Most people who think of tractor trailer accidents think about the occupants of the vehicle that was involved in the wreck with the truck. However, hundreds of truck drivers are killed each year in accidents.
The most dangerous accidents to truck drivers are rollover crashes. Rollovers only account for about 3.3 percent of all large truck crashes, but they are responsible for over half of the deaths of truck drivers and the occupants of tractor trailers. About 300 truck drivers are killed each year in rollover crashes, and 3,000 more are injured. Crashes are the leading cause of on-the-job death among truck drivers.
Many rollover crashes are the fault of the truck drivers, many of whom are driving while they are distracted, or who are working more hours than allowed by law and are exhausted. Not all rollover crashes are the fault of truck drivers – most of the highways on which the trucks are driving were not designed to handle modern trucks. The curves in most roads were made decades ago, and they do not have the banking needed for today’s trucks. Most of the dangerous areas for trucks are not marked with any types of signs indicating there could be the risk of a rollover accident. Another danger is gridlock – truck tonnage is at an all-time high, and gridlock makes the risk of a rollover accident worse.
If a driver is not wearing a seat belt, the odds of being seriously hurt in a rollover are much higher. Over a third of truck drivers who die in crashes are not wearing seat belts. Most rollovers eject or partially eject the driver from the cab if he or she is not belted. Ejection from the cab is the highest cause of death in a rollover accident.
If you are a truck driver who has been injured in a crash, you may have the legal right to compensation. Call the trucking attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 972-231-5800. We provide free consultations, and you pay us nothing unless we obtain a recovery for you. Call to learn more about your options.
