What is Truck Driver Negligence?

The trucking industry plays a major role in the transportation of goods from our seaports, but it’s also vital to the American economy. If all truck drivers were to suddenly go on strike, life as we know it would come to a grinding halt.

We wouldn’t have diapers, formula, fresh milk, dairy, meat, or produce on our store shelves. We’d have a gasoline shortage. Our Amazon deliveries would drop dramatically, if not entirely, and all other goods would suddenly be “unavailable” after what was in stock sold out. In light of that, trucks are here to stay and we need them. But the problem is, when a semi-truck is driven by a negligent truck driver, other roadway users can be placed in harm’s way.

Truck Accident Statistics

The trucking industry is heavily regulated by federal laws, and the agency that oversees it is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Not only does the FMCSA govern how many hours a truck driver can drive without rest, but it regulates how heavy the load can be, texting, drug use, and so on.

According to the latest data from the FMCSA, there were 116,000 injury truck crashes in 2017, a 4% increase from 2016. There were also 4,889 large truck and bus crashes in 2017, a 9% increase from the year before. While some crashes are caused by the drivers of passenger vehicles, others are in fact caused by the truck drivers themselves – due to truck driver negligence.

Most car and truck accidents are caused by driver negligence, and since truck drivers are human, they too can make mistakes that cause injury or even fatal crashes. Here are some examples of the most common forms of truck driver negligence that lead to truck crashes:

  • Speeding
  • Aggressive driving
  • Truck driver fatigue
  • Texting while driving
  • Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Driving an overloaded truck
  • Driving a poorly-maintained truck

Next: Truck Driver Fails Lead to Accidents

If you were injured in a truck accident at the hands of a negligent truck driver, we urge you to contact The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC to meet with a truck accident attorney. Truck accidents are very different than standard car accidents and have more players involved. As such, it’s important to have an experienced injury lawyer in your corner.

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