Published on Dec 22, 2021 | Last Modified on Jul 09, 2024
Overview
- Commercial trucks are involved in numerous accidents due to their size and weight, causing significant damage and injuries.
- In 2022, there were 5,936 deaths in large truck crashes in the U.S., a 2% increase from 2021.
- Major causes include driver fatigue, mechanical issues, and challenging road conditions.
- Most fatalities involve occupants of other vehicles (68%), while 16% are truck occupants and 15% are non-occupants like pedestrians and cyclists.
- Tractor-trailers are involved in 74% of these fatalities, with single-unit trucks involved in 27%.
- 50% of large truck crash deaths occur between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., and 16% on weekends.
- Only 49% of fatally injured large truck drivers were using seat belts at the time of the crash.
- Victims of truck accidents should seek medical attention immediately and gather evidence.
- Consulting a personal injury lawyer is crucial for navigating legal claims and compensation.
Truck accidents can be catastrophic – particularly those involving hulking commercial tractor-trailers that commonly weigh anywhere between 25,000 and 80,000 pounds. The forces that are at play in a commercial truck accident heighten the risk of sustaining serious or fatal injuries, as well as property damage, lost wages, and long-term disability that can easily wind up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.
Just how common are truck accidents in the United States? The following information has been gleaned from data published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates the domestic trucking industry.
Large Truck & Bus Crash Facts
The most recent statistics pertaining to heavy truck and bus accidents compiled by the FMCSA are from 2019. In its report titled “Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2019,” the FMCSA says that 5,237 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in the United States over the course of that year, a two percent increase from 2018. During that timeframe, the number of fatalities linked to large truck and bus accidents per 100 million miles traveled by all vehicles was 0.161, roughly 50 percent fewer than the 21st-century peak in the year 2000.
Regarding large truck and bus accidents resulting in non-fatal injuries, the report states that after a steady decline between 2002 and 2009, followed by a pronounced (62 percent) uptick between 2009 and 2015, the number of large truck and bus injury crashes continued to climb by 13 percent between 2016 and 2019.
Steps to Take Following a Truck Accident
Being involved in a truck accident can be a frightening experience and one that quite possibly changes the course of your life. If leaving your vehicle where it rests after a collision creates a danger to other motorists and if you can, move your vehicle to the side of the road and out of the way of traffic. Call 911 or, alternatively, the local police or state highway patrol. All injured parties who aren’t immediately transported to a hospital should promptly seek medical care. Even if you do not believe you have been seriously injured, you should get checked out by a medical professional to be sure. If possible, take photos (or have someone else take photos) of the accident scene, gather the contact information of any potential witnesses, and exchange information with the other driver, including their name, address, phone number, insurance policy information, and the contact information of the driver’s employer.
Contact Whalen Injury Lawyers
A critical step for anyone who has been injured in a truck accident is speaking with a personal injury attorney. Whalen Injury Lawyers is a highly regarded Colorado personal injury law firm that has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of people wrongfully injured – many of them truck accident victims.
If a truck accident has resulted in serious harm to you or a loved one, learn more about your legal rights and options during a free consultation with a lawyer at our Colorado law firm. You can schedule this consultation by either calling Whalen Injury Lawyers at 720-307-2666 or sending us a message by clicking here.