Truck accidents are considered disastrous traffic situations that often cause a high magnitude of injury, life loss, and heavy property loss. From a safety professional perspective, it becomes an opportunity to revisit what causes such incidents and then prepare for the necessary steps to avoid such a happening again.
Understanding fault and what contributes to these accidents is an important aspect of encouraging safer trucking operations. Here’s a look at the intricacies of determining liability in truck accidents.
Since multiple parties may bear responsibility in cases of an accident, it’s a very complicated task for anyone verifying the liability in truck accidents. The most important players that are commonly blamed include:
Human error contributes most to truck accidents. Some common mistakes that truck drivers perform are driving under fatigue, distracted driving, speeding, and improper lane changes. Federal hours of service regulations exist to reduce accidents initiated by fatigue, yet drivers and carriers continuously violate those rules, which, in turn, clearly indicate the need for improved monitoring.
Often, drivers of passenger vehicles cause accidents with trucks by their aggressive or unpredictable actions on the road alongside a large-moving vehicle.
With these external factors contributing to the situation, poor road or weather conditions add to the complexities in determining the fault. It is best to seek the services of a lawyer for truck accidents as soon as possible. Legal representation is essential to ensuring your interests are well represented.
Mechanical failure, like a burnt-out brake or tire burst, often points to flaws in the manufacturer. It is essential to properly turn into evidence the cause of equipment failure, whether from a lacuna in the design or neglect in maintenance from the trucking company.
Reviewing real-life truck accidents teaches many lessons about public safety. These examples illustrate common causes for events in the truck accident floor and how those might be avoided.
A long-range lorry driver fell asleep while driving, resulting in a multi-car pile-up on a highway. Evaluations of such accidents concluded that the trucker worked more than the HOS (hours of service) limits stipulated by FEMA, and the carrier did not supervise appropriately, which would have been detectable violations.
Key Lessons
While coming down a steep grade, the truck experienced brake failure and caused the most tragic accident. Investigations revealed that the truck had not undergone basic maintenance and was worn out in the braking system.
Key Lessons
A driver spent time texting instead of concentrating and struck another car at a relatively high speed. Dashcam footage of the incident ended up confirming the failure of the driver to concentrate, and part of the blame was put on the fact that the trucking company lacked any strong mobile device-use policy.
Key Lessons
Safety professionals should develop a wide variety of prevention techniques to reduce the risk of truck accidents. These measures include:
Enforcing a regular schedule in which drivers are trained in defensive driving techniques, situational awareness, and emergency response and include modules on combating fatigue, distractions, and bad weather.
Establishing a strict program of vehicle inspection and maintenance. They can also apply predictive maintenance technologies for issues before they escalate.
Monitoring driver behavior by applying in-cab cameras and engaging with feedback for improvement.
Following strict adherence to regulations, weight limits, and hazardous materials transport regulations of federal and state law.
Fault is about blame, but more importantly, it’s about finding those actionable insights that help prevent future tragedies.
Organizations can make safer environments for drivers and the public by analyzing case studies and adopting comprehensive prevention measures. Proactive training, technology adoption, and safety culture are vital in reducing truck accidents’ frequency and severity to save lives and resources.
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