Drug Abuse Atlanta: Pursuing Compensation After a Truck Accident
The trucking industry plays a massive integral role in our economy and the transportation of goods. Truckers are here to stay and passenger vehicle motorists have to learn to live with them. Like any other motor vehicle on the road, truck drivers can cause accidents; however, when a trucker makes a mistake, it can spell absolute disaster for those around them.
It is estimated that the trucking industry produces approximately 255.5 billion in revenue each year. For Hire and Common Carrier Trucking companies generate an estimated 97.9 billion annually and Private Fleets generate an estimated 121 billion dollars. That’s big business for our economy. With tractor-trailers ever-present on America’s roadways, truck accidents are bound to happen.
As of 2003, the U.S. averaged nearly 7 million motor vehicle accidents annually, causing more than 3.5 million injuries. Of the total motor vehicle accidents, commercial trucks were involved in 2.4% of all car accidents. The United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 500,000 truck accidents occur each year, causing nearly 5,000 fatalities. That figure amounts to one person being injured in a truck accident every16 minutes.
Of all 50 U.S. states, the states with the highest accident statistics are Georgia, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and California. Because truck accidents involving passenger vehicles cause serious injuries and death, federal and state legislation has been implemented to regulate the trucking industry.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, there are an estimated 500,000 truck accidents each year, with an average of 16% of those accidents being the truck driver’s fault. Tragically, of the 5,000 people that are killed in a truck accident each year, 98% of the time it’s the driver of the other vehicle that is killed, not the truck driver. Not all accidents are the driver of the automobile’s fault, truck accidents will continue to occur and truck drivers continue to violate federal regulations on occasion. What are common causes of negligence that leads to serious truck accidents?
Some common causes of truck driver negligence include the following:
Truck Driver Fatigue;
Abuse of Alcohol;
Abuse of Drugs;
Reckless Driving;
Texting While Driving;
Speeding; and
Prescription Drug Abuse
Truck drivers can abuse both legal and illegal drugs. These can get tired; working long shifts on little sleep can lead to drivers turning to methamphetamines for extra energy to log more miles. Although they are supposed to get a required number of hours of rest, they don’t always adhere to federal guidelines and stay up driving for hours on end with little to no rest.
Even prescription medications can have an adverse affect on a truck driver. Many legal over the counter or prescription medications can have dangerous side effects when the driver is operating large machinery. Increased drowsiness, dangerous drug interactions, and negative side effects can cause a truck driver to lose control of their tractor-trailer, subsequently leading to devastating consequences.
Driver fatigue remains a common factor in truck accidents. Truck drivers are supposed to follow strict guidelines on the number of hours they drive, versus the number of hours they rest; however, they do not always follow these guidelines. Under pressure from supervisors to log as many miles in as short of time possible, some truck drivers ignore such guidelines and drive anyways on dangerously low amounts of sleep. Driver fatigue can mimic the symptoms of drunk driving; causing the driver to have blurred vision and dizziness, causing them to misjudge distances, angles and breaking time, not to mention causing the truck driver to fall asleep at the wheel.
Reckless driving is another common cause of truck accidents; speeding, and tailgating or texting while driving are all common causes of truck driver negligence. When a truck driver is overly aggressive towards smaller passenger cars and trucks, one small mistake can have deadly consequences for other people on the road.
A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Improper loading can make the truck difficult to handle once on the road. Overloaded or improperly loaded trucks can cause the truck driver to lose control of the truck while on the road, putting everyone around them in grave danger when something goes seriously wrong.
When innocent drivers and passengers are injured due to truck driver negligence, they have legal recourse. Pursuing compensation on behalf of their injuries is well within their legal rights when the truck driver is at fault. This is where having a highly experienced attorney can help the accident victim obtain the compensation that they are entitled to. An experienced lawyer will not be afraid to go up against a large insurance or trucking company, and they will have their client’s best interests in mind at all times during the claims process.
Truck drivers can be guilty of any negligent or reckless activity that a regular car or truck driver would do. They are not set apart from regular drivers; the only difference is that if they make a mistake, it’s on a much greater magnitude because they can cause so much damage and devastation. Whether they are drunk driving or following too closely, they can cause serious injuries or death to the drivers and passengers of other motor vehicles. If you or a loved one were seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, you should contact a highly experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney right away. They will know the proper procedures for investigating the cause of the accident and determining if there was drug abuse or other truck driver negligence involved. Don’t wait another moment; contact a personal injury lawyer today!
The Atlanta based law offices of Van Sant Law, LLC has seen its fare share of accidents in both the Atlanta metropolitan areas and rural Georgia. They have successfully represented their clients against both very large and small insurance companies. Whether you were injured in a farming accident, a truck accident or medical malpractice, their firm has the knowledge and the skills to effectively represent your case. They know how insurance adjusters seek to drastically reduce insurance settlements; therefore, they combat such low-ball settlement offers so their clients can obtain commensurate compensation packages instead. They will prepare a powerful projection of approximately how much money it will take to cover all of your medical expenses and financial losses in the present and in the future. Please, don’t hesitate to contact an Atlanta personal injury attorney from their firm by calling (404) 768-0292 today!
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