Causes of Truck Accidents in East Tennessee

If you were injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation from the at-fault party. When commercial trucks collide with regular cars, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic – especially for the people in the car.

Truck crashes are not only very serious, but they are rarely the result of a single factor. Bad weather, low visibility, road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles, defective parts, and a variety of other issues can lead to severe injury.

Driver negligence is typically the biggest contributing factor in truck accidents.

Examples include:

• Driver fatigue when they are forced to drive many miles without breaks
• Driving under the influence and impaired driving
• Speeding or reckless driving

When someone else is at fault for your injuries, you can seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and more. However, successfully bringing a truck accident claim can be difficult without help.

The Morristown truck accident attorneys at The Terry Law Firm are ready to work hard to identify the causes of your accident and hold the responsible parties accountable. We will go after large trucking companies, agencies, parts manufacturers, employers, and insurance companies on your behalf to pursue the compensation you deserve.

Contact us now for a free consultation to find out more about your legal options. We take cases on a contingency fee schedule, which means you do not have to pay us any fees unless and until we recover for you.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that most truck accidents are caused by the driver, the truck itself, or environmental factors.

NHTSA and FMCSA identified additional factors for crashes. They rarely found only one cause for an accident.

In descending order, the top 10 factors that contributed to large truck accidents were:

• Brake problems
• Traffic flow interruption, such as congestion or a previous crash
• Prescription drug use
• Traveling too fast for conditions
• Unfamiliarity with the roadway
• Roadway problems
• Requirement to stop before a crash  due to a traffic control device or crosswalk
• Over-the-counter drug use
• Inadequate surveillance
• Fatigue

When the driver is found to be negligent, NHTSA categorizes four main reasons why:

1. Non-Performance – The driver fell asleep or was disabled by a physical problem or was otherwise physically impaired.
2. Inattention – The driver was distracted by something inside or outside the vehicle or somehow failed to observe the traffic situation adequately.
3. Poor Decision – The driver misjudged speed, weather conditions, or how near the truck was to the surrounding vehicles, for example.
4. Poor Performance – The driver panicked, overcompensated, or exercised poor steering or manual control of the truck.

While driver negligence is one of the primary causes of truck accidents, there can be other causes. If the driver’s employer was negligent in hiring or training or forced the driver to break laws or regulations, they can be held accountable. Also, an employer can be held liable for their employee’s negligence even if the employer did nothing wrong.

If a truck malfunctions due to inadequate or improper maintenance, the party responsible for maintenance may be at fault. Similarly, if the truck malfunctions due to a design or manufacturing defect, the manufacturer of the truck or truck parts may be held accountable. If the cargo was improperly loaded or secured, the party responsible for the freight might be liable.

When you hire a lawyer, they can conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the crash to identify its causes and who was at fault. Your lawyer can also seek out all potential sources of insurance coverage.

Holding Drivers Accountable for Truck Crashes

The FMCSA and NHTSA have conducted numerous studies into truck accidents, finding a significant number of fatalities and injuries. Most of these accidents could have been prevented, either through careful driving, paying more attention to the road, or properly maintaining vehicles.

This negligence is surprisingly common, even with advances in employment practices and safety issues. Many drivers are not properly trained or force themselves beyond human limits to make schedules. This means that they are not prepared for dangerous conditions, such as traffic on the road, unfamiliarity with the route, failure to stop, and speeding.

Because many large trucks are also commercial vehicles, there may be more than one party that is responsible for the accident that caused your injuries. Determining exactly who is liable can be complicated, so it is best to have a Tennessee truck accident lawyer gather and evaluate every crucial piece of evidence to prove liability.

Responsible parties could include:

• The operator or driver of the truck
• The owner of the truck
• The company leasing the truck or trailer
• The maintenance company or workers who repair the truck
• A manufacturer that produces a defective part on the truck
• The company that loaded the cargo
• Other parties whose negligence played a role in the accident

A thorough investigation will be required to identify every responsible party. This investigation may include reviewing photographs from the accident scene, data from the truck’s black box, driver logs, company employment records, maintenance logs, truck accident records, testimony from experts such as accident reconstructionists, and much more.

When you are recovering from serious injuries, it is best to leave this complex task to an experienced truck accident lawyer who will know what to look for.

Truck Accident Statistics

Every year, thousands of large trucks are involved in accidents that cause injury and death on U.S. roadways. NHTSA reports the following disturbing statistics:

• The number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes increased 10 percent, from 4,251 in 2016 to 4,657 in 2017.
• The number of large trucks involved in injury crashes increased 5 percent, from 102,000 in 2016 to 107,000 in 2017.
• The number of large trucks involved in property damage-only crashes increased by 3 percent, from 351,000 in 2016 to 363,000 in 2017.

Truck accidents are on the increase. You may be able to help reverse this trend by hiring a lawyer to hold negligent trucking companies accountable.

How Terry Law Firm Can Help and the Cost of Hiring Our Lawyers

To successfully win compensation after a truck accident, call an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible to begin gathering evidence and determining who is liable for your injuries.

At The Terry Law Firm, our lawyers will diligently work to build your case on your behalf while you recover from your injuries.

To best serve our clients, we can:

• Sit down personally with you and listen to your story
• Provide compassionate and transparent representation
• Help you gather reports, statements, photos, and other necessary evidence
• Go through every detail of each piece of evidence in your case
• Decide on the right legal solution for you
• Advise you on the best course of action
• Communicate with insurance adjusters and lawyers for you while you recover from your injuries
• File all of the necessary paperwork correctly and on time
• Negotiate aggressively with large trucking companies, agencies, parts manufacturers, employers, and insurance companies on your behalf
• Take them to court and present the best case possible for the courts to award you fair compensation

Our team of dedicated Tennessee truck accident attorneys cares about the outcome of your case and will work meticulously to succeed on your behalf. We are committed to seeking justice for truck accident victims.

Let us handle the complicated details of the case and take on the large corporations for you while you take the time that you and your family need to recover from the traumatic truck accident.

Our attorneys work on a contingency basis, covering all of the costs for your case until you receive a settlement. The Terry Law Firm has the resources to hire the experts needed to recreate accidents, calculate the full extent of your losses, and to help determine other important aspects of the case. We will not accept a penny from you until we win you the settlement that you deserve.

Contact Our Morristown Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today

Our Morristown truck accident attorneys are dedicated to listening to your story and your needs to help you find the legal solution that you need. When you or a loved one has been seriously injured or even killed in a crash with a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or another large vehicle, The Terry Law Firm is here to help.

Schedule your free consultation today. Call us or contact us online if your accident occurred in Hamblen County, Greene County, Hawkins County, Jefferson County, Sevier County, or if you are anywhere in East Tennessee.  We also go all over the country doing truck cases.