Given the sheer size of a commercial vehicle, truck accidents often cause catastrophic injuries. Physical recovery can be a lifelong process, resulting in thousands of dollars in medical bills and lost income. While many factors can be at play in a truck accident, being aware of the common causes can help you know what to look out for on our nation’s roads or highways. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a truck accident, do not hesitate to contact our Lancaster County truck accident lawyers at Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP.
Distracted Driving
Each year, roughly 3,200 lives are lost due to distracted driving. Distracted driving involves any activity that takes your attention away from traffic, your eyes off the road, or your hands off the wheel. Common distracted driving tasks that truck drivers perform include talking to dispatch, “zoning out” on long rides, or using their cell phone to talk or text. A truck driver who is distracted while driving is more likely to get into a crash than a driver who remains focused.
Fatigued Driving
Truck drivers must adhere to hours-of-service (HOS) regulations (issued by the FMCSA), which restrict how many hours they can drive in a given day. Current HOS regulations permit truckers to travel for up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window, with limited exceptions. Still, truck drivers often drive fatigued, not getting adequate rest in the sleeper berth. A fatigued driver is more likely to drift into another lane or misjudge their stopping distance, causing fatal consequences.
Impaired Driving
Alcohol impairs visual acuity, judgment skills, and reaction times. For this reason, the Code of Federal Regulations illegalizes the operation of a commercial vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04 percent or greater. This is a federal law, with 75 Pa.C.S. §3802 (f)(1)(i) (Pennsylvania law) stipulating the same. Since driving a truck is both physically and mentally difficult when a person is sober, a trucker who has a 0.04 percent BAC places others’ safety in grave danger.
Speeding
Given the tight schedules truck drivers must adhere to, when drivers hit traffic or encounter adverse weather, they are more likely to speed. Although the HOS regulations make an inclement weather allowance (permitting two extra hours in the event of adverse conditions), this is often insufficient. When a trucker is late for a delivery, they may face financial penalties and even risk the shipper rejecting the load entirely. Even so, a trucker’s stopping time increases drastically when they speed, with a mere 10-mile-per-hour increase causing deadly results.
Improperly Loaded Cargo
Whether cargo is loaded by a shipper, a warehouse worker, or an independent third party, improperly loaded cargo can cause disastrous results. When cargo causes the truck to exceed its weight capacity, is off-balance, or poorly secured, it can cause the truck to shift while in motion, causing the truck to roll over. When on a multi-lane highway or in a populated area, numerous catastrophic injuries or fatalities may occur.
Establishing Fault in a Lancaster County Truck Accident
Determining fault in a truck accident is rarely straightforward, with multiple parties often held accountable. Although you may automatically assume the truck driver is liable, shippers, warehouse workers, independent parties, and the trucking company may share fault. Black box data, driver logs, maintenance records, and other similar evidence may be used to prove liability. At Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP, our Lancaster County truck accident lawyers will evaluate the facts and subpoena evidence when necessary to get to the root of who caused your accident.
Speak with Our Lancaster Truck Accident Attorneys Today
Given the physical and emotional pain you are in following a truck crash, the last thing you want to worry about is filing an insurance claim or potentially taking legal action. The legal team at Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP, refuses to get the run around from the trucking company or insurance. Helping you secure fair compensation is our main objective. To learn the true worth of your accident case, contact our office online or by phone at (717) 229-6580. We offer free consultations.