Big Rig Crashes Prove Deadly

It’s a simple fact of life that when a big rig collides with another
passenger vehicle, the passenger vehicle and the occupants do not fare
well.

Most big rig accidents result in either serious injuries or death.
There is no other outcome when something that large runs into another
vehicle or a stationary object. “Even if the trucker is involved in a
single vehicle rollover or jackknife scenario, the outcome is
questionable for the driver,” said Robert W. Lee of the Lee Law Firm in
Austin, Texas.

It should come as no surprise that there are a high number of fatal
accidents involving rigs when the statistics are analyzed. For example
in 2007 alone there were over 14,000,000 on the highways and byways in
the US. The number of fatal crashes in 2007 across the nation rang in
at roughly 4,370. Over all there were 136,440 non-fatal crashes and
approximately 55,000 crashes resulting in injuries.

More often than not the first point of impact of the big rig was the
front, followed by the rear, the left side and then the right side.
“These impact locations are largely related to what was going on at the
time the accident happened. If it’s the result of a jackknife, the
impact point would be different than if the rig drifted across the
dividing line and was stuck by an oncoming vehicle,” indicated Lee.

Interestingly enough, while many people would tend to think that
most semi crashes happen on major highways, they actually take place
more often than not in rural areas during the week and during daylight
hours. Along with this observation goes the companion fact that these
behemoth trucks are highly likely to be involved in fatal multi-vehicle
smashups.

“There tends to be a number of causes for large truck accidents, and
not all of them are necessarily related to the truck or the driver. For
instance, a passenger vehicle that cuts in too close or tailgates can
cause a serious accident as well,” added Lee. On the part of the
trucker some of the causes for accidents include speeding, aggressive
driving, driving in an unsafe manner for the existing road conditions,
and drug use.
Truck collisions are catastrophic and huge medical bills, pain and
suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of earning capacity are some of
the potential consequences. “If the truck owner and/or driver is deemed
to be at fault for the accident, a lawsuit might be commenced against
the driver and/or a whole host of other parties,” explained Robert W.
Lee of the Lee Law Firm in Austin, Texas.

If a loved one has been lost due to a truck accident, contact an
experienced accident attorney for legal advice on filing a wrongful
death suit.

To learn more, visit Rwleelaw.com.