Truck Accident: Research results revealed

With a leading cause of death being vehicle accidents, researchers recently did a study, concentrating on only truck accidents. Data from a Tennessee sample was used for this study. Researchers commented that personal injury, property and productivity are often negatively affected by a truck accident.

The research covered a period of five years and a total of 1,134 truck accidents. Only 101 of these accidents involved a single vehicle, the balance being multi-vehicle collisions. The seriousness of the accidents was categorized into groups. They included accidents resulting in fatalities, debilitating injuries, non-debilitating injuries and property damage. The contributing factors were also categorized into traffic conditions, driver conditions and environment, as well as location and speed.

It was noted that approximately 4,500 deaths are caused by truck accidents in the United States per year. Approximately 11 percent of roadway fatalities involve trucks, even though trucks make up only about eight percent of traffic on the highways. One of the main contributors to truck accidents was found to be percentage volume. Even in low traffic conditions, a high percentage volume increased the possibility of fatalities in an accident. The study also revealed that, once the speed of a truck exceeds 45 mph, chances of fatal accidents were doubled.

Male truck drivers were involved in more truck accidents because they were reportedly more likely to drive while impaired, become aggressive, or speed. They found that weather conditions were the only environmental influence that translated to an increased risk of an accident. Any Tennessee residents who have been injured or lost loved ones in a truck accident may be entitled to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim in a civil court. Successfully litigated cases may yield restitution to assist in paying the staggering costs that one typically has to face after such an accident.

Source: counselheal.com, Researchers report trucks cause a lot of accidents, Cheri Cheng, Dec. 6, 2013