Dallas-Fort Worth is a very populated area. In fact, as of 2017, Dallas is the ninth largest city in the United States, and Fort Worth is the fifteenth largest city in the United States. Due to the large population, truck accidents occur often in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Trucking accidents have serious consequences. These consequences include property damage, heavy traffic, health insurance costs, serious injury, or even death. Roughly, 500,000 trucking accidents occur every year, and approximately 5,000 of these accidents involve a fatality.Â
Over the last few decades, trucking accidents have steadily increased. Since trucking accidents have become increasingly more common, drivers should be aware of what causes trucking accidents, and what you should do in the aftermath of a trucking accident.
What Types of Accidents are classified as “Truck Accidents�
A trucking accident is an accident that where a truck and a large trailer (greater than 10,000 pounds) collides with another vehicle or a pedestrian.
What Causes Truck Accidents?
Trucking accidents occur for a variety of different reasons. Below you will find a list of common causes of truck accidents.
Driver Error
Driver error is one of the main causes of trucking accidents. There are many different types of driving errors that could lead to an accident. First, a truck driver could swerve off the road or into another lane in order to avoid a collision with another motorist. When the truck driver swerves, the truck driver could hit another car. If an accident occurs because a truck swerved and hit another motorists, the truck driver is likely at fault for the accident.
Drivers can also cause accidents by following the vehicle in front of them to closely. Trucks take longer to come to a stop than other types of vehicles. This means that when a truck driver follows a motorist too closely the may not be able to stop in time in order to prevent a rear-end collision.
Accidents may also occur due to distracted driving. Drugs and alcohol can also cause accidents. If someone is intoxicated while driving, the risk of accidents greatly increases.
Commercial truck drivers are required to take breaks after they have driven for a certain amount of hours. Sometimes, truck drivers decide to drive even though they have not followed the rest requirements. This often leads to drowsy driving. When a person operates a truck while they are drowsy, there is a very high probability that the driver will fall asleep behind the wheel.
Most of the different types of accidents that were highlighted in this section discussed errors that truck drivers could commit. It is important to remember that an error by any driver could lead to a trucking accident.
Road Conditions
Roads in the Dallas Fort Worth Area are often free of icy conditions. However, when ice is on the road it often leads to dangerous conditions. Sometimes truck drivers fail to use proper precautions when there are dangerous conditions on the road. This can lead to trucking accidents.
Equipment Failure
When a truck’s load is not properly attached to a trailer or property distributed the equipment can malfunction. This can lead to a trucking accident.
Pressure from Trucking Company
Truck drivers are often employed by companies that have very strict policies. Sometimes truck drivers feel pressured by their employer to deliver their loads as soon as possible. This can lead to aggressive driving habits such as speeding, distracted driving, and ultimately truck accidents.
How Can I Keep Safe on the Road?
Avoid Distracted Driving
Many accidents occur due to distracted driving. While it is impossible to control the actions of the other drivers on the road, it is possible to ensure that you are not distracted while driving. You should make sure that you are focused on the road while you are operating a motor vehicle. This will allow you to have a quicker response time in the event that you need to slam on your breaks or take other evasive action.
Practice Defensive Driving
You should be prepared and ready to react to situations that may occur on the road. Be aware of your surroundings. If you see a truck driver swerving in and out of lanes the best thing you can do is keep your distance. That driver could be intoxicated, drowsy, or otherwise impaired.
Use Caution while you are Passing
If you need to pass a truck while you are on the highway you should use caution. It is important to remember that truck drivers have a larger blind spot than other drivers do. If you make a dangerous pass you could cause an accident.
Do not follow the vehicles in front of you too closely
Everyone knows that highways are notorious for stop and go traffic. If you follow a vehicle in front of you too closely you may not have time to stop your vehicle in time to avoid a collision. You should ensure that you have enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you so that you can safely come to a stop in an emergency.
What Should I do After a Trucking Accident?
If you have been involved in a trucking accident the first thing that you should do is tend to your injuries. Call 911 after the accident if you have been injured. After you make sure that you are safe, you should check to see if the other people involved in the accident were hurt. Call for help if anyone has been injured in the accident.
After you have called for help, you should begin to take pictures of the accident. These pictures can help you if you ever become involved in a personal injury case. Make sure that you get several different pictures of the accident from multiple, different angles.
You should also exchange information with the other people that were involved in the accident. Make sure to get the name, phone number, insurance information, and driver’s license information of anyone who was involved in the accident.
If you have been injured in the accident you may need to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit in order to get adequate compensation for your injury. Often, no amount of money can fully compensate a plaintiff for their injuries. This is especially true in a trucking accident case because the injuries that plaintiffs suffer are very serious.
You may need to hire an experienced personal injury attorney to assist you in your personal injury case. Your attorney will be able to assist you in ensuring that you receive adequate compensation for your injuries.
Your attorney could also help you if you are negotiating with an insurance company. Remember that insurance companies always have their bottom line in mind. The insurance company probably wants to settle your case for as little money as possible.
If you are not sure whether you need to hire an attorney in the after math of your trucking accident, you can contact the experienced lawyers at Stoy Law Group PLLC. We would be happy to provide you with a free case consultation.
