Truck accidents can cause serious damage to people in North Carolina and throughout the country. These crashes can be especially harmful to individuals in passenger vehicles due to the size and weight of large trucks. An 18-wheel truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which is 20 times as much as a passenger car. There are several common causes of serious collisions involving trucks. Driver error is one such cause. Truckers, like all other drivers, make mistakes behind the wheel. Some kinds of errors are particularly dangerous for the truckers themselves. Truck drivers are limited to specific hours of service, but some face pressure to drive beyond those restrictions.
However, a violation can bring serious consequences. truck driver fatigue can be fatal. Drunk or drugged driving can also pose a serious risk. While statistics show that passenger car driver error is more common than trucker error, the size of these trucks can mean that others on the road are also injured in a crash. Another major threat is posed by poorly maintained vehicles. These trucks travel thousands of miles on a daily basis, and there are strong maintenance requirements for commercial trucks. Poor braking, damaged steering or other maintenance issues can easily lead to a catastrophic truck crash that causes serious injuries or even fatalities.
In some cases, it may be more than the driver or even the trucking company to blame for an accident. Some manufacturers may produce and sell defective parts. When these parts are installed on a truck, they may give out at a dangerous time, leading to a crash.
Individuals who have been hurt in commercial truck accidents may be overwhelmed with medical bills, the loss of their wages and other expenses. A personal injury lawyer may assist accident victims who have been injured because of another party’s negligent driving to seek compensation for their damages.