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Large truck accidents and safety

On Behalf of | Jan 8, 2015 | Truck Accidents |

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 132 large trucks were involved in fatal accidents on North Carolina roads in 2012. That number represents 7.6 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal accidents that year in the state.

Additional NHTSA data showed that there was a 4 percent increase nationwide in fatalities resulting from accidents involving large trucks from 2011 to 2012. Of those fatalities, 73 percent affected drivers and passengers who were in vehicles other than large trucks. When a large truck and a smaller vehicle collide, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are shown to stand a far greater chance of being injured or killed.

In 2012, vehicle crashes involving large trucks resulted in the injury of 104,000 people. This marked an increase of 18 percent over the number of people injured in similar accidents in 2011. Statistics show large trucks frequently travel at high rates of speed on interstate highways, and speed increases the severity of accidents. Despite tougher safety laws, some large truck drivers may operate their vehicles for extended periods without rest, increasing the likelihood of an accident.

In 2012, a total of 333,000 large trucks played a part in traffic accidents nationwide. A truck accident can lead to serious or fatal injuries, expensive medical bills and thousands of dollars in vehicle damage. If a truck driver caused an accident by negligence, an attorney may be able to use police reports and accident investigations to show that the trucking company should be held financially liable for medical expenses, property damage and lost wages due to the client’s injuries.

Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, “Traffic Safety Facts – Large Trucks“, January 03, 2015

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