These accidents often forever change victims’ lives and are frequently preventable because many Manteca trucking accidents are caused by negligence. However, proving this negligence can be difficult due to standard practices within the trucking industry. This makes working with an experienced trucking accident attorney essential.

Most commercial drivers on the road drive responsibly and do not cause accidents. Those drivers that do not drive responsibly, though, often cause trucking accidents. The most common forms of driver negligence are listed below.

• Distracted driving includes eating while driving, using a cell phone or GPS while driving, and anything else that distracts drivers from the road.
• Aggressive driving: This form of driver negligence includes anger, commonly called road rage. It also includes law violations, like excessive speed and failure to yield. Every wasted second is wasted money in the trucking industry, pushing many drivers toward aggressive and dangerous maneuvers.
• Fatigued driving: Although heavily regulated by federal and state authorities, drivers will travel longer than their hours-of-service maximums to raise profits. This leaves many drivers drowsy or even asleep behind the wheel.
• Driving under the influence: Drivers sometimes impair their judgment by consuming drugs and alcohol, especially while on long-haul runs.
• Unsafe Loads: Trucks are often loaded incorrectly, making them unstable and prone to crash.

Other common forms of commercial driver negligence include improperly secured cargo, poor vehicle maintenance, and violations of state and federal regulations and laws.

In some commercial truck accidents, driver negligence is compounded by the trucking company’s negligence. Some instances of this are described below.

• Improperly trained drivers: Trucking companies are legally responsible for training their drivers and ensuring competency. To cut costs, many companies employ substandard drivers that can cause serious accidents.
• Dangerous scheduling: Drivers are not allowed to exceed certain hours on the road, but many companies push their drivers to exceed these limits in the interest of profits.

As with driver negligence, company negligence can include poorly maintained vehicles violating state and federal regulations. In both cases, trucking company negligence puts drivers in dangerous conditions that can lead to severe accidents.

Whatever the cause, the injuries in accidents involving commercial freight trucks are often severe and life-threatening. Big rigs are often 5 to 20 times heavier than the vehicles collide with. This causes the following range of injuries:

• Head, neck, and back injuries, including paralysis, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and facial trauma
• Chest injuries and abdominal trauma, potentially resulting in serious organ damage
• Extremity trauma, including broken legs, shattered knees, and fractured arms
• Other miscellaneous trauma, including second and third-degree burns and pelvic trauma
• Amputations

In the most serious accidents, victims may even die from their injuries.

Watch the following video for more on other types of truck accident injuries.

The injuries above cost families thousands of dollars and extensive pain and suffering. Pursuing a lawsuit may help relieve the bulk of the financial burden created by trucking accidents. However, freight truck drivers and companies often work to avoid paying these costs by destroying evidence of negligence. Working with an attorney experienced in trucking accidents can help preserve evidence and ensure victims are treated with fairness and dignity.

If you have been seriously injured or your loved one has tragically lost their lives in an accident with a large commercial truck, please give our injury lawyers a call right away at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.

See our past verdicts and settlements.

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^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 8.31.23] kw EAS bw [cs 690] Photo by Pixabay}