A tragedy strikes your family’s life with the death of loved one who happens to be a daughter, a mother, a wife and the glue that has kept your family together. The life of this lively and compassionate person has come to an end due to a collision with a big-rig truck.
How can this be? Just that morning, she spoke with you about the family’s plans for the upcoming weekend. Now, you must contact loved ones to inform them of her death and make funeral arrangements. Life was not supposed to be this way. You understand, though, that negligence was at the root of this accident, and it is time to pursue wrongful death legal action.
Inexperience, poor training and law breaking
More than most accidents, a collision with a big-rig truck usually proves fatal. Nearly any motor vehicle does not stand a chance with an 18-wheeler that, when carrying a fuel cargo, may weigh up to 40 tons. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 5,000 people died and about 151,000 people were injured in 2018 in collisions that involved large trucks.
Wrongful death scenarios related to large truck accidents are attributed to a number of preventable factors. This list includes:
- Poorly trained and inexperienced drivers: Perhaps these drivers are new to the road. Still, this does not excuse them or, especially, their employer from fault. Trucking companies must hire dependable and trainable drivers. And their training methods must be thorough, while focusing on safety.
- Drivers who break the law: This includes a litany of offenses such as speeding, ignoring traffic laws, reckless driving, distracted driving, road rage incidents and driving while impaired whether from alcohol, speed, marijuana or cocaine.
- Fatigue and drowsiness: Falling asleep at the wheel is not uncommon in some truck accidents. The long hours worked by drivers and extreme demands on these drivers due to unrealistic expectations from their employers can lead to tragic situations.
- Poorly maintained trucking fleets: It is the responsibility of trucking companies to keep their fleets in tip-top shape to ensure road safety. Equipment breakdowns, though, sadly occur due to negligent maintenance.
- Defective parts: Negligence, sometimes, fits squarely on truck manufacturers that rely on faulty parts when building their vehicles.
- Missing or damaged rear underride bars: These devices prevent motor vehicles from sliding underneath. Federal law requires the installation of rear underride guards on large trucks. Underride collisions almost always prove fatal.
- Improper loading of the truck: This may cause shifting of cargo, leading to the truck to tilt onto its side and cause a potentially fatal accident.
Tragedy can strike your family at any moment. And a highway collision with a big-rig truck is among the most dangerous accidents. Someone was responsible for this accident. Someone was negligent, and they must face the consequences for their actions.
