Large commercial truck accidents are increasing steadily across the United States. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration did a causation study that looked at what factors lead to devastating commercial trucking accidents, for trucks that weigh 10,000 pounds and higher. There were approximately 120,000 crashes that happened in a two-year period between 2001 to 2003 and out of these incidents, a sample of 963 were used in the study. The sample was made up of both injury and fatal large truck accidents. The leading factors that had causation in the crashes included fatigue, alcohol consumption, and driving at excess speed.

While these factors are commonly seen in large commercial truck accidents, they aren’t the only reason that a truck may crash. Malfunctioning parts and environmental conditions can also lead to a truck accident. Large trucks which are categorized at 10,000 pounds and all the way up to 80,000 pounds are significantly larger than their passenger vehicle counterparts. The average weight of a sedan is at most about 4,000 pounds making a truck that weighs the least in the large truck category still more than two times the total weight of the car. You can only imagine the amount of destruction and devastation that comes when a large truck collides with a passenger vehicle. 

In the state of Florida in 2018, there were 403,626 total traffic incidents that took place. The most catastrophic outcomes often arise out of tragic Florida commercial truck accidents. This is true not just in the state of Florida but it is also consistent for commercial truck accidents across the nation. While the driver of a large truck can sustain bodily harm, it is those that are riding in the passenger car who have to withstand the most trauma.

What are the Most Common Types of Truck Accidents?

Due to their large and bulky size and the way that their cargo is loaded, there are several types of commercial truck incidents that can happen to make commercial trucks very dangerous for other drivers on the road. The aftermath of large truck accidents in Jacksonville is on par with what is seen in any state in the country, and that is considerable property damage, cataclysmic physical harm, and death. The following incidents detail the types of large truck accidents that happen most frequently:

• Jackknife incidents take place when the cab and the trailer swivel around to a 90-degree angle with relation to each other.
• Truck rollover incidents happen when the trailer begins to fall to the side and pull the entire truck over. This can be due to poor loading of cargo or driver error such as speeding or taking a turn too fast.
• Any vehicle is at risk for experiencing a tire blowout but when a large truck has one the debris that flies about onto the road poses immense peril to others. Also, this will throw a truck off balance and cause it to move erratically and uncontrollably making it remarkably dangerous to anyone on or near the road.
• A driver who doesn’t correctly estimate the amount of space needed for a turn can cause them to make a wide turn which essentially snares all other automobiles and traps them.
• There are four blind spots that drivers should be aware of on a truck including, directly in front of the cab, directly on the sides of the cab, and directly behind the trailer. Drivers should know the existence of these blind spots when they are driving near trucks and if possible try to avoid riding in them which can reduce the risk of being hit by a truck driver who cannot see you.
• It takes much longer for a large truck to reduce its momentum and if traffic changes speed rapidly and a truck driver has to slam on the breaks, the truck may not be able to stop before it crushes smaller cars in front of it.
• If a truck does have to hit the breaks unexpectedly and a driver behind the truck doesn’t react in time, the smaller vehicle may slide right under the truck’s trailer and when this happens it is known as an underride accident. These incidents, time after time, prove to be deadly.
• Trailers can become loose and fly into other vehicles on the road.
• Trucks that hit other cars head-on are another type of extremely perilous type of crash.
• If a truck slams into another vehicle perpendicularly then this type of accident is known as a T-bone.

If you lost a loved one in a Jacksonville commercial truck accident or if you sustained serious injuries in one, then connecting with The Law Offices of Sheftall & Associates will improve your chances of obtaining the full amount of compensation for the damages you suffered. Commercial truck accidents in Florida have a tendency to be much more complicated than crashes between two passenger vehicles. With commercial truck insurance policies often coming in at least $1 million, a victim should not be surprised that the trucking company’s insurance provider will try to push back against a victim and place the blame for the collision on a victim. The best way to combat these unfair tactics is to work with a knowledgeable Jackson commercial truck accident attorney.

Other Factors that Increase the Risk of a Commerical Truck Accident

It is driver error that is the most prevalent reason why commercial truck accidents in Florida take place. Interestingly enough, there are other unforeseen factors that can be predictive of the risk that exists that a truck driver will get into a crash. According to a research study done by England’s Loughborough University Design School and Virginia Tech Transport Institute, coffee consumption was linked to risky behavior in truck drivers and resulting crashes. Truck drivers that drank a lot of coffee posed the most danger of being involved in a crash.

In the study, truck drivers that drank five or more cups of coffee each day were 6.2% more likely to be involved in a traffic collision. On top of all the issues that commercial truck drivers face which make them a danger on the road to others, drinking coffee isn’t normally thought of in the mix of those risk factors. However, some reasons why these drivers with higher caffeine use had more incidences of accidents was because the increased need for coffee could be related to other unhealthy behaviors such as:

• Individuals not getting adequate sleep and trying to supplement with caffeine.
• Bad diet and nutritional deficiencies.
• Increased likelihood to use alcohol or drugs.
• Higher likelihood of using nicotine.

Truck drivers that didn’t require much caffeine did not show a link to precarious behaviors when behind the wheel.

Speak with a Jackson Commercial Truck Accident Attorney Today

It almost seems like there are no limits to the number of things that can lead to a commercial truck collision which is an alarming thought given how disastrous Jackson commercial truck collisions are. You need the most compensation possible after your Jackson 18-wheeler accident and the Jackson personal injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Sheftall & Associates will work tirelessly to ensure you secure the best outcome possible. Please call the Florida catastrophic injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Sheftall & Associates to schedule your free consultation at 904-647-2296.