Trucking Accidents Statistics and Common Causes

A loaded 18-wheeler truck can weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds as it is rolling down the road. Given the dramatic difference in size and weight between an 18-wheeler and a car, passengers in a motor vehicle will likely experience catastrophic injury or death when an 18-wheeler collides with a car, even at speeds far slower than would normally be expected. This is because of the basic principle that force equals mass times acceleration. The mass of an 18-wheeler is far greater than that of a car and its passenger, and the forces applied by an 18-wheeler even at lower speeds often have devastating consequences. The Northeast Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers of O’Malley & Perry Law, are experienced in 18 wheeler accident cases and can pursue damages on your behalf. Unlike other injury attorneys, we are prepared to go to trial if you’ve been injured as a result of a truck driver’s carelessness in the event that a fair settlement cannot be reached on your behalf. The Federal Motor Carrier Administration reported 78, 268 crashes involving large trucks in 2019, with 2,148 of those crashes resulting in fatalities.

Source: FMCSA – Crash Statistics.

Regarding the cause of large truck wrecks, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration identified the following top common 10 factors in large truck accidents involving injury or death: brake problems; traffic flow interruption (congestion, previous crash); prescription drug use; traveling too fast for conditions; unfamiliarity with roadway; roadway problems; required to stop before crash; over the counter drug use; inadequate surveillance; and fatigue.

Source: FMCSA – The Large Truck Crash Causation Study – Analysis Brief.

At O’Malley & Perry Law, our Northeastern Pennsylvania truck accident attorneys and legal staff have significant experience in handling truck accidents and obtaining results for our clients. Trucking accidents are often complex, and it takes hard work from start to finish to prevail. From the outset, our team will hire the necessary expert witnesses to properly document the scene and the vehicles involved. Expert witnesses will also pull the “black box” data and obtain all other available electronic information available.

Additionally, our attorneys and legal staff aggressively pursue all responsible parties on our client’s behalf. Often times, the list of responsible parties for a trucking accident is quite long, as trucking companies often enter into complex business arrangements with other companies who can be responsible for maintaining the trucks, dispatching the trucks, auditing the drivers, and monitoring the locations of the trucks as they travel across the country. Depending on the cause of the accident, these entities can be responsible for the damages caused in a trucking accident alongside the truck driver and the truck driver’s employer. Were the tires on the truck improperly maintained? Were the driver’s logs incomplete? Had the dispatcher failed to properly monitor how long the driver had been on the road? Was the load improperly positioned on the trailer?

For these reasons and many others, it is important to hire experienced truck wreck lawyers serving the Scranton – Wilkes- Barre area, and O’Malley & Perry has the experience. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed due to a trucking accident involving an 18-wheeler or large construction vehicle, contact the Northeast, Pennsylvania, law firm of O’Malley & Perry Law. We can evaluate your case represent you through litigation and trial. We are experienced trucking accident attorneys who represent injured people in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Carbon, Wyoming Counties and many other counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.