Trucking Accidents: A Problem Across the Country

 Posted on September 02, 2014 in Personal Injury

There have been no shortage of news stories about devastating trucking accidents that have occurred locally, throughout the state of Illinois, and across the country. Many times, the results of trucking accidents are fatal; perhaps this is not surprising when considering the capacity and sheer size of a semi-trailer or big rig versus an average vehicle. A recent news article published by NBC News recounts various tragic truck accidents that have occurred in Illinois and in other states, as well as the need for public outcry to stop them.

National Statistics

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, fatal truck accidents occur, on average, about 11 times per day across the country. This amounts to about 4,000 deaths per year in addition to the over 100,000 people who are injured annually in truck crashes. Put another way by the article mentioned, those numbers equate to a plane crashing every week of the year, killing every person on board. And it appears the numbers are only getting worse.

Truck accident-related fatalities have been on the rise since 2009, due in part to an improving economy leading to more goods being shipped on American highways, and more pressure being placed on trucking companies and their drivers to deliver on time.

Cause of Accidents and How to Avoid Them

The causes for these accidents have been identified, and vary greatly. They range from drivers who are operating their trucks without enough sleep, to company screening failures to detect problem drivers, to government delay in enforcing safety technology on the road, and even vehicles that weave in and out of traffic and improperly pass trucks on the highways.

However, no matter what causes these types of accidents, one thing seems to be necessary: the public needs to generate an outcry over such fatalities. Such a reaction has not yet happened though, maybe because the incidents occur in small numbers throughout the country and therefore do not generally gain much national attention in the media.

In addition, the government and the trucking industry may be hesitant to put too many restrictions in place that could stifle the economy. Trucking companies often struggle to keep drivers on their payroll due to the job demands, and truckers struggle to keep up with employers' expectations, leading to many tired drivers. Cutting driver hours is one possible solution, but that will not eliminate the risk entirely. What must be decided, then, is how much risk is appropriate to take on when it comes to trucking accidents?

Accident Injury Attorney

If you or someone you know was involved in a truck accident, you may have important rights that deserve protection. Contact the experienced DuPage County personal injury attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices today to schedule a consultation. Our offices are located in Lombard, Bloomingdale, and Naperville.