Nowadays, traffic accidents have almost become an inseparable part of our everyday lives. Whether we hear about it on the news or witness a collision when commuting to work in the morning, it’s impossible not to notice the growing number of accidents across the USA.
And, in the last couple of years, there’s been a significant increase in the frequency of semi-truck accidents. The trucking industry has been expanding greatly, with trucks becoming essential for the smooth transportation of goods across the states.
However, with the increased frequency of these vehicles, it’s also quite natural to expect more semi-truck related accidents. These are more complex than your typical car accident. The entire legal process behind them is completely different.
These incidents raise an important question: who’s at fault in a semi-truck accident? The complexity of these cases often involves multiple parties, making it challenging to determine responsibility. In this brief blog post, we’ll talk a bit about who’s usually at fault in these scenarios and provide some actionable tips in case you should ever find yourself in such a situation.
Why semi-truck accidents are a growing concern
Semi-truck accidents are definitely a growing concern in the United States. What’s concerning is that the number of these continues growing over the years. For instance, in 2022 there were more than 4,700 fatalities as result of large truck accidents. And the number is expected to reach an even higher figure in 2024.
The 8.7% increase in e-commerce and demand for goods has led to more trucks on the road, increasing the risk of accidents. As e-commerce continues to expand, the risk remains.
Most common causes of semi-truck accidents
There are several common causes of semi-truck accidents and most of them usually boil down to human error. For instance, distracted driving is one of the top reasons why semi-truck accidents happen. Truck drivers fail to see the threat on the road because they are often distracted by their mobile devices or other multimedia gadgets.
Another common cause are long hours and shifts that truck drivers have to go through. This is where the trucking company needs to take responsibility but more on that in the next paragraphs.
Determining fault
As mentioned, determining the guilty party in these situations is much more complicated than one might think. You need to think about the different aspects of it to be able to determine fault.
The trucking company
First and foremost, it’s important to inspect whether the trucking company could have done something to prevent the accident or whether it somehow caused the accident inadvertently. It’s the trucking company’s responsibility to ensure no truck driver works longer than necessary. The shifts also need to be adjusted in such a way that they provide enough time for regular breaks.
Should it be proven that the accident happened due to tight deadlines that caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, then the truck driver should immediately find legal support and contact a semi-truck accident attorney that can provide the necessary counsel.
It’s important to address the issue and avoid any accidents that could happen in the future.
The truck driver
Naturally, the truck driver could also be the only responsible party in such an accident. Drivers play a critical role in preventing accidents and they need to keep their eyes on the road at all times. They need to be alert in order to notice the potential threats in the road.
Fatigue, distraction, and driving under the influence can lead to errors on the road, and if a truck driver fails to follow traffic laws or operates a vehicle unsafely, they may be directly responsible for an accident. And that can cause property damage or involve other victims as well. Additionally, improper training or lack of experience can also contribute to poor decision-making behind the wheel.
The truck manufacturer
If there was a problem with the truck from the very onset, then the only party to blame is the truck manufacturer. Defective parts or design flaws in a truck can contribute to accidents and can have detrimental consequences for the parties involved.
If a truck’s braking system fails, its tires blow out, or any other malfunction occurs due to poor manufacturing, the truck manufacturer could be held responsible. In such cases, victims may pursue claims against the company responsible for the faulty design or defective components.
Local road maintenance authorities
We all know how important it is to have well-kept and regularly maintained roads,especially in high-frequency intersections. However, maintenance costs a lot of money. And it definitely puts a strain on the government’s budget.
In the USA, in 2020, more than $61 billion was spent on road maintenance and as you can see, it’s definitely not a number to easily neglect.
Road conditions and infrastructure issues, such as poorly marked lanes or inadequate signage, can also contribute to semi-truck accidents. In such cases, government agencies responsible for road maintenance or construction may be held liable if the conditions were found to be a contributing factor.
However, in these cases it’s a bit difficult to determine fault and that’s why you’d also need a good semi-truck accident attorney here as well.
The bottom line
Hopefully, you can now understand the severity of semi-truck accidents and why it’s so important to confront the problem before it escalates further. Semi–truck accidents are not as frequent as car accidents and collisions but the consequences are far greater.
With semi-truck accidents, it’s important to determine fault properly and get the guilty party to take responsibility for the accident. This can definitely be overwhelming due to all the legal complexities but with a professional semi-truck attorney, it doesn’t need to be that nerve-wracking.
All in all, it’s important that truck drivers get regular breaks and that they’re able to focus on the roads to avoid accidents. Other parties need to also make sure that everything is in order on their end, such as local authorities who need to ensure the roads are regularly maintained.
