Anyone who has driven on a busy highway or two-lane road when a huge semi-truck has zoomed by has felt the pure power – and potential danger – of these giant, speeding machines. All car accidents are frightening, but a collision with a tractor-trailer can be especially terrifying…and deadly.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2012 booklet found that nearly 4,000 people were killed in large truck crashes that year (a large truck is defined as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds). Greater percentages of those crashes happened on rural roads, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. and on weekdays. The most recent numbers for the first six months of 2016 show more than 2,000 deaths so far.
You can dig into the statistics as much as you like, but the fact remains that tractor-trailer accidents are not like other crashes. They often cause more serious injuries than other types of auto accidents thanks to the sheer size and destructive power of tractor-trailers. In many cases, accidents result from trucking corporations and drivers not following safety regulations and precautions designed to keep our roads safe. Drivers often are not properly trained, are coerced into driving while fatigued, or are put into vehicles that are overloaded or not properly inspected or maintained.
When selecting a law firm it is important to make sure the firm is properly equipped to handle serious personal injury cases and has experience with the laws affecting your claim. Our firm has a team of experienced litigators throughout the country who have extensive experience handling serious tractor-trailer accident cases. Many times the victims of truck accidents live in a different state than the one where the accident occurred. Having a law firm with offices throughout the country can be a true asset when handing a trucking accident claim.
We have successfully helped families in Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Tennessee with tractor-trailer accident cases. You can learn more about those on our Experience page. If you or someone you love has been a victim of a tractor-trainer accident, contact us today.
