Manhattan is crammed full of commercial enterprises everywhere you look, and those enterprises need products to stay in business. One of the ways we get products here is via 18-wheeler trucks. As a matter of fact, no matter what part of the country you are in, we all rely on large, heavy tractor-trailers to bring us goods from one place to another. The only unfortunate part of the trucking business is that it takes only one truck accident to cause devastation and catastrophic destruction.
Because trucks usually far outweigh any other vehicles on the road, they also top other vehicles for causing the most damage and fatalities in the event of an accident. Although, most drivers are well-trained and experienced, accidents still occur frequently. Truck drivers spend long hours on the road and have the potential to become drowsy. They are also large and in close settings, such as a busy, crowded street in the city, may have visual limitations.
In 2012, the National Highway Safety Administration reported that over 104,000 people suffered injuries from large truck accidents. There were also 3,971 truck accidents that year that included fatalities. The NHSA also noted that 73 percent of those killed in the fatal accidents were passengers or drivers of other vehicles.
All truck accidents, of course, are not the fault of the truck drivers; however, in many cases, they are. Despite all the federal safety rules that have been adopted into law for truck drivers, many still become drowsy, distracted or even impaired while driving.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident, it is important to identify who was at fault as soon as possible. An attorney can help you investigate the specifics of the accident to determine this. They may request truck logs and other important documentation from the trucking company. You may be entitled to compensation for your suffering and loss, and an attorney can assist you with this.