When truck accidents take place, they commonly involve collisions between a truck and a passenger vehicle. A variety of different types of truck collisions can take place, including when passenger cars are rear-ended by trucks, sideswiped by trucks or are hit head on by trucks. Because of the size disparity between passenger vehicles and semi-trucks, semi-truck accidents can commonly be fatal and victims can suffer catastrophic injuries.
There are federal trucking regulations governing the trucking industry. Unfortunately, all too often, employers and drivers alike ignore regulations. Truck drivers routinely travel significant distances for long periods. While the number of hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel is limited, and breaks are required, these regulations may not always be properly followed, placing victims at risk.
Factors and circumstances that can contribute to semi-truck accidents can include inattentive or distracted driving, driver fatigue, driver intoxication and adverse weather conditions or poor visibility and a driver’s failure to properly adjust to the driving conditions. Likewise, an inattentive or fatigued driver may not pay proper attention to traffic stoppages or slow downs, providing inadequate time to react which can result in a truck accident.
Victims and families of victims, of truck accidents may suffer intense challenges following a truck accident and damages that can include medical expenses, funeral expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages. Because of the serious nature of truck accidents, and the harm they can cause to victims, legal options and protections are available to victims who have suffered harm and damages because of a careless truck driver or trucking company.
