A collision with a commercial truck can be catastrophic, and in many cases, the crash occurs due to factors completely outside the control of the smaller vehicle’s drivers. Understanding what causes these accidents is important for identifying legal responsibility and securing the compensation you may be entitled to.
Driver fatigue
Federal regulations, such as the Hours of Service (HOS), limit how long drivers can operate a commercial motor vehicle. Despite these, some trucking companies prioritize deadlines over safety. Truckers may feel compelled to skip required rest or falsify log books to meet their tight delivery schedules.
Fatigue reduces a trucker’s ability to process information and respond to the road. They may also experience microsleeps where they briefly lose consciousness without realizing it. These lapses can cause a truck to drift across lanes or fail to brake in time to avoid a collision.
Improper training and inexperience
Operating an 80,000-pound vehicle requires specialized training and experience, but not every trucking company invests in preparing their drivers for the road. Some carriers rush truckers through training programs or fail to provide proper supervision. Because of this, they may struggle with managing blind spots or controlling the vehicle in harsh weather conditions or heavy traffic.
Poor truck maintenance
Semi-trucks endure enormous wear and tear from life on the road. Federal regulations require trucking companies to maintain their fleets and perform regular inspections. When companies cut corners, it can lead to brake failures, tire blowouts and steering malfunctions, turning the truck into a serious hazard on the road.
Distracted driving
Truck drivers often spend long hours alone on the road, and the temptation to use phones or other devices can be hard to resist, even though handheld phone use is illegal. Texting, taking calls, eating or adjusting controls pulls a trucker’s attention away from the road. For truckers, these distractions are far more dangerous because of the size and weight of their rigs.
Improperly loaded cargo
When a truck is overloaded or the weight is unevenly distributed, it becomes harder to control and more prone to instability. Unsecured cargo can shift during transit, increasing the risk of a tip-over or jackknife. When cargo spills onto the road, it creates dangerous hazards for drivers who had nothing to do with the loading mistakes.
Aggressive driving and speeding
Aggressive driving becomes even more dangerous when a commercial truck is involved. Speeding, tailgating and sudden lane changes leave little room for error because these large vehicles need more time to slow down or respond. Some truckers push the limits to meet tight schedules while others simply take risks and either situation can lead to serious consequences.
Determining liability in Ohio
Ohio follows a modified comparative negligence rule when determining fault in accidents. Under this system, you can recover compensation as long as you are not more than 51% at fault. If you share responsibility, your compensation is reduced proportionally to match your degree of fault.
Multiple parties may bear responsibility in truck accident cases. The driver, trucking company, maintenance providers or cargo loaders could all share fault. Understanding who bears liability helps ensure you seek compensation from all responsible parties.
Filing a personal injury lawsuit allows you to pursue compensation beyond what insurance settlements typically cover. This may include payments for future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, ongoing care needs and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Speaking with a lawyer can help you evaluate every possible avenue for recovery and set realistic expectations for the compensation you may receive.