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Email UsTruck accidents occur each day, all around the country – including in The Garden State. In fact, a news report recently stated that a New Jersey bus driver was fatally injured after his bus ran into a tractor-trailer that was jack-knifed on Route 22. This accident also sent all 32 of the passengers involved to the hospital.
Additionally, earlier this year, there were more than three truck accidents on the New Jersey Turnpike – all on the same day. Each of these led to severe, life-threatening injuries, with at least one fatality. Unfortunately, these types of accidents occur each day. Learning more about why trucking accidents are so common is one of the best ways to help avoid them.
Common Causes Behind Many Truck Accidents
While this list is not all-inclusive, the six most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Vehicles that aren’t properly maintained
- Faulty vehicle equipment
- Inexperienced or untrained drivers
- Overworked or fatigued truck drivers
- Poor driving habits
- Distracted truck drivers
Because of the massive weight and size of tractor trailers and trucks, the potential for injuries and fatalities is significant – and much higher than traditional passenger vehicle accidents.
Shocking Facts about Truck Accidents
According to information from the United States Department of Transportation, there are currently over 500,000 truck-related accidents around the country annually. Of these, over 5,000 result in one (or more) fatalities. In fact, one out of every eight traffic deaths are caused by a trucking accident. Additionally, virtually everyone who dies due to their injuries after a truck accident (98 percent, to be exact) were in a smaller passenger vehicle when the accident occurred.
Truck Accidents are Deadly
It is necessary to share the road with large trucks, this is simply a fact of life. Unfortunately, these trucks are so much bigger and heavier than traditional vehicles that when they are involved in a collision, anyone in the other vehicle has a significant risk of serious injury and even death.
In some situations, the large trucks are overloaded, or the load inside the trailer is not properly secured. The shifting of loads is one of the most common causes of jack-knifed trailers. Also, there are many trucks on the road that aren’t properly maintained, as government regulations require, especially in this difficult economy.
Driver Beware
In the four-year period between 1996 and 2000, accidents involving a large truck resulted in 400 fatalities in the state of New Jersey alone. With more than 35,000 miles of highway running through the state, there are more than a few opportunities for big rig accidents to occur.
If you are ever involved in a truck accident, you need to contact a New Jersey attorney who fully understands truck accidents. More information about these services can be found by contacting the lawyers at Rosner Law Offices, P.C. by calling (856) 502-1655.