MAJOR CAUSES OF TRUCK ACCIDENTS

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Over the past year, countless people have lost their lives to truck accidents, and others have been left permanently disabled for the rest of their lives. Studies have shown that most of these accidents are caused by driver negligence and carelessness. Other parties like the truck company, government agency and another driver might also be held liable. Below are some of the significant causes of truck accidents.

Driving under the influence

Driving under the is the primary cause of a significant percentage of road accidents. Typically most drivers drive under the influence of alcohol. Intoxication guidelines for the truck driver are stricter than those of other drivers due to the nature of the vehicles they drive. Most drugs are known to blind judgment which might lead the truck driver to assume the distance from other cars on the road and probably lead to an accident.

Poor cargo loading

If the cargo is not well loaded, it can fall off the truck at very high speed giving o time for the cars behind to change lanes leading to an accident. As the cargo falls off the car, it leads to an imbalance in the truck’s weight, causing the truck to tip off and fall, causing an accident. Most of the time, the driver and the truck company are held liable for not properly supervising the cargo loading.

Carelessness and negligence

If you are a driver, you have at least met these drivers who assume they are the only ones on the road or because you see them, they can drive anyhow on the road. Some truck drivers are careless and feign ignorance which later results in causing an accident. Some of the things they feign ignorance about are road signs and markings. In case you are involved in such an accident, working with a truck accident lawyer in Atlanta will ease the process of filing for a personal claim easier.

Poor vehicle maintenance 

Take an example of a petroleum truck that is poorly maintained, and suddenly it has a tire blowout. The truck might even blow out a d start a fire leading to cars colliding with each other as they try to escape the fire. Another scenario is of a truck carrying poles, and they start rolling out after the truck gates break or open up. The poles might fall on another car and even kill the passengers. Usually, the person responsible for the vehicle’s maintenance is held liable for such accidents.

Reckless and distracted driving

Reckless driving involves carefully ignoring the most apparent traffic rules, signs, and signals, speeding, tailgating, overlapping, and changing lanes. Distracted driving results from the driver texting, calling, and receiving calls while driving and listening to music. To avoid accidents caused by reckless and distracted driving, truck drivers must learn to be observant of the traffic rules and avoid distractions.

Other than driver-caused accidents, some truck accidents are caused by poor road maintenance and unexpected natural disasters like heavy rains and snow. In these cases, no one is held liable for the accident.