The 5 most common causes of truck crashes

On Behalf of | Dec 10, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

As New Hampshire motorists can imagine, truck accidents often result in catastrophic and fatal injuries when passenger vehicles are also involved. There are five common ways that these accidents arise. This is important to know for those who want to determine the responsible parties in a particular accident.

First is driver error; this includes speeding, drowsy driving and drunk or drugged driving. Truckers can engage in these behaviors just as well as passenger vehicle drivers, but the latter are to blame for the majority of truck crashes caused by driver error (81%, according to some studies). The No. 2 common cause is bad weather. Truckers, through their own fault, may brake improperly on a wet, icy or snowy road and cause their rigs to skid, hydroplane or jackknife.

A trucker may also be at fault for a crash if their rig was clearly not being maintained. There is a law that says they must inspect their rig before every shift, and this is meant to keep the rig from being a safety hazard. Sometimes, though, equipment may fail because the manufacturers made a defective product. This is the fourth most common factor.

Lastly, accidents can occur when overloaded trucks tip over or when cargo falls out onto the road. Cargo loaders have industry-specific rules to follow; failure to do so will be considered negligent.

In motor vehicle accidents of all kinds, there is a process whereby the degree of fault of each of the parties is determined. Those who intend to file a personal injury claim should know that their degree of fault will not necessarily bar them from recovery. However, it could lower any amount they do recover. To see how much they might be eligible for, victims may want to see an attorney who works in personal injury law.

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