Truck Accident Causes
At the Carmel, Indiana, law firm of Wagner Reese & Crossen, our attorneys see many types of truck accidents. We have listed the most common causes of truck accidents here. Contact us if you have been injured in a trucking accident caused by these or any other factors. Call us at 800-792-0332 for a free initial consultation.
- Driving log violations Semi truck drivers are known to alter their driving logs or keep double logs — one for the trucking company and one for the police if there is an accident. The log records miles driven, breaks taken and maintenance checks performed. Failure to abide by state and federal regulations regarding logbook entries could mean a driver is driving too many hours without taking a break or that the driver is failing to perform the required maintenance checks. All of these logbook violations can lead to accidents.
- Improper loading An overweight or badly loaded truck can be difficult for any driver to control. A load that is not distributed properly can cause a truck to tip or jackknife during turns and other maneuvers.
- Negligent hiring Trucking companies often hire a driver who is not qualified to operate a commercial vehicle because of a prior bad driving record, alcohol or drug abuse or bad eyesight. This can be made even worse when the company fails to provide adequate training. It doesn’t matter how good the truck’s safety equipment is if the driver does not understand or is unaware of how to use the safety equipment. Inexperienced and untrained drivers cause nearly the same number of accidents as driver fatigue, according to the Large Truck Crash Causation Study
- Substance abuse Using medications — illegal and legal — is a primary cause of truck accidents. Truck drivers take amphetamines and other drugs to stay awake. They take sleeping pills so they can sleep in a noisy truck stop. We have even seen instances of truckers drinking alcohol while driving. All types of substance abuse alters a truck driver’s perception of reality, making him or her prone to accidents.
- Driver fatigue According to the U.S. Department of Transportation and its subsidiary, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, drivers are supposed to drive no more than 11 hours after resting for 10 hours. They are limited to driving for 60 hours in any seven-day period. Because these rules are routinely violated and because trucking companies encourage drivers to under-report time spent unloading, waiting and loading, driver fatigue is common.
- Following too closely Following another vehicle too closely means that there is little time to stop should something unexpected occur. It can take a big rig up to 300 feet (the length of a football field!) to stop when traveling 55 mph. When truck drivers engage in this practice and are sleepy or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, their reaction time is further slowed, making an accident even more likely.
- Speeding Truck drivers are usually paid by the mile. This means they have a great incentive to deliver their load quickly and pick up the next one. Because of these incentives built into the trucking industry, drivers often exceed the speed limit.
- Driver error Errors such as neglecting to use a turn signal or failing to yield according to traffic rules can cause a catastrophic accident.
- Mechanical failure The most common equipment failure on a truck is a tire blowout. This is a frequent cause of accidents to vehicles following a truck when a tire blows or when couplings and brakes fail.
- Lane changing Every truck driver knows that there are blind spots around the truck. This means that if another vehicle is in that spot, the chances of a truck driver seeing it are slim. This problem can be dealt with in part by installing special mirrors that provide the driver with an improved ability to see vehicles in these blind spots. However, many trucking companies do not do this, resulting in accidents that might have been avoided with a relatively minor expense.
Contact our Carmel, Indiana, law firm if you have suffered an injury in a truck accident. Call Wagner Reese & Crossen at 800-792-0332 to schedule a free initial consultation. Learn more about the cause of your truck accident.
An Indiana law firm with a national trucking accident practice
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