attorney today.
