What Are The Top Causes Of Truck Accidents In West Virginia?

Our experienced truck accident lawyers in our Morgantown, WV office handle big rig accidents cases all over the State of West Virginia and have seen numerous causes for these accidents. Sadly, tractor trailer crashes occur every day in the U.S. and can result in some pretty horrific injuries, like broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, burns and too frequently, death. 

Many people who get hurt in these accidents have to spend long periods of times in the hospital and may even suffer permanent disabilities. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common causes of truck accidents that our attorneys frequently handle:

Distracted Driving

Truck drivers spend long hours on the road, so they are bound to get distracted by something from time to time. Whether it’s sending a text message or eating food behind the wheel, taking their attention off the road ahead can increase the risk of an accident.

Improper Vehicle Maintenance

Commercial trucks are driven thousands of miles every week, so they endure a lot of wear and tear. That’s why it’s important for trucking companies to do regular maintenance on their trucks. If they detect an issue, such as worn brakes, they should fix it right away to minimize the risk of accidents.

Overloading

Although commercial trucks are huge vehicles, they still have weight limits. If a truck is carrying more cargo than it can handle, the vehicle will be more difficult to stop and control when turning corners, increasing the risk of accidents. The extra weight can lead to even more serious injuries if the truck collides with another vehicle.

Driver Fatigue

Although federal regulations restrict truck drivers from driving too many consecutive hours on the road, not all of them follow these rules. They may face a lot of pressure from their trucking companies to deliver goods drive longer hours. All this driving can its toll on truck drivers eventually and cause them to be extremely exhausted. Tired truck drivers can’t concentrate as well on the road and may even doze off behind the wheel, increasing the risk of accidents.

Speeding

Truck drivers are often on tight deadlines, so they may drive above the speed limit to get to their destinations faster. Unfortunately, speeding lowers their reaction times and makes accidents more likely. It’s important for these drivers to always obey the posted speed limits to keep everyone on the road safe

Inexperienced Truck Drivers

Operating a commercial truck is much different and operating a smaller vehicle. It takes a lot more skill and knowledge to drive commercial trucks safely. That is why truck drivers should go through extensive training before they are allowed behind the wheel. However, some trucking companies may not train their drivers as well in order to cut costs.

If you were injured in a truck accident, you should consult with a truck accident attorney Morgantown, WV, whom clients recommend. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. An experienced attorney may help you file a timely claim, prepare the necessary evidence, find witnesses and negotiate with insurance companies. 

Our truck accident attorneys offer free initial consultations and case evaluations, and will help you every step of the way through the handling of your claim, until we receive compensation for you. Call us today to see how we can help you – (304) 381-2166.

What Are The Key Elements Of Fault Involved In WV Truck Accidents?

Accidents involving tractor trailers can be caused by any number of factors, but some of the key elements of fault that we, as WV tractor-trailer accident attorneys, evaluate in assessing a legal case against the driver and/or his employer, include the following:

• Drug or Alcohol Use,
• Truck Driver Fatigue and/or Violation of Hours of Service,
• Aggressive Driving/Maneuvering,
• Excessive or Unsecured Loads,
• Equipment Failure or Malfunction (e.g. breaks, signals, etc.),
• Excessive Speed,
• Unsafe Following Distance (leaving inadequate breaking distance),
• Distracted Driving (e.g. texting while driving),
• Driver Negligence (turning too fast, turning too wide, failing to check blind spots, etc.),
• Inadequate Driver Training or Screening by Employer.

If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a truck accident, anywhere in the state of West Virginia, and you believe that the truck driver was at fault for causing the accident, please give us a call today for a free evaluation of your claim – (304) 381-2166 or fill out our contact form on this page.

What Are The Best Ways To Avoid A Tractor Trailer Crash?

