The vast majority of truck accidents are avoidable and caused by human error. This is a sobering fact when you consider the level of destruction and injury that occurs when a commercial truck collides with a passenger vehicle on the road.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that approximately 500,000 accidents each year involve a commercial truck, and of those roughly 5,000 result in a fatality. To help avoid these accidents, the first step is to understand the top causes:

  • Driver fatigue. Truckers are under significant pressure to get their load of goods to the destination in a timely manner. Often these arrival times do not account for adequate rest time, leaving truck drivers on the road for extended periods. After long journeys, drivers can be very fatigued — which leads to slower reaction times and diminished judgment. These become a recipe for an accident.

  • Driving under the influence. Intoxicated drivers are often responsible for truck collisions. In a majority of cases, the person intoxicated is the driver of the passenger vehicle. Drunk driving makes a driver less cautious around the dangerous commercial trucks on the road, and leaves them in a position to cause an accident.

  • Driving difficulty. Driving a commercial truck is no easy task. The way the truck maneuvers in traffic and around corners is far different from a passenger vehicle. As trucks head through the streets, accidents can happen because of poor or inexperienced driving on the part of the truck driver, or by the passenger vehicle ignoring traffic laws that are put in place to protect against these situations.

 

Truck collisions in Kansas City are not uncommon and have devastating effects. If you have been involved in a truck accident, call us today at 816-842-7100 to speak with an attorney that will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Or you can click here to email us and schedule your free consultation. 

Jason C. Amerine
Connect with me
President and Owner, Castle Law Office of Kansas City