accident causes
According to statistics gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 15% of all traffic deaths on American roads in 2005 occurred in truck accidents. When a car, passenger truck, or motorcycle is involved in an accident with a large semi trailer, the drivers in the passenger vehicles nearly always suffer injury or death. The 2006 NHTSA Large-Truck Crash Causation Study includes statistics indicating that truck driver errors and truck industry negligence are significant causes of injuries and fatalities.
At Tabor Law, our attorneys are driven by a simple mission: We help people recover fair compensation for injuries or wrongful death resulting from truck accidents on Indiana highways and roads. Below discusses common causes of trucking accidents and our past experiences helping families put their lives back together after a serious truck accident.
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mechanical failure
If any one of the parts or systems fails inspection, doesn’t function properly, or breaks down at highway speeds, a catastrophic accident can result. Truck mechanical failure wrecks may be caused by a variety of issues.
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truck driver error
Unfortunately, the FMCSA cannot strictly enforce their regulations. The result is that many collisions are caused by truck drivers who are too tired, improperly trained, or in too much of a hurry to reach their destination.
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FMCSA violations
Over the years, we have watched closely as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) has tried to keep up with commercial trucks that are rapidly becoming too big, too fast, and too powerful.
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log violations
Truck drivers are required to keep logs, and regulations are clear that failure to complete the record of duty activities, or making a false report in the log, make the driver and/or the carrier liable to prosecution.
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substance abuse, DUI
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration takes truck driver drug and alcohol abuse seriously. Commercial truck drivers are held to very strict federal standards regarding the use of narcotics or consumption of alcohol on the road.
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operator fatigue
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that more than 20,000 people are killed or injured each year on our nation's highways because of truck operator fatigue.
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negligent hiring & negligent supervision
Tabor Law has been watching it happen for more than thirty-five years. Increasingly, the trucking industry has been balancing its books by hiring unqualified drivers that make our roads and highways more dangerous every year.
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following too closely
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that aggressive driving, including following too closely, is the second leading violation committed by commercial truck drivers.
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construction site accident
On roads and highways throughout Indiana, construction zones are among the most dangerous places for car, truck, and motorcycle drivers and passengers. Lanes are too narrow. Warnings are not properly posted.
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loose freight accidents
Dockworkers, truck drivers, and truck company managers have a responsibility to make sure that their freight is sufficiently secure to prevent loose freight from causing damage in the event of an accident.
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wrongful death, catastrophic injuries
According to National Large Truck Facts reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 3100 drivers and passengers were killed or injured in accidents involving large trucks on Indiana highways in 2005.
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indiana highway accidents
Despite Indiana's general population ranking just 17th in the nation, our highways and interstates fall near the top for truck accident injuries and fatalities, resulting in 1.3 traffic deaths per million driving miles.
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industry negligence
Oftentimes, trucking accidents aren't always about truck driver negligence or improper training. Often, accidents occur that are no fault of the professional truck driver behind the wheel.
