Many Factors Can Make Truck Accidents Worse Than Car Accidents

Many Factors Can Make Truck Accidents Worse Than Car Accidents

No one needs to tell you that all traffic accidents are extremely dangerous and can lead to immense loss. The fact of the matter is, however, that truck accidents – for a range of primary reasons – elevate the involved risk considerably. If you’ve been injured by a truck driver’s negligence, don’t wait to seek the help you need from an experienced Chicago area truck accident attorney. 

Primary Factors

Trucks are massive machines that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, and the occupants of the comparatively tiny cars that share the road with them simply don’t stand much of a chance when it comes to safety. Consider the following statistics shared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for a recent year: 

• Truck accidents killed nearly 5,000 people in the United States.
• 71 percent of those killed were the occupants of the other vehicles involved. 
• Only 17 percent of truck accident fatalities were truck occupants.

Risk Factors

There is a range of factors that make truck accidents both more likely and more dangerous, including:

• While you experience small blind spots in various places around your car, truck drivers experience massive blind spots. 
• Truck drivers experience much longer stopping distances than other motorists do.
• Because of their height and relatively narrow profile, trucks are far more susceptible to rolling over on tight curves and in high winds.
• Tractors and their trailers are connected by an immense hitch that allows the two parts to operate in a flexible union but can also lead to jackknife accidents in which they fold in on one another. 
• Trucks put in long, hard miles, and they require considerable upkeep and consistent maintenance.

Truck drivers and trucking companies are responsible for safely accounting for all these risk factors and more, and when they fail to do so, life-threatening truck accidents can happen. 

Truck Driver Negligence

While trucking companies often share liability when it comes to truck accidents, many truck accidents are caused directly by truck driver negligence, which can come in any of the following forms:

• Failure to carefully follow the rules of the road
• Distraction
• Aggression
• Impairment
• Exhaustion
• Excess speed

Your Range of  Losses

If you’ve been injured by a truck driver’s negligence, the physical, financial, and emotional losses you experience can be overwhelming, including:

• Property damage to your vehicle and the contents of your vehicle
• Medical costs
• Lost earnings on the job
• Your physical and psychological pain and suffering

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Illinois Truck Accident Attorney

Truck accidents are some of the deadliest accidents on our roads, and obtaining the compensation to which you are entitled after being injured by a truck driver’s negligence is critical to your recovery. The seasoned truck accident attorneys at SAM LAW OFFICE LLC – proudly serving the greater Chicago area – have an imposing track record of successfully defending the legal rights of clients like you. Your claim and your recovery are important, so please don’t wait to reach out and contact us for more information today.