Truck Accident Lawyers in Birmingham, AL
Nearly 2 million 18 wheeler trucks travel the highways. The massive size and weight of these giants are a threat to other drivers and to pedestrians. Accidents still occur with alarming frequency even with the many safety regulations for commercial trucking. When tractor trailers collide with smaller vehicles or pedestrians, they cause death and catastrophic injury. The Birmingham law firm of Frank S. Buck, P.C., has experienced truck accident lawyers to handle commercial trucking and 18 wheeler accidents.
Strict guidelines issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration require commercial carriers to keep semis in safe operating condition. Our competent truck accident attorneys can help you with any injuries caused by truck drivers who are not properly trained and licensed, or even trucks that are not inspected regularly. Improperly trained drivers and unsafe semis put other motor vehicle operators and pedestrians at risk. In fact, truck accidents are much more common than you may think. Truck accidents are a leading cause of injury and death on the roadways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 4,213 large trucks involved in fatal accidents on the nation’s roads in 2016. In 72 percent of these accidents, the victims were the occupants of other vehicles; only 17 percent of fatalities occurred to the occupants of the large trucks. About 112,000 large trucks were involved in crashes resulting in an injury in 2018 – a 5% increase from 2017. Although the number of trucks involved in injury crashes is trending up since 2009, the exact percent increase is not certain. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began using a new Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS) to estimate the number of nonfatal crashes, starting with the 2016 data year.
In truck-car accidents, the car ends up in a very unfortunate situation in most instances. The truck accident lawyers at Frank S. Buck Law Firm are knowledgeable of the dangers brought by commercial trucks. They are capable of holding truck drivers and trucking companies accountable for their negligence that have caused injury to clients.
Some Factors That Cause Truck Accidents Include:
- Driver Fatigue
- Substance Use
- Lack of Proper Truck Maintenance
- Inadequate Training
- Distractions While Driving
Our truck accident lawyers at the Frank Buck Law Firm are expert in assisting victims of 18 wheeler accidents in Birmingham, Alabama.
There are also instances where the ones that cause or contribute to the cause of truck accidents are the drivers of other vehicles on the road. Drivers who do the following near commercial trucks increase the risk of an accident:
- Driving between multiple large trucks
- Unsafe passing, especially passing with insufficient headway
- Making an abrupt lane change in front of a truck
- Moving to the right of a big rig that is making a right turn
- Underestimating an approaching truck’s speed at an intersection, and then making a left turn in front of the truck
- Abandoning a vehicle in a travel lane, or not getting a disabled vehicle completely off the highway and onto the shoulder so that it is out of the way entirely
- Merging improperly into traffic, causing a truck to move or brake quickly
- Driving in no-zones (areas behind and beside a commercial truck where the truck driver has limited or zero visibility)
- Failing to adjust their vehicle’s rate of speed when a truck begins to change lanes or merge
- Entering into traffic from the roadside in front of a commercial truck without accelerating fast enough
- Passing a truck, then being blown out of position by air turbulence or cross-wind
It is common to even think you are somehow at fault for your accident, still, it is necessary to consult with a truck accident attorney about your case. With the help of an experienced truck accident attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, they may still receive financial compensation for their injuries and damages, if a driver admits to one or more of these indiscretions.
Quick Facts About Commercial Trucking Accidents:
- The standard tractor trailer or 18 wheeler weighs over 80,000 pounds.
- It takes the length of several football fields to bring an 18 wheeler truck to a complete stop.
- 1 out of every 8 traffic fatalities involves a commercial vehicle/truck.
- Nationwide, every 16 minutes a person is killed or seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash with a truck.
- More than 80% of these fatal accidents are the fault of the truck driver.
- Substandard vehicle maintenance, improperly secured cargo, inadequate driver training, exhausted drivers, and alcohol or drug use are examples of negligence within the trucking industry. Negligence leads to tragic accidents.
Contact the Birmingham law firm of Frank S. Buck, P.C., and one of our experienced truck accident lawyers will fight for your right to maximum compensation in cases of damage, injury or loss of life due to an 18 wheeler accident or other commercial trucking accident.
