Any type of car accident is unwelcome, but a collision with a semi-rig truck is especially destructive and will always make the local news. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) collects data about truck crashes and finds that large trucks account for 5% of all registered vehicles on the road. In 2022, 4,764 people will be killed in accidents involving trucks. There are many reasons why a truck gets involved in an accident, including the following: Reckless driving Distracted driving Aggressive driving Mechanical malfunctions Speeding Cargo shifting [...]
When another vehicle is involved in an accident with a truck, it can leave behind some devastating consequences. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported nearly 160,000 truck crashes in the United States in 2023, including almost 75,000 injuries and 5,000 deaths. Why do truck accidents result in serious injuries? Everything from the weight of the truck to cargo shifts can lead to serious and often fatal situations. Here are few factors for why these crashes can result in tragic consequences. The Size and Weight of the [...]
When two cars get into a fender-bender accident, they will typically pull off to the side of the road and exchange information without a major disruption to traffic. That is not always the case with a truck accident. Case in point: KIRO Newsradio reported on a jackknifed semi-truck that shut down all five lanes of I-5. The size of trucks makes any impact more forceful. Seattle sees its fair share of truck accidents. There can also be a lot of factors that contribute to a truck accident with [...]
We can’t survive without the trucking industry. Whether a product is delivered by cargo ship or made in a warehouse, it will be picked up by a truck that will then drive it to another warehouse or store for distribution. It is safe to assume that everything in your home spent time on a truck. Online estimates suggest that there are 13 million trucks registered in the U.S. That is just a fraction of 283 million registered vehicles of all types. It also means that every trip on a [...]
When another vehicle travels too closely to another, that is known as tailgating. Can a truck accident be caused by tailgating? The answer is yes. When it comes to these accidents, the consequences of this behavior can be catastrophic due to the size, weight, and reduced maneuverability of trucks. At Trucking Injury Law Group, we know that these accidents can leave behind substantial injuries and damages. Let’s look at how tailgating leads to crashes and how it can play a role in personal injury lawsuits. How Tailgating Leads [...]
Modern trucks are equipped with a wide range of technology designed to prevent accidents. These devices include radar detection, rear cameras, and GPS. Another important device that drivers and trucking companies can utilize to improve safety is dash cams. A recent story posted on Fleet Owner detailed how 68% of drivers can’t recall key information from a crash and how dash cams can provide that vital information. With those benefits, are trucking companies required to install dash cams in their fleet vehicles? As it stands, there are no [...]
Truckers have limited visibility around their vehicles. These are often called no-zones. Other drivers need to stay out of these areas. One of the most dangerous blind spots is directly in front of the truck. When passenger vehicle drivers end up in a blind spot, their chances of collisions and accidents increase. How big is a truck's front blind spot? Let's discover those answers so that you can travel safely and mitigate the risks of traveling near these large vehicles. What Is a Truck's Front Blind Spot? You [...]
When it comes to transporting goods over long distances, we rely on truck drivers to make safe and timely deliveries. However, driving for extended periods on the open road can be challenging, and drivers need to keep distractions to a minimum. Otherwise, there could be an accident on the road. At Trucking Injury Law Group, we know distracted driving is dangerous, leading to catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Let's look at the most common distractions for truck drivers and the risk of those behaviors on the road. What Is [...]
For workers on an hourly salary, you can’t get paid unless the boss knows how many hours you’ve put in on the job. The vast majority of hourly workers “punch” a time clock at the start and end of their workday. However, the 3.5 million truck drivers (according to the U.S. Census Bureau) have two options for clocking their hours. They can use electronic logging devices (ELDs) or paper logs. With the ease of ELDs, do truck drivers still use paper logs? Logging Mandates The first hours of [...]
When you become a commercial truck driver, you are taking all the skills you learned for your fundamental driver’s license and enhancing them to follow the standards of a commercial driver’s license (CDL). A commercial driver’s license is available in three class levels, with each level being a different size and type of vehicle. Before you apply for a CDL in Washington, you must go through 80 to 160 hours of training (depending on which class of license you’re applying for). Once you get a CDL, do truck [...]
