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Common Causes of Trucking Accidents

The Factors that Most Often Lead to Commercial Truck Wrecks

Common Causes of Trucking AccidentsEighty-thousand pounds traveling at 70 miles per hour or faster…that’s what most commercial trucks are. Under federal trucking regulation, 18-wheelers can weigh up to 40 tons, fully loaded. When you’re carrying that kind of load, there’s not much margin for error, and the consequences of a collision can easily be deadly. Even though there have been many efforts to reduce the number of truck accidents across the United States, they still account for about one in every 14 motor vehicle wrecks annually.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?

Though there are many factors involved in causing the nearly 400,000 truck accidents that occur in the United States every year, the reasons most frequently cited include:

  • Driver fatigue—Most commercial truck drivers are paid by the load, not by the hour. That gives them an incentive to spend more time on the road, so that they can make more money. That can be dangerous, though, as too much time on the road causes fatigue, which leads to poor reflexes and bad judgment. Though there are state and federal regulations limiting the amount of time on the road, they are regularly ignored or even consciously flaunted.
  • Substance abuse—Drivers may resort to drugs to stay awake on the road, or may engage in alcohol abuse to deal with long hours alone on the road
  • Distracted driving—Checking email or text messages on a mobile device, adjusting the radio or talking to a passenger—these things all take a driver’s focus off the road
  • Unfamiliarity with the roads—This may cause a driver to use excessive speeds or fail to prepare for a turn or stop sign
  • Mechanical failure—Trucking companies are supposed to inspect and maintain vehicles on a regular basis, keeping a maintenance log. This doesn’t always happen.

Contact Howard D. Popper, P.C.

At Howard D. Popper, P.C., we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after any type of personal injury, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.

We handle all personal injury claims on a contingent fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.