Semi Truck Accident Stats And How Lawyers Help
“Trucks are responsible for 4,500 deaths per year in the United States. Truck crashes also cause huge losses in productivity, property and personal injury. New research just published in the International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion details how trucks account for 8% of US highway traffic, yet are involved in 11% of fatal road crashes,” says a December 2013 report by Science Daily.
Semi trucks –the huge vehicles with ‘towing engines’ or ‘tractors’- attached to one or more semi-trailers, used to transport freight-contributes to these figures! The causes for this could range from over speeding, aggressive driving, fatigue, substance abuse, inferior reactions, poor judgment and weather conditions, it notes. Semi truck accident attorneys confirm this.
Semi Truck Accidents May Be More Fatal
While most people assume that “the truck owner operators are almost always at fault due to the sheer size of their vehicles... statistics reveal that is not the case. What is true is that large trucks are involved in fewer accidents than other types of vehicles per 100 million miles driven, but these accidents have a higher rate of fatalities,” states nationalowneroperatorjobs.com.
It goes on to elaborate how “truck accidents lead to injuries and fatalities, expensive insurance claims and lengthy traffic jams as wreckage is cleared.” Semi truck accident attorneys are sought out in such eventualities, to represent clients at court cases and settle insurance claims.
Semi Truck Accidents Account for 75% of Truck Accidents
Statistics provided by ‘The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’ in 2010, noted that, “Large trucks accounted for 4 percent of registered vehicles but 9 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths.” It also stated -how 75 percent of truck accidents involving fatalities were tractor-trailers,” while “25 percent were single large trucks,” reports ‘nationalowneroperatorjobs.com.’
The data highlights disturbing stats, on how during the year-“3413 people died in accidents involving large trucks; 14 percent of the deaths were occupants in the truck; 72 percent of the deaths were occupants in a different vehicle and 13 percent of the deaths were people on motorcycles, walking or riding bicycles.” In the event of an accident, whether one wants to sue the semi truck owner or driver; or needs to be defended against charges of negligent driving-semi truck accident attorneys, are the ones to turn to.
How Semi Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help
In accidents involving semi trucks, there is a “need for representation from an experienced semi truck accident lawyer. There are many underlying lines of information that need to be explored for preservation of evidence in building a civil case. And just because there are criminal charges involved, that does not mean a civil case cannot be pursued,” declares Anthony Johnson on a legal news website.
“The victims of such a collision are not likely to be of sound mental and emotional state at a time when they need it most. The victims may be too embroiled in grieving or worrying about present medical circumstances to fully investigate all of the necessary information that can help support their claim,” he observes. This is exactly where- semi truck accident attorneys come to the rescue!
Why Connecting with Semi Truck Accident Attorneys is a Must
Semi truck accident attorneys can throw light, on the legalities involved in a semi truck accident case. They can “answer the many legal questions you will have when an accident occurs. It is important that you call an attorney as soon as possible after the crash to get the ball rolling. You should also make sure you speak with your attorney before signing anything from an insurance company on your accident. This semi truck accident attorney will give you the representation you deserve,” states R. Evan Bassett, a trial attorney, on his website.
“If there are not fatalities, it can easily result in expensive medical bills, loss of income, and extended pain and suffering. Some injured parties make the mistake of trying to represent themselves, or settling with a large company without seeking legal counsel. A more effective way to help protect your rights is with the assistance” of semi truck accident attorneys, suggests Johnson.