January 23, 2022
Truck accidents in particular tend to be more scary compared to other types of collision, since a truck outweighs a standard passenger vehicle by thousands and thousands of pounds. For instance, a commercial truck can weigh upwards of 50,000 to 80,000 pounds when fully stocked. In contrast, Your average car is only a few thousand pounds in total weight. Aside from the weight factor, there are many other influences that could lead to a truck collision.
Truck Driver Fatigue
Truck driving is a high-stress job that comes along with substantial pressure. A trucker who caused a collision may have been tired due to having too few hours of quality sleep. Driving hundreds of miles within a short period of time without sufficient rest can cause someone to lose coordination, concentration, and reasoning. Furthermore, someone who is tired is likely to have a slower reaction time, so the driver may have seen a crash approaching but was unable to respond quickly enough.
Alcohol and Drugs
Studies show that many truck drivers have admitted to taking marijuana, cocaine, or amphetamines while driving. Drugs like these help truckers stay awake in an unnatural way, and they may be compelled to be more risky and make unsafe maneuvers on the road. As soon as stimulants start to wear off, the drivers are more likely to become fatigued and can potentially fall asleep behind the wheel.
Poor Truck Maintenance
There are requirements and regulations that truck drivers and trucking companies must abide by. Yet still, some drivers manage to get their truck on the road without meeting such requirements. And sadly, many trucking companies are too worried about getting to the destination on time and may not give the truck the maintenance attention that it requires, eventually causing a mechanical issue and crash.
As an experienced truck accident lawyer, like one from Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC, can attest, truck accidents are very serious incidents where personal injury and property damage tends to be extensive and devastating.