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Truck accidents can be fatal, mainly because trucks are extremely large and extremely heavy vehicles. While truck accidents are rare in the United States, they can [and do] still happen. Truck drivers have to undergo a rigorous training before they’re given a license and are allowed to drive a truck. Despite this training, truck drivers can be very reckless [as any road user will know]. Some of them cut into lanes, make sudden turns, and behave irresponsibly on the road, putting everybody else’s lives in danger.

In this article, we’re going to tell you seven things that you should know about truck accidents:

Blind Spots

A defense commonly used by truck drivers guilty of causing accidents is that they couldn’t see because of their truck’s blind spot. In today’s technological world, these myths about blind spots aren’t valid defenses. Trucking companies have the money and capability to install backward-facing cameras on their trucks. In addition, there isn’t really any such thing as a ‘blind spot.’ While trucks definitely do have limited visibility, most accidents can be avoided by the truck’s driver carefully checking their mirrors and preparing to turn or move.

They’re Avoidable

Truck accidents are usually completely avoidable. The easiest way to avoid a truck accident is to avoid trucks in general. If you’re traveling on a freeway and you see one approaching, move out of its way or pull to the side until it has passed you. Try to avoid being close to trucks. If you’re driving behind one, stay a good distance behind it so that if an accident does occur, the driver can’t blame the accident on their blind spot. Most experts recommend staying at least three cars away from a truck. If there’s one behind you, don’t let it bully you into speeding [as they so often do].

Compensation

If you are involved in a truck accident, then you can claim a lot of compensation. Trucking companies have been sued for millions for not adequately training or preparing their truck drivers for accidents. There have also been cases where trucking companies have been found to be negligent, not properly servicing and maintaining their fleet. If you have been involved in a trucking accident, then it’s definitely worth contacting a lawyer and seeing if you’re eligible for compensation. It’s always worth having a dashcam installed on your car so that you can prove another driver’s guilt if you want to make a claim for compensation.

Fatality

As we mentioned previously, truck accidents have a very high fatality rate. Even if you did theoretically survive a serious truck accident, you would likely have very serious injuries. Because of how serious these accidents can be, it’s important to take our advice and keep your distance from trucks, especially ones that are driving erratically. It’s not uncommon to see trucks weaving in and out of lanes on busy freeways. If you do ever see a truck driver driving irresponsibly, take their license plate number and report them to the company that they represent.

Statute of Limitations

As with all personal injury cases, truck accident cases have a statute of limitations. What this means is, if you’re involved in a truck accident, you have a fixed amount of time to make a compensation claim. If you don’t make your claim in this fixed timeframe, then you won’t be eligible for compensation and your case will be dismissed. Usually, the statute of limitations is around a year to two years for truck accidents, but it differs from state to state. Contact a lawyer immediately after an accident to enquire about your state’s statute of limitations.

Frequency

While we mentioned that truck accidents don’t happen often, they do still happen [albeit infrequently].  In Texas, there are over 16,000 truck accidents reported every single year. While there are very few truck accidents compared to car accidents, you still need to watch out for them. In the United States, around 500,000 truck accidents are reported every year. There are also 5,000 fatalities caused by truck accidents every year. Keep this in mind whenever you’re sharing the road with a truck, bus, or large vehicle.

Causes

There are lots of reasons for truck accidents. Sometimes it’s the trucker’s fault. Other times it is the other drivers’ fault. Some of the most common causes of trucking accidents are malfunctioning brakes, rollovers, swinging turns, tire blowouts, falling debris, and overloaded cargo. Truck accidents can also be caused by people who pull out and don’t look both ways, causing the truck to collide with them.

Truck accidents are very dangerous, which is why it’s important to always drive safely and avoid them as best you can. The information in this article should shed a little light on truck accidents and make them easier to understand. Drive safely.