Semi-truck accidents are more common than people realize. In fact, 2022 saw more than 160,000 injuries caused by truck accidents. The harm caused by these wrecks is often catastrophic, leaving victims with long-lasting physical injuries, emotional and psychological turmoil, and crushing financial losses. Together, these damages can leave victims like you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and worried about the uncertainty of their future.
You might be able to alleviate these losses by pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. If you can present sufficient evidence to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the defendant acted negligently, their negligence caused your accident, and your accident resulted in your claimed injuries, you can recover compensation for your damages.
To do that, you need to know some of the main causes of negligence-based truck accidents.
Top regulation violations that lead to semi-truck accidents
There are several ways in which truck accidents can occur. Many of them involve violations of trucking safety regulations, which can leave you in a strong position to prove a personal injury case. Here are some of the most common:
- Hours of service regulation violations: Federal regulations specify how long truckers can drive within a certain period of time. When they stray from these hours of service regulations, they can wind up fatigued, which can render their driving abilities diminished. This can result in them being unable to recognize slowed traffic as quickly as they should, and their overall awareness of their surroundings could be significantly diminished. All of this can put innocent motorists like you at risk of being seriously injured in a devastating truck accident.
- Failure to adhere to maintenance regulations: Semi-trucks are required to be routinely inspected and repaired. Drivers are supposed to conduct post-trip inspections, and truck companies are required to conduct annual inspections. If a safety defect is identified, the truck should be removed from the fleet until the mandatory repairs are made to render the truck safe. An improperly maintained truck that takes to the road may have faulty brakes, tires, and steering that could pose a whole host of safety issues for other drivers.
- Improper hiring and training: Truck companies should ensure that their employees are safe drivers and ready to handle a large truck before being released out on the road. But all too often truck companies cut corners, especially now given that it’s difficult for these truck companies to find enough people to fill their positions. As a result, a truck company might hire someone who has a driving history indicative of unsafe driving practices, or they might insufficiently train a driver in a way that ensures safe driving practices. Any of these shortcomings can be enough to lead to an otherwise avoidable truck accident.
Have you been injured in a serious truck accident?
A truck accident can have a profound impact on your life and your family dynamics for years to come. While a personal injury lawsuit might give you some relief, you’re only going to secure it if you aggressively advocate for it. Therefore, you need to be ready to fight for what you truly deserve. This means gathering evidence, talking to witnesses, and finding ways to exploit the law to your advantage. So, if you’re ready to advocate for accountability and compensation, then now is the time to start building your case.