Government statistics state that tractor trailer crashes have risen 17% since 2014, with this news report highlighting the greater number of crashes in the New York State area in particular.

According to the AAA, most cities in the US get at least 50% of their freight by rail, but in the New York state area,, it is only 5%. The rest is delivered by big rigs. That leads, the AAA says, to more trucks and accidents.

The NY State Department of Motor Vehicles states that the state had 12,000 big rig crashes in 2014, while North Carolina had less than 10,000 in  a year.

Legal experts in the area say that while truck drivers are mostly good, hardworking people who want to be safe, they have to support their families. And there is corporate pressure on them to drive faster and deliver more freight on time.

Other experts point out that New York state weigh stations are supposed to do mandatory inspections of vehicle weight and check the driver log books to ensure truckers are not over driving. But those stations have been shuttered due to cuts in the budget.

Our View

Our truck accident attorneys wish that the primary focus on trucks would be safety above all else, but as our experience shows, the almighty dollar often gets priority. Far too many serious truck accidents with personal injury occur each year. It has gotten worse with all of the distractions now available to truck drivers on their cell phones.

We would like to remind all truckers that they have a sacred obligation to drive safely and within the speed limit. If there is a serious truck accident, terrible personal injuries and death often result. Our truck crash attorneys recently settled a $3.5 million truck accident lawsuit where a terrible crash could have been prevented by better driving and attention by the truck driver. We wish these accidents would never happen, but truckers do not always put safety first.