When it comes to trucking accidents across the United States, there are many facts that make the average person think, “Wow, that is incredible.” But the sad reality known by your Los Angeles trucking accident attorney is that these facts are not incredible. They are all too real. In fact, the terrible reality of a truck collision is something you can hardly fathom until you are in one of these accidents.
If you or someone you love have experienced the terrible reality of a truck accident, you need a highly skilled Los Angeles trucking accident attorney. Your lawyer fights for the compensation you deserve to recover from suffered damages, including personal injury or wrongful death of a loved one. After your trucking accident, contact Kesh Law immediately. We will stand up to the insurance companies to help you achieve the settlement owed to you after your life-changing accident.
Anyone who escapes a trucking accident alive has won the first victory in their case. Tragically, these claims are often for wrongful death and the accidents leave family members missing their loved one. Below are some revealing statistics provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) about trucking accidents in 2020. Some of these facts possibly relate to your insurance claim and, at the same time, reflect these great tragedies of Southern California’s roadways.
Bigger Size, Stopping Distance and Exhaustion Contribute to Trucking Accidents
Unfortunately, passengers in other vehicles are more likely to die in a trucking accident, than the truck driver. The top factor in this statistic is the smaller size of passenger cars, dwarfed by trucks that can weigh up to 30 times more. Big trucks are also higher profile, with many having enough ground clearance for smaller vehicles to crash under them.
It is also harder for a large truck to stop to prevent an accident. These big vehicles require up to 40 percent more roadway to stop. This distance is even greater in inclement weather and other poor road conditions.
Truck drivers are often exhausted, pushed to their human limits by legally driving as long as 11 hours at a time. Exhausted driving is as dangerous as drunk driving, with just as much potential for a deadly accident. Some drivers even push their limits farther than the legal time allowance before taking a break.
Clear Trends of 2020 Trucking Accidents
Identified trends in 2020’s trucking accidents, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), include:
- There were 4,014 large truck accident fatalities in 2020
- Only 15% of truck accident deaths were truck drivers or passengers
- 68% of these fatalities were passenger vehicles’ occupants
- 16% of the deaths were motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians
- There was a 28% increase in truck crash fatalities from 2009 to 2020
- 35% more truck occupants died in 2020 accidents than in 2009 accidents
- 10% of all motor vehicle accident deaths in 2020 were truck accident victims
- 97% of fatalities in two-vehicle accidents involving a large truck were passenger vehicle occupants
- Of the truck drivers and passengers killed in accidents, 57% died in crashes with another big truck
As these statistics indicate, the potential to die is significant in an accident involving a large truck. When these crashes occur, they also cause a multitude of major injuries, many of which lead to permanent disabilities.
If you or someone you love suffered injury or wrongful death in a Southern California trucking accident, do not risk settling with the insurance companies on your own. Let the skilled Los Angeles trucking accident attorney from Kesh Law help you negotiate the higher settlement you truly deserve. We can help you recover the compensation you need to pay for your medical bills and other costs brought on by your collision with a large truck.
When You Are Most Likely to Suffer a Truck Accident
Truck accidents occur on most types of roadways and throughout the year. They can happen any time of day, whether early in the morning or in the darkest hours of the night. But there are some visible trends in when and where these accidents happen according to IIHS data from 2020. These trends include:
- 36% of fatal truck accidents happen on the freeways or interstates
- 15% of fatal truck crashes occur on minor roads
- 47% of truck accident deaths are on major roadways that are not freeways or interstates
- 48% of trucking accident deaths occur from 6am to 3pm
- Only 28% of accident fatalities not involving large trucks occur from 6am to 3pm
- Truck accident fatalities are half as likely to occur on weekends, when compared to accidents not involving large trucks; 17% of trucking accident deaths occur on weekends, in comparison to 35% of passenger vehicle accident deaths occurring on weekends
From these trends, you can see that you are most likely to suffer trucking accident death during the daytime on weekdays, when compared to other times of day and days of the week. These are just some of the trends that an experienced Los Angeles trucking accident attorney sees when fighting to recover compensation for accident victims.
Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
Some of the most common causes of trucking accidents that injure other vehicle occupants or cause fatalities include:
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- Negligent driving in poor road or weather conditions
- Driving under the influence
- Reckless driving, such as speeding
- Trucking company negligent hiring
- Inadequate truck driver training
- Inadequate truck maintenance
- Exhausted driving
The IIHS’ Highway Loss Data Institute reports that long hours and safety defects are common in truck accidents. Negligent truckers often cause accidents through distracted driving or by otherwise not performing their duties as they should. In many cases, truck drivers underreact or overreact to events around them when behind the wheel, causing accidents and even multi-car pile-ups. When it comes to poor truck maintenance causing accidents, the truck’s brakes or tires are most often a factor.
Schedule a Free Initial Case Consultation with a Top Los Angeles Trucking Accident Attorney
When you have experienced a trucking accident in Southern California, you need an experienced Los Angeles trucking accident attorney. Kesh Law is highly experienced in accident cases involving large trucks. We fight hard for our clients to receive the true compensation they are owed by the insurance companies.
Our work starts with an investigation into your recent collision to determine who holds fault for your injuries, loved one’s wrongful death or other damages. We support your claim each step of the way through the legal processes, aggressively pursuing the amount owed to you. Of course, we work on contingency. This means we do not get paid until you do.
To talk to a Los Angeles trucking accident attorney about your case, reach out to Kesh Law today. We provide a free initial case consultation. For scheduling, call us at (818) 639-3955 or fill out our quick online form.
