Investigations into large truck crashes often are time-consuming and complicated. Many reasons exist for this, ranging from negligence and liability issues to the numerous regulations placed on truck carriers and drivers.
But what most people know is that the aftermath of a large truck accident nearly almost always leads to terrible destruction, tragedy and serious injury. Of the 349 people who died in large truck crashes in Florida in 2019, nearly 300 or 85% of the victims were occupants of other vehicles or non-occupants such as pedestrians and cyclists, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
More injuries, negligence and regulations
Here are some of the reasons why crashes involving trucks are complicated:
- More serious injuries and more damages: With their colossal sizes, large trucks can cause untold harm to drivers and passengers of vehicles that collide with them. Life-changing and fatal injuries are not uncommon. In tandem with serious injuries, damages caused by large trucks not only affect other motor vehicles, but the roadway and surrounding areas as well.
- Involve more vehicles: Their weight and size make large trucks difficult to stop or control in emergency situations, potentially leading to collisions with several vehicles. Such a situation proves more challenging for investigators in determining who was at fault.
- Negligence attributed to many different players: Whether it is the truck driver, trucking company, maintenance company, truck manufacturer or shipping company, any of these players may have played a role in the crash due to negligence.
- More regulations: The trucking industry is filled with regulations and laws related to areas such as driver qualifications, regular inspections the trucking maintenance. Truck drivers face more laws than the typical driver, too. For example, they can only drive a certain number of hours per day. All these rules may lead to a web of complications in a crash.
Many underlying factors highlight the complexities stemming from a large truck accident.
Understand what you face and get guidance
Not only can a large truck crash lead to tragic consequences, but the investigation related to it may take weeks and months to resolve due to the variety of complications. Keep this in mind if you sustain injuries in a large truck crash. Then also contact an experienced legal advocate.