Passenger vehicle deaths due to large truck accidents

As Washington residents may know, the number of accidents involving large trucks increased in the United States in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Such accidents may involve fatigued truck drivers who might be pushed to work harder by their employers.

The overall number of truck driver fatalities in multiple vehicle crashes increased in 2012 from the previous year, according to NHTSA. While the number of injuries to truckers in multiple-vehicle crashes decreased, the number in single-vehicle truck crashes increased.

Occupants of cars and other light vehicles died more frequently in truck-related accidents, NHTSA revealed. Concurrently, more non-truckers were injured in accidents involving trucks in 2012 as compared to 2011. In Washington, 602 vehicles were involved in fatal accidents. Of this number, 44 vehicles were large trucks, NHTSA said.

A trucker who is fatigued and trying to arrive at his or her destination quickly may be more likely to be in an accident. This may involve speeding. Some truckers might not be properly trained to operate their vehicles in a safe and prudent manner. If a trucker does not exhibit proper caution by adhering to driving techniques that ensure safety, he or she may be considered negligent. Additionally, the employer may be held liable for the death of another motorist or the injuries suffered by the motorist.

Due to the momentum and size of a big rig, the truck injuries a motorist incurs may be severe and involve lengthy hospital stays. Some motorists might die leaving their family in what may be a precarious financial situation.

An attorney may help the injured individual or their family in recovering financial loss due to a truck accident. The attorney may review trucker logs, company maintenance and inspection logs and, in fatal crashes, data provided by the truck’s black box.

Source: FindLaw, “Common Causes of Truck Accidents,” 2014