Causes of Truck Accidents
Experienced Nashville lawyer who knows how to win
There’s no telling when the driver behind an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer barreling down the road is going to make a wrong move and cause a terrible truck accident. When that happens, it’s critical that you have an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side, standing up for your rights.
The Law Office of Eric Beasley has helped thousands of clients in the Nashville area during more than 20 years of practice. Nashville truck accident attorney Eric Beasley knows that there’s many ways an accident with an 18-wheeler can happen:
Someone can be walking down Broadway and get hit by an overloaded and out-of-control semi.
Someone can be driving down I-65 and get rear-ended by a distracted trucker operating a fully loaded big rig.
A driver can be taking the Donelson Pike off-ramp from I-40 after a long day at work and suddenly have a rollover truck accident in front of them because the truck driver hit the curve too fast.
None of these accidents are the victim’s fault, but that’s who is going to pay the highest price. If you were hurt in truck crash, you can be left with devastating injuries that have a significant impact on your life. You deserve financial compensation. Having an experienced attorney on your side can make a big difference.
Common causes of truck accidents
Being a commercial truck driver carries a lot of responsibility. That’s why commercial truck drivers must obtain a commercial driver’s license, known as a CDL. Even so, many truck accidents occur because the truck driver made a mistake that resulted in a crash. Such causes can cover a wide range, including:
- Texting while driving – Commercial truck drivers need to pay attention at all times on the road. That’s why texting while driving is against the law nationwide for all commercial truck drivers.
- Distracted driving – Texting isn’t the only thing that can distract commercial truck drivers. Whether it’s talking to a dispatcher, looking up directions on a GPS or eating while driving, truck drivers need to pay attention at all times on the road.
- Failure to yield – Large commercial trucks need to respect the rules of the road. This includes yielding to other vehicles on the road, whether it’s legally passing another car or obeying the rules of the road when turning at an intersection.
- Fatigue – Tired truck drivers often fall asleep at the wheel. That’s why the federal government has strict laws regulating how many hours truck drivers can legally drive each day and week. These restrictions are known as Hours of Service (HOS) rules and can be found in Title 49, Part 395 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
- Drunk driving – Like all other drivers, truck drivers cannot legally drive drunk. What you might not realize is truck drivers have to follow even tougher rules when it comes to drunk driving. Truck drivers cannot have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04 percent or higher due to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. That’s half the BAC limit for other drivers.
Truck driver negligence can cover a wide range. Whatever caused your truck accident, make sure you take steps to hold the negligent truck driver accountable for their actions. Make sure you talk to an experienced truck accident lawyer today.
Trucking company negligence
Sometimes, the truck driver isn’t the only one to blame for your accident. The trucking company the truck driver works for may be at fault in some way. Examples of trucking company negligence that may have contributed to your accident include:
- Hiring an inexperienced truck driver or a driver with a history of causing accidents.
- Hiring an unlicensed truck driver or a driver with a suspended CDL.
- Failing to regularly inspect the truck to make sure it’s in safe working order.
- Not repairing mechanical problems with the truck in a timely manner.
- Not loading the truck properly, causing the truck to roll over or tip over.
Negligent trucking companies need to be held responsible if they contributed to the cause of your accident. This is why it’s critical that you have an experienced truck accident attorney on your side, thoroughly investigating your truck accident.
Fighting for the injured
Whether your truck accident was caused by distracted driving or brake failure, it’s important to hold negligent parties accountable. After a devastating crash, it would be great if the insurance companies treated you fairly, but you can’t count on that. The insurance companies will try to pay you as little as possible. They may even try to blame you for the accident
You need someone on your side fighting for you, and only you, after your accident. The Law Office of Eric Beasley has been successfully representing truck accident and other personal injury victims in Tennessee for decades.
Attorney Beasley was born in Tennessee and has a passion for working with fellow Tennesseans. Our firm has won millions of dollars in compensation for our clients who needed the money so they could heal, restore property broken or destroyed in the crash, cover future medical expenses related to their accidents, and avoid catastrophic debt.
10 common factors behind 18-wheeler accidents
There are about ten common factors that cause tractor-trailer accidents, according to federal research:
Overweight/overloaded truck
Making an illegal maneuver
Inadequate surveillance/training
Speeding or otherwise traveling too fast for road conditions
Inattention/distracted driving
Following too close/tailgating
Misjudgment of gap or other’s speed
Missing a required stop, like at a crosswalk
External distractions
Brake problems
About a dozen other factors were identified as often being associated with truck accidents including tire problems, fatigue, aggressive driving, being in a hurry, personal problems, cargo shifts, illness, and drug and alcohol use. Trucker decisions were often the cause of crashes compared to equipment failure or weather.
We will fight for your rights
Whatever caused the crash, it’s important to get legal advice as soon as possible. Our firm can investigate your crash to find evidence of negligence. We are determined to help you recover compensation. We know Tennessee. We know how to build a winning case. We can get you the results you need and deserve.
Attorney Beasley has a longstanding reputation for being honest, fair and hard-working. It's this kind of dedication that has led to referrals from former clients and fellow attorneys. Contact us to schedule a free case consultation. We will help you make sense of your accident and look at all your legal options.