Commercial Truck Accidents
The Demand for Delivery of Goods Spawns an Increase in Commercial Truck Accidents
The “on-demand economy” is upon us. More than ever people are turning to apps like Uber and Lyft for ride-sharing, Grubhub for home-delivered eats, Stop & Shop Peapod for groceries, or services like Amazon Prime to have anything from dish soap to fashion accessories delivered directly to their door within a day or two. This “I want it now” culture has caused a tremendous increase in delivery trucks, often operating on more time sensitive deadlines that populate roads and highways across Cape Cod and throughout Massachusetts. It should come as no surprise that with the increased demand for goods causes a higher incident of car accidents involving commercial trucks.
Commercial Truck Accidents Can Be Fatal
When a car, SUV or any other passenger vehicle is involved in a collision with a larger commercial truck, the injuries are often severe and often deadly for the occupants of the smaller vehicle. This is due to the vulnerability of the passengers in the smaller vehicle. A commercial delivery truck can weigh more than 20 times the weight of an average passenger vehicle, plus they are much taller and have higher ground clearance. Because of their size, trucks take much longer to bring to a stop, and their momentum can be crushing to smaller venerable vehicle. A collision with a business truck would likely leave the smaller vehicle occupants with catastrophic personal injury and possibly accidental death.
Dangerous Driving Habits Can Lead to Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Companies like UPS, FedEx, Walmart and Amazon are scrambling to keep up with the shipping demand of increased online orders, which means that their drivers are out there on our highways and in our neighborhoods rushing to meet tougher deadlines and quotas. Dangerous driving behaviors like distracted driving, aggressive driving and drowsy driving have been proven to lead to truck accidents.
Leading Causes of Commercial Truck Accidents
Distracted Driving – This is the leading cause of car accidents and commercial truck accidents in Ma. Truckers spend hours on end sitting behind the wheel driving their rig, so the temptation to look at things like social media and text messaging often arise through boredom or the need to multitask;
Trucker Fatigue – Truckers’ routes often include hundreds of miles, which can wear on even the most experienced drivers. Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. In order to prevent driver fatigue or drowsy driving, there are federal regulations which limit the amount of time a commercial truck driver can log driving per week;
Speeding Truck Drivers – The trucking world is a world of traffic, deadlines and quotas, so it’s no surprise that a truck driver may be tempted to speed. An eighteen-wheeler can weigh more than 20 times the weight of an average passenger vehicle. A big rig like this may not be able to slow down or react suddenly to another vehicle in its path, and;
Road Rage/Aggressive Driving – In addition to speeding, many commercial truck accidents are caused by road rage and unsafe and aggressive driving practices. A hurrying trucker might tailgate a car in its passing lane or fail to see a vehicle when changing lanes. The best defense against finding yourself in a car accident with a commercial vehicle is to drive defensively. Be extra cautious around larger trucks, keep an eye out for warning signs of a dangerous truck driver including, speeding, frequent lane changes and tailgating.
Attorney Steven T. Snow PC
Steven T. Snow worked his way through law school as a retail stockbroker with Merrill Lynch. After earning his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1988, Attorney Snow worked for a Boston law firm that represented insurance companies. This experience provided him with an understanding of exactly how insurance companies value personal injury claims, and how they prepare for trial. He uses this knowledge to anticipate and counter his opponent’s defense strategies ensuring his clients obtain a judgment on their behalf. Attorney Snow bodily injuries and wrongful death claims through mediation and arbitration and trial.
Regardless of the type of injury you may have sustained, or the obstacles you may be facing, Attorney Steven T. Snow has the experience and skills to secure the best possible results in your case.
