TRUCK ACCIDENTS DEVASTATE LIVES OF PASSENGER VEHICLE OCCUPANTS

On behalf of Hyland Law Firm, LLC posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.

Occupants of passenger vehicles that collide with large trucks are far more likely to suffer serious injuries than motorists in crashes that involve only cars or other passenger vehicles. Consider the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's statistics from 2012:

• 3,921 people died in truck accidents.

• 104,000 people suffered injuries in collisions with large trucks.

Of the people who died because of truck accidents that year, 73 percent were in vehicles that were not large trucks, while 18 percent were truck drivers or their passengers. The statistics are evidence of the extreme risk posed by negligence on the part of truck drivers, trucking companies and truck part manufacturers.

In Kansas, Missouri and across the rest of the country, large commercial vehicles barrel down the road in violation of federal and state regulations. Whether it's a matter of speeding, truck driver fatigue, improper loading, hours-of-service violations or failure to properly screen drivers, the trucking industry often fails to comply with safety requirements.

This failure puts other motorists in serious danger, and too often occupants of passenger vehicles pay a severe price.

The reality is that cars and other passenger vehicles don't stand a chance against the full weight and speed of large trucks. Collisions between cars and tractor-trailers frequently result in catastrophic injuries.

In many cases, multiple parties in the trucking industry are liable for the accident. Those parties may include the truck driver, the trucking company, the company that loaded the truck and the manufacturer of a defective part or piece of equipment. If you have been involved in an injurious collision with a large commercial vehicle, then a personal injury attorney can clarify your legal options for obtaining the maximum in compensation for damages.