Tragedy struck today in Kentucky when a tractor-trailer crossed the median on I-65, striking a church van. The driver of the semi truck and several of the passengers in the van were killed. Statistically, some of the most devastating crashes involve a semi truck.Â
Consider the following startling statistics from a study published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the United States Department of Transportation:
In 2007, 413,000 large trucks were involved in traffic crashes in the United States. 101,000 were injured in those crashes.
One out of nine traffic fatalities in 2007 resulted from a collision involving a large truck.
Large trucks were much more likely to be involved in a fatal multiple-vehicle crash – as opposed to a fatal single-vehicle crash – than were passenger vehicles (82% of all large trucks involved in fatal crashes, compared with 59% of all passenger vehicles).
Further, according to the Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an average 5,200 trucks are involved in a fatal traffic accident each year accounting for nearly 6,000 deaths.
Almost two-thirds of these tragedies occur in broad daylight in rural areas with 87.1% of the incidents occurring under normal driving conditions. Failure to stay in the proper lane, excessive speed, inattention, failure to yield, and cellular phone use are among the leading causes of semi truck crashes.
While many trucking companies are run responsibly, others disregard federal motor carrier safety regulations by falsifying logbooks, failing to inspect their trucks and committing other violations of trucking laws. The purpose in this regard is simple: to be profitable at the expense of safety and accountability.
The personal injury lawyers at Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer know the risks posed by truck drivers under these circumstances and will hold the trucking companies responsible for their actions. If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a semi truck crash, please contact our office for a free consultation.
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