Ohio Truck Accident Help
A Division of Ohio Truck Accident
Common Causes of Ohio Truck Accidents
When drivers make mistakes, the consequences can be mild to severe. When mistakes happen while driving a large commercial vehicle, there’s a high likelihood of extreme damage, significant injuries, or even death.
Truck drivers must operate their vehicles safely. If you or a loved one have been hurt or killed because of a negligent large truck driver, you should hold the guilty party accountable. An experienced truck accident lawyer at Ohio Truck Accident Help can explain how.
Contact Ohio Truck Accident Help to schedule your free, no-risk consultation now.
Many factors can lead to a crash, but driver error can be a significant contributor. The Ohio Highway Patrol reported over 10,000 crashes involving large trucks in 2022. Driver error was a factor in nearly half of those crashes. 2,488 of the reported truck crashes resulted in injuries, and 121 were fatal.
“Driver error” describes actions like distracted driving, following vehicles too closely, or speeding, among others. Distracted driving alone accounted for nearly 20% of the truck crashes reported.
If truckers can work to avoid these common errors, they can help prevent crashes and protect others on the road. When they don’t, let us help you get the compensation you’re owed after a crash.
Crashes due to driver error can be attributed to numerous factors. Some external factors, like weather or other drivers’ driving habits, are out of a truck driver’s control. However, the likelihood of a crash increases if a driver isn’t cautious or attentive while behind the wheel.
Here are several ways a driver could make a tragic mistake:
Long hours on the road can cause drivers to become fatigued. When a drowsy truck driver gets behind the wheel, their reaction time and decision-making could be impaired. They could easily misjudge gaps, ignore traffic around them, or panic, causing an accident.
Large commercial truck drivers must earn a commercial driver’s license (CDL), not to mention other certifications, to ensure they know how to react in different traffic situations or handle cargo. When drivers aren’t properly educated, they could cause large truck accidents.
Everyone has a destination to reach, but if a truck driver is driving dangerously, it could lead to an accident. Examples of driving aggressively include weaving through traffic, unsafe lane changes, or even road rage behavior.
Large trucks are complicated pieces of equipment. Technology is available to truckers to operate them safely. If a driver is too reliant on technology that could malfunction or break, the chance of an accident increases.
Truckers are expected to operate their vehicles with a clear head like other drivers. Some drivers may abuse substances before they take the wheel. Drug or alcohol use is a driver error that could lead to a major crash.
There will be evidence that a truck driver made an error that led to a crash. Some are more obvious than others, like a field sobriety test compared to proving they were using a cell phone before the crash. A skilled truck accident attorney can help you identify these signs and use them in a personal injury lawsuit.
Signs to look for after a large commercial vehicle crash include:
Each case is unique. Finding an attorney to help identify signs of driver error improves your chances of a successful claim after a large truck accident.
Personal injury claims are built on evidence. As a claimant, you must show that a truck driver’s negligence more than likely caused the crash. By working with a truck accident attorney, you can gather evidence to prove your claim.
Although they are colloquially known as “black boxes,” event device reorders operate much like the black boxes found in airplanes. They record technical data briefly before, during, and after a crash. Truckers also keep a record of their work activity in a logbook.
This information belongs to a trucker’s employer. Your attorney may need to request that the company retain and release the black box data after a crash.
When law enforcement arrives at a crash scene, they document everything related to the crash. These reports are crucial to a compensation claim. They provide good starting points for your attorney to investigate and are critical evidence.
An in-depth investigation that utilizes expert witnesses can explain how the evidence proves the truck driver caused your injuries. A trucking industry expert, such as a reconstructionist, could explain what regulations a trucker should follow and why the driver’s behavior broke those regulations, leading to the crash.
Truck accident claims are complex because there could be multiple liable parties, and the trucking companies and their insurers typically want to pay victims less than they deserve. They may offer lowball settlements or dispute that that driver was responsible for relieving them of liability for your accident.
By hiring a truck accident lawyer, you are protecting your claim and rights. Your attorney will identify any liable parties who exhibited negligent behavior. Not only can you get justice for your crash, but you can hold those responsible accountable for their actions, protecting other drivers from future accidents.
Your lawyer will have the tools and understanding of the trucking industry to investigate and build a compensation case.
Many large truck collisions are caused by a truck driver’s errors. If you were hurt because of a trucker’s negligent behavior, you have a compensation claim. Ohio Truck Accident Help is prepared to answer your question, hold the right party accountable, and fight for the maximum amount possible.
Contact us to schedule a free, no-risk consultation today.