Causes of Dallas Truck Accidents
Texas Injury Lawyer Michael Grossman Discusses Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
In today's high-pressure economy, truck drivers are put under enormous amounts of pressure, often times in an attempt to save time and meet quotas. Nowhere is the phrase "time is money" more true than in the world of shipping and transportation.
Law makers recognize the dangers associated with trucking companies putting profit ahead of safety and they have enacted various laws and statutes which clearly define many aspects of the trucking world in an attempt to reduce the number of wrecks. Unfortunately, many trucking companies continue to gamble with our safety and put profits first.
In the 20 years that our firm has practiced 18-wheeler accident law, we have seen hundreds of examples of truck driver negligence that precipitates a vehicle collision, all in the name of profitability. We have seen numerous examples of trucks being grossly overloaded, truck drivers who have failed to meet the proper training requirements, drivers who drive with suspended licenses and/ or horrendous driving records, drivers who drive well in excess of the daily limit of hours they are allowed to be behind the wheel, and numerous other violations.
In the summer of 2008 and 2009, the Texas Department of Transportation launched an initiation whereby they would randomly stop 18-wheelers as they passed certain check points, and subject them to a routine safety inspection. A staggering 25% of the trucks tested were found to be unsafe for use on a public road and were immediately pulled out of commission until repairs could be made.
But what do these seemingly nominal violations means in the big picture? According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, tens of thousands of American motorists die each year in accidents with large trucks such as 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, semis, cargo containers, dump trucks, or any other type of vehicle weighing in excess of 10,000 lbs.
In 2003 alone, large trucks accounted for 8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes and 4 percent of all vehicles involved in injury and property-damage-only crashes.
- Tire Failure
- Speeding
- Driver Inattentiveness
- Driver Fatigue caused by strenuous schedules imposed by trucking companies
- Brake failure, brake over-heating
- Faulty mechanical components
- Poor safety and road-worthiness tests performed on the trucks
Other than driver error, often it is the actual rig that malfunctions or fails causing 18-wheeler accidents. Some examples of potential failures are brake failure or malfunction, faulty mechanical components and dis-proportioned loads.
All of these things make these 18-wheelers a potential danger on our roadways. Naturally, there are other factors that contribute to the car accident claims process.
Are tractor trailers or 18-wheelers checked for safety?
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