• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
JH-logo-truck-accident-lawyer

Truck Accident Lawyers St. Louis - Truck Accident Attorney

James M. Hoffmann

  • Truck Accident Lawyer
  • Why James?
  • Our Firm
  • Our Results
  • Blog
  • Contact

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

August 27, 2013 by James Hoffmann 1 Comment

Accidents involving commercial trucks happen every day.

This multi-billion dollar industry is good at transporting cargo from one place to another quickly and efficiently, but unfortunately in the process sometimes the hurry to get somewhere can cause an accident. These accidents can then result in catastrophic injuries and loss for those involved. Trucks are able to cause far greater devastation than other accidents, so there are likely to be more injuries and more vehicles affected when a crash involves a huge vehicle like a semi truck or tractor triler. The damages that these vehicles can do is immense because they are 20 times the size of regular vehicles and weigh significantly more.

A few common causes of truck accidents are equipment failure, driver error, improper loading, and weather conditions.

Driver Error, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is the most likely of the top common causes of truck accidents. In fact, driver error is ten times more likely to cause a truck accident crash than any of the other contributing factors. Driver error can include substance abuse, driver fatigue, distraction, or general inattention. Truck drivers need to be extra diligent because a minor error in another vehicle will be much more difficult to correct or recover from than it would be in a smaller vehicle.

Truck Equipment Failure is second to driver error in causing crashes. Failures in trucking equipment can include errors in tire design, mechanical problems, failure to provide reverse-detection warning devices, and design errors, among many others.

Because equipment failure can be so dangerous, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires trucking companies and every truck driver to perform inspections prior to each trip. They also require that trucks be maintained and inspected at regular intervals throughout the year. If trucking companies were compliant with these regulations, mechanical failures would be far less common. Common issues like blown out tires would become obsolete. But because trucking companies choose to disregard the guidelines, many more truck accidents occur than would have to.

Weather conditions can have a huge effect on how trucks operate and are driven. Braking is made more difficult in adverse weather conditions like rain or snow. And poor visibility can be even more dangerous for big vehicles than for smaller vehicles, as huge vehicles are much more difficult to steer.

Truck drivers have a schedule to keep, and oftentimes do not factor weather conditions into drive time and end up having to rush, which can be incredibly dangerous.

Improper loading
Loading is extremely important. Improper loading causes imbalance which can lead to truck malfunction or even rollover. Another frightening, but all too common problem, is when an unsecured load becomes loose and fall off the back of the truck into the road.

Improper care in selecting a truck driver or company
In some cases trucking companies do not properly select drivers with enough care. This may be a case of not checking credentials, not drug testing regularly, etc. When hiring a trucking company or truck driver, it is very important that you look for credentials and reputation.

St. Louis Truck Accident Attorney

If you have been injured in a trucking accident, contact experienced St. Louis truck accident attorney James M. Hoffmann as soon as possible. At the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann we will investigate the crash, determine fault, and pursue damages for the losses and injuries you experienced in the accident.

Missouri Truck Accident Attorney

St. Louis Truck Accident Attorney

The St. Louis truck accident attorneys at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann can help you hold the responsible party accountable and seek the full amount of compensation you are entitled to. Give us a call today for a FREE case evaluation.

FREE Consultation – (314) 361-4300

Filed Under: Truck Accident Facts, Truck Accident Lawyers Advice Tagged With: commerical truck accidents, Missouri Attorney, semi truck accidents, Truck Accident Lawyer

Updated: September 9, 2021.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FREE CONSULTATION:
(314) 361-4300

Instant Contact Form

    Footer

    St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer

    Law Office of James M. Hoffmann
    2001 S Hanley Rd #325
    St. Louis, MO 63144
    Phone: (314) 361-4300

    Truck Accident Knowledge Base

    • 5 Technologies That Are Helping Improve Safety in Trucking
    • How Can Black Box Data Help Your St. Louis Truck Injury Claim?
    • 5 Commonly Violated Truck Regulations in Missouri
    • 5 Common Myths About Truck Accidents in St Louis
    • How Can Negligent Hiring Affect My Truck Accident Case?
    • 5 Tips to Safely Share the Road With Semi Trucks
    • 4 Unique Issues Often Created by St. Louis Truck Accidents
    • Why Are Truck Accident Cases So Complicated?
    • Why Should I Hire a Missouri Truck Accident Law Firm?
    • The Dangers of an Overloaded Tractor Trailer

    RSS St Louis Workers Compensation Attorney & Work Injury Lawyer

    • 7 Occupational Diseases That May Be Hiding in Your Workplace
    • Importance of Obtaining Expert Medical Opinions After a Work Injury
    • Heat Exhaustion at Work – How a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help
    • Workplace Fires: 8 Common Causes and How to Prevent Them
    • What You Need to Know About Lifting Injuries in the Workplace

    Copyright © 2022 Law Offices of James M. Hoffmann · Log in