There are a lot of accidents on America?s roads every year. In 2013, accidents killed 21,132 occupants of passenger vehicles and injured another 2.05 million. Although the most common accidents are between two cars, trucking accidents can also happen. These types of accidents can be more serious, costly, and complicated.
Trucking Accidents are Serious
Trucks are much larger than cars and other passenger vehicles, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that accidents involving these huge, weighty vehicles are up 20% in the last 20 years. Not only are the numbers up, but although trucking accidents are responsible for only 3% of total vehicle accidents, they almost always cause enormous harm because of the weight and size of the trucks. Their enormous weight causes more damage than a car can, and their size means that they often hit a lot more vehicles when they do have an accident, causing a wider spread of accident than most car or other passenger vehicle incidents.
Trucking Accidents are Costly
The amount of damage and the serious nature of that damage means that when trucks do cause an accident, it is going to cost a lot. Everyone involved almost certainly will need legal help and a personal injury lawyer if the truck is at fault, and a trucking accident attorney will almost certainly be needed to sort through the myriad of regulations that govern trucking in the United States.
Trucking Accidents are Complicated
You might need a trucking accident attorney because, though the most common reason for a trucking accident is driver error, even if the driver did nothing wrong, the trucking company might still be at fault. The second most common cause of trucking accidents is mechanical and equipment failures, and while these can sometimes be pure accidents, most of the time they are because of the truck was not being maintained correctly. There can also be complicated issues with federal laws and regulations and in determining who owns the vehicle and is responsible for it.
If you?ve been involved in any kind of accident, you may need legal help or a car accident attorney. But if you?ve been involved in an accident with a large truck, getting an experienced trucking accident attorney is the smart move to sort through all the potential mess.