Causes of Truck Accidents

High Speeds, Driver Fatigue, Negligence, Heavy Weights

A truck accident is rarely the result of a single factor. In most cases, multiple causes contribute to the accident, and multiple parties may have contributed to the accident. A complex set of causes requires a careful, thorough investigation.

Trucking Accident Lawyers

In a truck accident, the injuries often result in catastrophic, life-changing disabilities or in wrongful death. Reasonable compensation is necessary to deal with current and future economic needs. At Gray Ritter Graham in St. Louis, our attorneys and staff understand the challenges truck accident victims and their families face.

• Driver fatigue or other types of truck driver negligence contributes to many accidents. Drivers are under pressure to meet deadlines despite weather conditions or slow traffic. Some use amphetamines or other drugs to stay awake. Some drivers take chances with aggressive driving on crowded interstates.
• State and federal agencies — the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) and state departments of transportation (DOT) — have strict rules about driver hours. Deadlines and trucking company pressures may encourage driving too many hours and altering log books.
• Placing too much cargo in a trailer or failing to balance or secure the load can cause truck accidents and increase the chances of catastrophic injuries.
• Equipment failure — a tire blowout, an axle break, nonworking brakes, a stuck accelerator; each can cause a truck accident. They may be due to manufacturer errors, maintenance problems, or a trucking company’s failure to provide regular maintenance.
• The trucking company’s hiring and supervisory policies may be contributing factors to an accident.

Careful, aggressive investigation is needed to find all the causes of an accident.

The personal injury lawyers at GRG are diligent when pursuing truck accident cases. Contact us for a no-charge consultation. We represent clients in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and the surrounding region.