Since a fully loaded big rig is more than ten times as heavy as a passenger vehicle, collisions involving trucks are much more likely to result in severe injuries.

A Hutchinson truck accident lawyer can help you evaluate potential damages after a crash and file your claim for compensation. Get in touch with an experienced personal injury attorney today to learn more.

Why Do Truck Wrecks Happen?

Several actions on behalf of the trucker or other motorists can contribute to a collision, including the following:

  • Distracted driving
  • Speeding
  • Driving while intoxicated
  • Drowsy driving
  • Recklessness

Truckers face time constraints most other drivers do not, including strict deadlines. While proper planning can help, they do not have control over many of the factors that can lead to delays. Traffic, bad weather, and construction can all put truckers behind schedule, resulting in speeding, fatigued driving, and other dangerous actions.

Distracted Truck Driving

Distracted driving plays a massive role in truck crashes. For many truckers, the cab is their work and living space. It is easy to see why they might be tempted to do other activities while they drive, including eating, drinking, attending to personal hygiene, and using cell phones or other mobile devices. Distracted driving is as dangerous as drunk or drowsy driving, and these distractions play a significant role in many accidents.

The Risk of Blind Spots

Another reason for trucking collisions is that blind spots surround trucks. The entire passenger side, most of the driver’s side, and several feet in front and behind the truck may all have blind spots.

Truckers use mirrors to help them see in their blind spots, but the mirrors have their limits.  Drivers unaware of those blind spots can put themselves in danger. However, it is ultimately the trucker’s responsibility to ensure that no one is in the blind spot before entering that space.

Third-Party Causes of Truck Accidents

If a person in a passenger vehicle did not cause the crash, there may be other potential contributors besides the trucker. Loading companies could improperly load the truck, risking losing the load, rollovers, or jackknife wrecks.

Failure to properly maintain a truck can lead to mechanical failure. Failed brakes can contribute to wrecks, especially in hilly terrain. Even well-maintained trucks can be runaways, and the risk increases with a lack of maintenance.

Poorly maintained roads and construction are two other potential causes of accidents. A knowledgeable attorney in Hutchinson can help hold third parties liable for a truck accident claim.

Common Injuries From Trucking Collisions

A truck crash can severely injure those involved, especially individuals in smaller vehicles. Some of the more common injuries seen in these incidents include the following:

  • Death
  • Spinal cord trauma
  • Brain injuries
  • Internal bleeding
  • Organ damage
  • Cuts and lacerations
  • Broken bones and fractures
  • Whiplash
  • Moderate to severe burns

In the case of a loved one’s death from a trucking wreck, a Hutchinson lawyer can help file a wrongful death claim for damages. These can include compensation for lost income, funeral expenses, and the lost counsel, guidance, aid, advice, comfort, assistance, companionship, and protection the loved one would have provided if they had lived.

Call a Hutchinson Truck Accident Attorney Today

Truck crashes can lead to horrific injuries, resulting in lost wages, loss of earning capacity, expensive medical bills, and more. Individuals hurt in these incidents deserve fair compensation.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a wreck, a seasoned personal injury attorney may be able to help. Schedule a meeting with a Hutchinson truck accident lawyer to begin exploring your potential remedies.