Tractor trailers are the most common type of truck on the road. They are also the most dangerous. The best ways to avoid a tractor trailer accident is to exercise due caution anytime you are in proximity of a truck on the road. More specifically, certain situations require special caution, such as the following: 

• Stay in your lane and don’t cut off a tractor trailer: a tractor trailer is much larger than a car – it can’t be cut off, and trying to cut in front of a big rig for the purpose of break checking is a tremendously bad idea, as the weight and load of the truck can make breaking in time to avoid hitting you impossible or very dangerous at the least.
• Don’t tailgate a tractor trailer: trucks have a limited field of view, particularly directly and in-close behind them, because of the positioning of their mirrors and the length and obstruction of their trailers.
• Don’t drive too close to the side of a tractor trailer: trucks way too frequently swerve and cross center lines, even on the widest of highways, either because of driver error, load shifting, or to avoid roadway hazards or accidents.
• If you see brake lights, slow down and get ready to stop: because of the huge size of semi trucks, most of the times when following in behind one, your visibility of what is happening up ahead of the truck is extremely limited. Brake lights may signify an impending stop and you may have no other warning as to what is happening ahead except of the lights.

• For your safety, be aware that when you pass a tractor trailer, do not be in a hurry to leave the passing lane until you have cleared a safe distance in front of the truck, a distance at least as great as the length of the tractor trailer itself. This way if everyone has to reduce their speed, the tractor trailer behind you will be able to do so safely.

• Another safety hazard that causes accidents between tractor trailers and passenger vehicles is passing a tractor trailer on the right. As a rule of thumb, don’t ever pass a truck on the right as there is a blind spot the entire length of the right-hand side of the trailer. The tractor trailer driver can’t see you, and if he is switching from the left lane to the right lane as you are attempting to pass on the right, he could drive your vehicle off the road, crush you between the side of the truck and the guard rail or literally run over top of you. If you pass a tractor trailer on the right you are flipping a coin as to whether or not you will have a collision. There’s no other way to describe it. Don’t do it.

• The third potentially hazardous situation that the driver of a passenger vehicle needs to be aware of is when a truck making a right-hand turn at an intersection. In order for a truck to make a right turn at an intersection, it first has to navigate the entire tractor trailer into the left-hand lane in order to get the amount of clearance needed because of the length of the trailer. Impatient drivers, seeing the empty right lane attempt to pass the truck on the right and can get crushed by the rear set of tires on the trailer.

How Are Truck Accidents Distinct From A Typical Car Accident?

There are numerous ways that a truck accident differs from a run-of-the-mill car accident, particularly from the standpoint of seeking compensation for personal injuries against a truck driving and trucking company following a WV tractor trailer accident.  

Stark differences between the training it takes to operate a semi and what it takes to operate a passenger vehicle. While you and I can get a license to drive a car by taking a quick test and answering a few questions, drivers of large trucks and tractor trailers are held to much higher training standards and licensing requirements.

As a result tractor trailer and other commercial truck drivers receive rigorous training and are some of the most experienced and highly qualified on the highways. Since we all need to use the roads safely, you should be aware that operating a passenger vehicle safely amongst large tractor trailers requires a few special safety precautions. Most passenger vehicle drivers are unaware of three special driving situations that are unique to large tractor trailers that cause the majority of tractor trailer accidents involving passenger vehicles.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, large trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times as much as passenger vehicles. The administration reports that over 9% of the fatalities in accidents involving a truck and a passenger vehicles are to the occupants of the passenger vehicle. Each year over 400,000 crashes involve tractor trailers and over 5000 people are killed. Surprisingly, as many as 70% of the fatalities are the result of accidents that are caused inadvertently by passenger vehicles operators not truck drivers.

One significant difference between a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle lies in the braking. While the braking system in a passenger vehicle engages instantaneously by pressing on the brake pedal, the hydraulic system in a tractor trailer’s air brakes take approximately 1.5 seconds to reach the rearmost tires.

This delay results in it taking a tractor trailer two to three times the time and distance to stop than it takes a passenger vehicle. You will often see a tractor trailer driving a safe distance behind a vehicle, only to be cut off by a passenger vehicle that passes the truck and then cuts in between the car and the truck, reducing the distance between the back of the car and the front of the truck by as much as two thirds. What was one second a safe distance with the tractor trailer well behind the automobile in front of it has now become inadequate and there is no way the truck could stop in time to avoid rear-ending the car that cut him off.