Commercial tractor-trailers are involved in an increasing number of serious, and often fatal, accidents. To learn why, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS). This study provided vital information, including the reasons behind serious crashes involving large trucks.
Researchers reviewed 120,000 crashes that occurred between April 2001 and December 2003 and selected a nationally representative sample of 963 accidents. These accidents, involving at least one large truck, resulted in 1,654 serious injuries and 249 deaths. At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that 87 percent of the crashes were driver related with just 10 percent vehicle related and three percent environment related.
With such a high percentage of accidents caused by drivers, researchers provided the most cited reasons for driver-related crash causes:
- Inadequate driver training and experience
- Bad signaling and driving decisions, including speeding
- Fatigued, inattentive or distracted drivers
- Alcohol and drug use
The weight and speed of a tractor-trailer truck on highways and interstates will decimate anything in its path. That is why it is critical for drivers to have the training, experience and diligence required to keep themselves and other motorists safe. If they do not, the results are often catastrophic, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury or death.
Following a trucking accident, it is important for injured victims to consult with a personal injury attorney to learn what legal options are available. An attorney will also provide guidance through discussions with insurance companies and representation in legal claims for financial compensation from the truck driver, trucking company, insurance company and any other responsible party or organization.
For families who have lost loved ones in fatal truck accidents, an experienced personal injury attorney can pursue wrongful death claims allowing the family to receive compensation for their loss.
