Washington, DC Truck Accident Lawyers Detail How Truck Crashes Happen
Truck accidents explained by our Washington, DC truck crash attorneys
There's a lot of different reasons why truck wrecks happen and people get hurt. Our Washington, DC truck accident lawyers have experience handling claims for injured drivers who have been in a wide variety of different collisions and are ready to help you take action so you can get the compensation you're entitled to. If you've been hurt or a loved one was killed in a crash with a big rig, we can help you recover damages for medical expenses, lost income, damage to your vehicle, pain and suffering, and more. Contact the Mike Slocumb Law Firm today for a free consultation.
Common reasons why truck accidents happen in Washington, DC
Our Washington, DC truck accident lawyers handle a lot of different types of accidents involving 18-wheelers. Some of the more common reasons tractor-trailer collisions happen include:
- Distracted driving: Truck drivers can get distracted just like everyone else. Whether they take their eyes off the road to look at something as they're driving by, let a hand off the wheel to program a navigation system, or are simply lost in thought and not paying attention to their driving, distracted truckers cause a lot of accidents, especially on the highway.
- Texting while driving: It's against the law for commercial truck drivers to read or send a text, but that doesn't mean some decide to do it anyway. Someone who is texting and driving is more susceptible to a collision than a drunk driver. Add in the size difference between most 18-wheelers and passenger cars, and you can imagine the horrible consequences of texting while driving a tractor-trailer.
- Speeding: One of the leading causes of truck accidents is speeding. With a high center of gravity, tractor-trailers are incredibly vulnerable to jackknife accidents, rollover accidents, and other types of crashes. If a trucker doesn't drive at a safe speed, the odds of injuring someone in a wreck go up.
- Drunk driving: It's illegal to drive a commercial vehicle ─ or any vehicle for that matter ─ while under the influence of alcohol. Sadly, some crashes are caused by intoxicated truckers who throw caution to the wind by getting behind the wheel and driving an 80,000-pound weapon.
- Fatigued driving: There are federal regulations in place to help prevent truckers from driving too many hours, but it's not a failproof system. Truckers who are being pressured by their bosses can skirt the federal hours-of-service regulations and end up driving for too long. Drowsy driving, especially when operating a semi-truck, is extremely dangerous and can lead to a devastating wreck.
- Overloaded cargo: There's a reason weight limits exist for 18-wheelers and other large commercial vehicles. If a company loads up a semi's trailer with too much cargo, it can make it extremely tough for a trucker to properly brake, which puts them at risk for jackknife, rollover, and other kinds of crashes.
- Inexperienced truckers: Trucking companies may cut corners when they hire new drivers, or they may try to save money by hiring a driver who doesn't have the necessary experience or qualifications to safely operate an 18-wheeler. Any company that hires someone who isn't qualified to drive a tractor-trailer should be held accountable for people getting hurt in collisions caused by those drivers.
A truck accident attorney can help when you're hurt in a crash
If a truck driver's negligence caused an accident and you were injured in that accident, things should be straightforward regarding recovering damages, right? Not necessarily. Trucking companies and insurance companies are infamous for trying to downplay injuries from crashes so they can protect their bottom line and pay you as little as possible in compensation. That's when it's time to get a Washington, DC truck accident lawyer on your side, fighting for your best interests. We won't be intimidated, and we have the case results to prove it. Fight back--contact the Mike Slocumb Law Firm today for a free consultation.
