When you are driving along and suddenly find yourself stuck traveling along with a large tractor-trailer, it can be quite intimidating, if not a little frightening. It is difficult for a driver in a passenger vehicle to see around the truck or in front of the truck. If the truck driver begins to drift into your lane, intimidation can turn quickly into fear since the injuries for occupants in smaller vehicles are often catastrophic in truck accidents.
One of the deadliest types of truck accidents is rollover crashes. These types of truck accidents often result in impacts with more than one vehicle, as the truck rolls over in the middle of a highway, on top of other vehicles, or in the path of vehicles that are unable to stop in time.
Victims who are injured in truck accidents are able to file legal action against those parties responsible for the truck accident in order to obtain financial compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, permanent disability, mental anguish, disfigurement, scarring, and more.
Truck Rollover Accident Causes
Truck driver error: In many truck rollover crashes, it is the negligence of the truck driver that is the cause of the accident. According to national statistics, truck driver error is responsible for about 75 percent of all rollover accidents. Some of the factors in these errors include truck driver fatigue, inexperience, or engaging in some kind of distracting behavior, such as setting GPS or looking at text messages.
Mechanical failure: Trucking companies are required to conduct regular inspections and keep up with maintenance and repair of any issues that come up. These inspections are also supposed to ensure that if there are any damaged or defective truck parts, they can be quickly replaced. According to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), almost 55 percent of trucks involved in rollover accidents are found to have defective brakes.
Cargo size: How the cargo that the truck is transporting is loaded onto the truck also can play a significant factor in rollover crashes. In fact, in more than 90 percent of rollover truck accidents, the truck was transporting a partial load. If these loads are not properly secured, any shift can cause the rear of the truck to be unsteady on the road, resulting in the truck rolling over, potentially on another vehicle or pedestrian.
Contact a Virginia Injury Attorney for Assistance
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you are no doubt facing exorbitant medical bills, loss of income, and multiple other losses. A Virginia truck accident attorney can evaluate your case and determine how much financial compensation you may be entitled to for your injuries.
The legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has been successfully advocating for accident victims for more than three decades and will use all available resources to get you the compensation you deserve.
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