Legal Options in Commercial Truck Accident Cases
Big trucks are everywhere on our highways and city streets, shipping items to stores and delivering goods between cities and states. Given just how many commercial trucks there are, it should come as no surprise that they can pose a number of dangers to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The lawyers of Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton have helped many people in the Provo area who have been victims of serious truck accidents, offering legal help and guidance through the litigation process. Let’s take a moment to consider why these kinds of auto collisions can be among the most serious. The Dangers Posed by Commercial Trucks While large trucks are an essential part of life, they are also the cause of many motor vehicle accidents. Looking at data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were roughly 95,000 injuries and 3,964 fatalities from large truck accidents in 2013. The majority of people injured or killed were the occupants of the other vehicle rather than the truck driver or any other occupants in the large truck. Blind Spots and Maneuverability Issues One of the biggest dangers posed by large trucks involves the size of the vehicle and, hence, the size of the vehicle’s blind spots. People who drive alongside a large truck or near a large truck may not be seen by the driver. This increases the chance of side-end injuries. Trucks also have to deal with maneuverability issues and stopping issues given their size and mass. A large truck will take more time to stop, and may need more space to make left turns or right turns. This means a greater risk of injury and greater danger to all drivers near a large truck. Issues with Driver Fatigue Driver fatigue is also a major problem to consider with regard to large trucks. Truck drivers have to work long hours to make schedule, which means some of them may be sleep deprived or tired while they are on the road. If you’ve ever driven while drowsy, you know just how dangerous that can be even with a normal commuter vehicle. Some studies actually say that driving while tired or drowsy is the equivalent of drunk driving, which means impaired alertness, decision-making, and reaction times. Problems with Vehicles Large trucks are on the road a lot, traversing hundreds and often thousands of miles every week. This is bound to take its toll on the vehicles themselves, which have to be regularly serviced to ensure safety on the road. However, vehicles may not always be in the best conditions for driving. If a truck company does not take vehicle maintenance seriously, a truck with major brake or handling issues may be on the road, making accidents more likely. Large Truck Accidents Can Prove Fatal Simply given all of the dangers above, it should come as no surprise that large truck accidents can cause fatal accidents. The size of a truck and the force generated by a collision can be tremendous. If not deadly, these kinds of accidents can lead to lifelong disabilities with repercussions that will affect one’s personal life and professional life. That’s why having skilled attorneys on your side is crucial. Speak with Our Attorneys About Your Case To learn more about your legal rights and options following a serious collision with a large truck, be sure to contact our personal injury attorneys today. The legal team at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton is here to help you receive just compensation for serious injuries.
The Dangers of 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents
All auto accidents have the capacity to be dangerous and claim innocent lives; however, none are as inherently dangerous as accidents involving 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks. When passengers of cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs, not to mention motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians, collide with large trucks, the trucker is far less likely to be killed. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 2,485 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in collisions with large trucks in 2014, accounting for 68 percent of the overall deaths in these collisions, while 531 motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians were killed, accounting for another 15 percent. By contrast, 587 large truck occupants were killed, accounting for just 16 percent of the overall deaths. Even more telling, 72 percent of the large truck accidents that resulted in deaths in 2014 involved 18-wheelers and other tractor-trailer big rigs, while only 28 percent involved single-unit large trucks. Tragically, many of these accidents could have been prevented if not for the negligence of the truck drivers or the trucking companies that simply pushed their employees past the limits of the law in the name of making a profit. When it comes to handling claims arising from 18-wheeler truck accidents, the Provo, UT personal injury attorneys of Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton have the resources, skills, and experience to win even the most complex cases. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a collision with a large commercial truck, or if you have tragically lost a member of your family in such an accident, we urge you to arrange for an evaluation of your trucking accident case today. Proving Negligence in 18-wheeler Truck Accident Cases In order to obtain compensation for the losses and expenses you have sustained due to your trucking accident-related injuries, it is necessary for our attorneys to provide evidence showing that the truck driver, the trucking company, or both caused the accident through their negligence and therefore are financially liable. To prove negligence, our attorneys must demonstrate that the trucker, trucking company, or both: Owed you a duty of care; Through their actions or inactions, failed to fulfill that duty; As a result of this failure, were either wholly or mostly at fault for the accident in which you were injured, and your injuries were indeed caused by this accident; Should therefore be held financially liable, to the degree that they were at fault for the accident, for the losses and expenses resulting from your injuries. Properly identifying which party or parties are responsible for the truck accident is essential to a successful personal injury lawsuit. In some cases, neither the trucker or trucking company is responsible, but rather the designer or manufacturer – or both – of a defective automotive part. Our personal injury attorneys will take definitive action against the liable party only after making absolutely certain that we have explored every angle of the case. Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm Today To arrange an evaluation of your 18-wheeler truck accident case, please contact the law firm of Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton today.