Fatal truck accidents have steadily been increasing since 2006, a recent article by NBC News reports. The article claims that as the US economy has gotten better, more and more goods are being shipped across the country via trucks. When there are more trucks on the road, there are bound to be more trucking accidents.
According to the NBC News article, there are 11 fatal truck accidents each day across the country, killing roughly 4,000 people annually. On top of the fatal trucking accidents, over 100,000 people are injured each year in serious truck accidents.
The article also points out that, surprisingly, there has not been a national outcry to increase the restrictions, regulations, and laws governing interstate truckers. Normally, when a certain type of accident becomes more common, people react by trying to stop the cause of the accident. However, even the very public accident that injured actor and comedian Tracy Morgan and killed one other person only resulted in minimal effort to change the laws surrounding truck drivers.
The Reasons Behind Trucking Accidents
There can be countless reasons for a serious or fatal truck accident. Some of the reasons are a direct result of driver error, such as drowsy driving, negligent driving, and drunk driving. Other causes may be the fault of whoever is responsible for the truck’s maintenance, including blown tires or other equipment failure.
Finally, there are a number of accidents caused each year by improperly loaded or overloaded semi-trucks. When a trucking company loads up a truck, care must be taken to ensure that the load does not shift during transit. If a load is too heavy for the truck carrying it, the driver will have a more difficult time steering and stopping the truck.
What Can Be Done
Aside from petitioning lawmakers to enact stricter laws and amping up enforcement by local and state police authorities, accident victims can help by holding truck drivers and trucking companies responsible for their negligence. When a truck company decides to cut a corner, it is making a cost-benefit judgment. By holding those who cause these kinds of accidents financially responsible, accident victims make the cost of cutting corners that much higher for the trucking companies.
Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Truck Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a Maryland truck accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation based on the truck driver’s or trucking company’s negligence. However, it is almost certain that they will fight any claim asserted against them, in order to keep their costs lower and to continue operating in a cheap and unsafe manner. It is therefore critically important that you too have dedicated legal counsel to help you through the process. To learn more about how truck accident victims can recover in Maryland, click here, or call 410-654-3600 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Semi-Truck Crashes on I-95, Leaving Huge Stone Slabs on the Highway, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published July 29, 2014.
Truck Accident in Frederick County Kills One Motorcyclist, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published August 19, 2014.