Commercial truck driving is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. In fact, according to a 2018 study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, trucking was rated the single most deadly line of work in the country. Furthermore, due to the sheer size of these vehicles, commercial truck collisions often result in the severe injury or death of other drivers on the road. In an effort to improve safety for truckers and the millions of other drivers with whom they share the road, both the federal government and Washington state lawmakers have instituted a variety of laws and regulations with which commercial vehicles are required to comply. Despite these measures, collisions continue to occur at an alarming rate due to a variety of factors.
Click here to read specific Commercial Vehicle Laws and Regulations here, courtesy of the Washington State Patrol.
What Are the Common Causes of Trucking Collisions?
Because commercial trucks are the largest vehicles on the road, seemingly small infractions can have tragic implications for other drivers in smaller vehicles. Mechanical failures, driver fatigue, and driver distraction are common causes of commercial trucking accidents. In many cases, truck drivers themselves are directly responsible for the damage these collisions cause. Some of the most common factors that contribute to trucking collisions include:
- Lack of proper training and/or supervision
- Fatigue from long hours
- Neglecting maintenance of the vehicle
- Failure to adjust driving during inclement weather
- Human error
- Speeding
“Trucking injury cases are very different from injury cases resulting from passenger vehicle collisions,” explains Shaun Callahan, a Partner at GLP Personal Injury Attorneys who specializes in trucking injury cases. “Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard of responsibility and care due to the size and weight of their vehicles. It is imperative that if you are injured in a trucking accident that you have an attorney on your side with significant trucking experience.”
If you or someone you know is injured or has died because of a trucking collision, you should immediately seek medical help and get a qualified lawyer. Trucking collision cases can be highly complex, often involving trucking insurance companies with lawyers of their own dedicated to fighting for their case. Because the rules and regulations that govern trucking differ greatly from those that govern passenger vehicles, it is important that you have the support of an experienced legal team that understands the intricacies of trucking injury matters to help you navigate your case.
The lawyers at GLP Attorneys have decades of experience resolving truck collision injury cases. Give us a call or email us today so we can determine your options and see what we can do to help.
Click here to learn more about our firm’s Trucking Injury practice.