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Dangers of Commercial Trucks

Michael Agruss

Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss

  • Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at 844SeeMike.
  • Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
  • Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor, 2004.

 

Perhaps we all heard of the multi-vehicle accident in New Jersey last year involving comedian Tracy Morgan which killed one and injured nearly a dozen. While this particular accident received extensive media coverage due to a celebrity’s involvement, it also represents a growing number of similar accidents involving trucks due to loosening legal regulations for commercial trucking, and fatigued driving remains a serious problem among professional truck drivers in the U.S.

Among the most common auto accidents involving trucks are rear-end collisions; these can occur when a vehicle ahead stops or slows down, perhaps due to construction or heavy traffic, and the truck driver is unable to stop in time. These accidents can result in serious injuries and even death due to these trucks’ far greater mass and force than passenger vehicles. According to an NTSB report of 2013, although less than 10% of total miles traveled on U.S. roads were by heavy commercial trucks, these trucks accounted for nearly one in four deadly auto accidents that year.

While the automotive industry has developed a wide array of safety features over the years – from anti-lock brakes and airbags to electronic stability control – accident-avoidance technology is found in only about 3% of trucks in Class 8, the heaviest truck category which includes most commercial tractor-trailers. Major trucking companies’ resistance to implementing this technology is largely financial, from the perspective of saving money, but this can still be correlated to the costs of truck accidents to the public: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that bus/truck accidents cost the U.S. about $99 billion per year.

While the trucking industry profits about $700 billion per year.It can be debated whether it is cheaper for these companies to periodically pay out insurance claims rather than implement better safety features to protect the public at large, but unfortunately this is too often the case.

Fatality rates in auto accidents dropped by 3% from 2009 to 2013, but fatality rates in truck accidents increased by 17% in the same timeframe; furthermore, over 85% of those killed were drivers or passengers of the car rather than the truck. Loosening regulations and lack of action by Congress have contributed to both the prevalence and deadliness of truck accidents on our roads, and we always recommend taking every available precaution when sharing the road with a commercial truck to ensure your safe passage.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a commercial truck, contact 844 See Mike for a free consultation. We are a Chicago-based injury law firm representing individuals (and their families) who have suffered an injury in an accident. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you.

Lastly, 844 See Mike is not paid attorneys’ fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. You have nothing to risk when you hire us – only the opportunity to seek justice.

Related Articles:

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  • Federal Insurance Requirements for Commercial Trucks
  • New Trucking Regulations for 2017
  • Large Trucks and Chain-Reaction Crashes
  • Liable Entities in Trucking Accidents
  • How Semi-Truck Accidents Differ from Auto Accidents
  • Semi-Trucks and Pedestrians
  • Trucking Accidents and Intoxication
  • Trucking Accidents and Intoxication, Pt. 2
  • Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer

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