In 2022, 75 people in Kansas lost their lives in car crashes that involved large trucks. Car collisions involving semi-trucks are notoriously devastating, and understandably so when you consider the sheer size and weight disparity between a car and a commercial truck.
The massive impact force involved in such crashes often leads to severe injuries or fatalities for the car’s occupants. If you’ve been in such a car wreck, understanding the potential role of trucking violations is crucial. So, here’s a breakdown of how trucking violations cause car crashes and the steps you can take to determine fault.
Common trucking violations that lead to accidents
State and federal regulations are in place to ensure a safe operation for commercial trucks. Breaches of these laws are frequent, and they significantly increase the risk of collisions. A few common violations that typically figure in car crashes include:
- Driver Fatigue: Truck drivers are subject to strict limitations on driving hours to prevent fatigue. Violations like exceeding on-duty time or driving without sufficient rest breaks can impair judgment and reaction time.
- Distracted Driving: Texting, talking on the phone, or using a navigation system while driving a truck can have catastrophic consequences. It comes as no surprise that this is the second most common cause of truck accidents on American roads.
- Speeding: Over 7% of fatal truck accidents involve speeding. Trucks have longer stopping distances than cars. Speeding makes it harder for truck drivers to avoid collisions, especially during emergencies.
- Impaired Driving: Truckers are subject to stringent BAC limits and stand to lose their commercial vehicle operating license if found to be flouting these laws. Despite this, in 2020, nearly 3% of truck drivers involved in fatal crashes had a BAC of 0.08%. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol makes any driver a risk for the other motorists on the road, and it’s especially dangerous for truck drivers.
- Improper Lane Changes: The size of a semi-truck creates significant blind spots. Reckless or un-signaled lane changes can easily lead to accidents with smaller vehicles. Unfortunately, often this behavior has more to do with improper or inadequate training and a lack of experience than recklessness.
- Vehicle Maintenance Issues: Faulty brakes, tire blowouts, or unsecured cargo can cause a truck driver to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in a collision.
- Overloaded Trucks: Trucks exceeding weight limits become harder to maneuver and more prone to rollovers or brake failure, increasing the risk of accidents.
For a car crash involving a semi, you will need the help of an experienced attorney
In car collisions involving passenger vehicles, the majority of the evidence that indicates the accident’s occurrence and potential contributing circumstances is found at the crash site.
However, in cases of trucking wrecks, the situation is very different. The trucking corporation keeps track of everything, including vehicle maintenance logs, data on cargo loading, trucker training, and driving records.
Simply put, the opposing side sits on most of the evidence that can go against them in court. Since semi-truck collision injuries are usually serious and hence lead to large settlements, trucking companies certainly have the impetus to delete or destroy important evidence.
Unfortunately, requests made by victims for this vital data often go unheeded. But, when you get an experienced personal injury lawyer on board, the first thing your attorney will do is file a formal request to stop the trucking company from destroying material evidence and make it available to your legal team.
This alone is enough to stop the trucking company from resorting to unscrupulous means, and that is the reason you should get in touch with DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers right away. Contact any of our four office locations to speak to our dedicated attorneys, who have decades of experience handling personal injury claims for semi-truck crash victims.