The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that more than 400,000 truck accidents occur each year in the U.S., of which 5,000 were fatal. The size and weight of a loaded semi-truck combined with the impact of a collision can lead to severe bodily injuries or death to drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as significant vehicle damage. A lot of semi-truck accidents occur on Colorado’s I-25 and I-70 highways, with intersection and rear-end collisions being the most common types of accidents. If injured as a result of a traffic accident involving a semi-truck in Denver, you would be wise to seek representation from a qualified Denver personal injury attorney who specializes in handling truck accident cases.
Causes of Truck Accidents
More than one-third of truck accidents are due to driver negligence, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Common culprits are drivers who speed, run off the road or fail to stay in a single lane. Truckers often drive under strict deadlines, forcing them to drive faster and longer they they should. Truckers often drive all hours of the night with no rest breaks. Other causes of truck accidents include:
- Driving in unsafe road conditions
- Tire, brake or other truck equipment failure
- Improperly secured or loaded cargo
- Poor truck maintenance
- Inadequate signage
- Road construction
Other Contributing Factors
Large trucks require a greater stopping distance than cars. It takes a car 162 feet to come to a stop at 65 mph; a large truck needs about 420 feet to stop. For empty truck and trucks without a trailer, the stopping distance is even greater. Failure to allow adequate stopping distance has been the cause of many semi-truck accidents.
Under-riding is another cause of semi-truck accidents. Under-riding is one of the most deadly types of semi-truck accidents, killing approximately 1,000 people each year. Under-riding can happen when a semi-truck suddenly stops and the car following it fails to stop before colliding into or under the semi-truck, usually shearing off the top of the car. Making sure a truck has adequate preventative safeguards on the rear can help all drivers on the road avoid a potentially deadly accident.
Why Retain an Attorney?
Whenever there is an accident involving a semi-truck, the blame game begins. The trucking company immediately goes on the defense in an attempt to minimize their losses and hold you, the victim, accountable for your actions. You want to hold the truck driver and company liable, which can be a stressful uphill battle unless you have an experienced Denver personal injury attorney at your side.
The attorneys at the O’Connell Law Firm, P.C. bring 40 years of legal and negotiating experience to handling semi-truck accident cases. These Denver personal injury attorneys focus on winning the maximum compensation for their clients. Choosing one of the qualified personal injury attorneys at the O’Connell Law Firm, P.C., ensures you will be represented by a lawyer with a thorough understanding of the unique legal strategies involved in truck accident cases, as well as knowledge of truck safety requirements, truck company regulations and truck driver training, requirements and regulations. Contact their office for a free initial consultation.
