If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident in Texas, please visit the website of Marc Whitehead & Associates Attorneys at Law, LLP. We work on a contingency basis, and there is no fee for you unless we win your case.
Truck accidents involving big trucks and smaller vehicles or pedestrians often have very tragic consequences. A large truck can weigh more than 80,000 pounds and can be up to 75 feet in length. Considering the massive size and weight of trucks, it is not surprising that truck accidents result in more serious personal injuries and larger number of deaths than other traffic accidents.
According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) there are over 500,000 truck accidents annually in the United States. Of these truck accidents, a very large number end in fatalities, with statistics putting the number of deaths due to truck accidents at approximately 5,000 each year.
Startling Statistics
Tractor-trailer accidents are especially dangerous. According to the research, 12% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. are caused by truck accidents. In these truck accidents, a shocking 98% of the time, a passenger or driver in the other vehicle is killed, as opposed to people in the truck.
These statistics do not necessarily indicate that the truck driver is always at fault. Surprisingly, more than 75% of truck accidents are not caused by the truck driver but because of an error of the driver of the other smaller vehicle involved in the crash.
In 2003, Texas witnessed 5,040 fatal traffic accidents, of which 438 were fatal truck accidents. In the entire United States there were 58,512 fatal auto crashes in 2003, of which 4,669 were that of fatal big truck accidents.
Fatal truck accidents happen more often in rural areas than in urban regions, and the majority of all fatal truck accidents occur on the weekends.
Driver Fatigue and Substance Use
Driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs is seen as one of the leading causes of truck accidents. Truck driver fatigue also plays an important role in truck accidents, with more than 30% of all truck accidents caused due to truck drivers not taking enough rest breaks and not getting enough sleep. For this reason, something referred to as HOS (hours of service) regulations have been put in place.
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