Everyone has to share the road with 18-wheelers sometimes, and unfortunately those big trucks occasionally lose control and cause serious accidents. Many of those result in devastating or fatal injuries, so people naturally prefer to avoid them if possible. Knowing what causes them helps them do that, so what are the most common ways an 18-wheeler could cause an accident?

Answer: The most common causes of 18-wheeler accidents are trucking company negligence, driver errors, and vehicle malfunctions.

In this article we will explore each of those categories in greater detail.

Trucking Company Negligence

Trucking companies may not be directly and physically involved in most 18-wheeler accidents, but in many cases our crash investigation ultimately finds that their careless attitude toward safety was a major factor. Some of the most common negligent company practices we've seen include:

• Hiring unqualified/unlicensed drivers
• Improper training
• Failure to perform required drug and alcohol screening
• Inadequate supervision/oversight
• Unfair or unsafe driver schedules/routes
• Improper fleet maintenance

That's not to say the entire trucking industry cuts those corners, just that over the years we've seen many companies put people at risk by failing in their required duties. Worst of all, that negligence can potentially put a team of ill-prepared drivers on the road. As you'll see in the next section, even a single reckless trucker is enough to create plenty of problems.

Driver Errors

Much like any other tool, a vehicle is only as good as the person using it. Truck drivers are generally trained to control their vehicles in most situations, but some make avoidable mistakes that damage their trucks, themselves, and other motorists. Below are a few of the most common operator errors that cause major 18-wheeler accidents.

• Speeding
• Driving while fatigued
• Driving while intoxicated
• Becoming distracted
• Disregarding weather or road conditions

That's not a complete list, but they hopefully illustrate how important it is for a truck driver to know and obey the rules of the road. However, even trained and careful drivers may crash due to circumstances beyond their control—like defects or malfunctions in their trucks.

Truck Malfunctions

Another thing that determines the effectiveness of a tool is its quality and upkeep. Poorly-maintained or damaged equipment is at best less efficient and at worst a disaster waiting to happen, and a semi-truck is no exception. In fact, during annual roadside truck inspection blitzes, law enforcement typically finds at least one serious problem with 20% of the trucks on the road. Sometimes those mechanical failures or malfunctions cause an 18-wheeler accident, and they may happen for different reasons like:

• Poor or neglected maintenance
• Manufacturing defects
• Outdated or aged equipment or parts
• Irreversibly damaged equipment still in use

Those are some of the most common ways a commercial truck might fail in transit, and any of them can have catastrophic consequences.

Why Does all This Matter to Truck Accident Victims?

For most people outside the field of truck accident injury law, determining which of these factors caused a crash may seem academic at best. It's pretty common to hear someone say, "Well, if you know the truck caused a crash, why does it matter what went wrong?" First, it's important for those affected by truck accidents to get the full story of what happened to them. In fact, that's what most people want when they reach out a truck accident firm like ours—answers.

More importantly, it's necessary to know the exact cause of a crash in order to hold the right people accountable for their actions. If a defect causes a crash, the manufacturer should be forced to answer for it. Similarly, if trucking companies operate dangerously, then they too should face consequences for their actions. The attorneys at Grossman Law Offices have decades of experience getting answers and holding wrongdoers accountable; if you were hurt or lost a loved one in a Texas truck accident, call any time for a free and confidential consultation.