The rising economy leads to more truck accidents

The economy in much of the United States bottomed out in 2008 and 2009. Since then, it has slowly rebounded for years.

You can see the evidence everywhere, but one rather unexpected place to look paints a bit of a bleak picture. Truck accidents are often linked to that same economy.

In 2009, deadly truck accidents dropped all the way to an all-time low. That year, 3,380 people passed away in 2,983 separate accidents. While thousands of deadly wrecks are still concerning, it was clear that the roads were safer than they’d been in a long time.

The reason? Business was poor. Goods and materials weren’t being moved as much. People weren’t spending money. Those are all negatives in many ways, but they did help lower the amount of trucks on the road and cut back on the accident statistics.

By 2013, things had clearly turned around. That year, there were 3,964 deaths and 3,541 accidents. In a mere four years, the total jumped by a stunning 17.3 percent.

If this trend continues, how bad is it going to be in 2018 or 2020 or 2030? The economy has been on the rebound, and trucking is the top way to move goods across the country. As more and more people buy online, that just increases the demand for trucking from warehouses. Could we be heading for all-time highs in accidents and deaths in the near future?

It is possible. Those who are involved in these accidents, or the families of those who are killed, must know all of the legal options that they have to seek compensation.

Source: Huffington Post, “Trucks Are Getting More Dangerous And Drivers Are Falling Asleep At The Wheel. Thank Congress.,” Michael McAuliff, accessed Dec. 01, 2017