Tap to CallWhat Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Virginia?
Most truck accidents in Virginia are due to driver error, including:
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Impaired driving
- Distracted driving
- Driving too closely
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Improper or illegal lane changes
Truck accidents are a major safety concern for drivers in Virginia. Collisions between semi-trucks and passenger vehicles frequently result in serious injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicles. Serious injuries can have a significant impact on the victim’s ability to work or enjoy life. If you have been injured in a truck accident, you may face medical bills, lost income, and other expenses through no fault of your own.
The circumstances of a truck accident determine whether you can seek compensation for your injuries and other expenses. Speaking with an experienced truck accident lawyer at The Lichtenstein Law Group can help you understand your legal options. Some of the most common causes of tractor-trailer accidents include.
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Driver Error Causes Virginia Truck Accidents
Driver error is a broad category that encompasses many mistakes that truck drivers make that contribute to crashes. Speeding, driving too fast for traffic conditions, and improper lane changes are common truck driver errors that lead to crashes. Distracted driving may involve talking on the phone, eating, looking at a navigation device, or any activity that takes a driver’s focus off the task of driving.
Driver Fatigue Causes Truck Accidents in Virginia
Truck drivers need to be focused at all times when they’re behind the wheel to prevent accidents. Long hours of driving and tight delivery schedules can be exhausting. Many truck accidents are caused by fatigued drivers struggling to stay awake and failing to recognize hazardous situations in time to slow down and avoid a crash.
To help prevent truck accidents caused by driver fatigue, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has set limits on the number of hours that interstate truck drivers can be behind the wheel without a rest break. The rules are known as hours of service regulations. Drivers who disregard or deliberately break these rules may become dangerously fatigued while driving. This increases their odds of being involved in an accident.
Poor Vehicle Maintenance or Mechanical Failure Causes Truck Accidents
One of the frequently overlooked causes of truck accidents is the lack of adequate maintenance. A semi-truck towing a fully loaded trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds, which is 20 to 30 times heavier than most passenger cars. That weight puts a lot of wear and tear on a truck’s parts.
Regular maintenance and inspections help drivers stay on top of potential problems, but sometimes a driver or technician doesn’t take their responsibility seriously. If a truck’s parts are allowed to deteriorate, an accident becomes more likely. Tire blowouts, brake failures, and similar issues are often the result of poor maintenance.
Cargo Imbalance Causes Virginia Truck Accidents
The cargo in a truck’s trailer or bed should be positioned to maintain a stable weight distribution. It’s also important for the cargo to be secured so it won’t shift in transit. This helps the truck stay upright when accelerating, braking, or making turns.
If a truck’s cargo shifts in transit, it can cause a driver to lose control. A sudden weight shift can cause a truck to overturn. Unsecured cargo that falls off a trail onto the road can cause drivers to swerve and crash.
Speeding Causes Truck Accidents in Virginia
Semi-trucks and tractor trailers are among the heaviest vehicles on Virginia roads. Even with an empty trailer, a large truck takes much longer to stop than a car or motorcycle. The faster a truck is going, the more distance it will need to stop safely. Truck drivers need to be careful to allow enough space between their vehicles and the vehicles in front of them. Truck drivers who tailgate other vehicles can cause a rear-end accident if the vehicle in front stops or slows.
Truck drivers that speed or drive too fast for adverse weather or road conditions in Virginia have less time to react to hazardous situations and avoid a collision.
Truck Defects Causes Virginia Truck Accidents
While some mechanical failures result from poor maintenance, others result from a design or manufacturing defect with the truck.
These defects can make a truck much more difficult to control, no matter what the driver does. In cases involving defective parts such as defective brakes or tires, the manufacturer of the truck or the defective component may be held liable for an accident.
Poor Practices from Truck Companies Causes Virginia Truck Accidents
Many trucking companies put pressure on their drivers to meet unrealistic delivery schedules. This pressure can lead truck drivers to speed or take other risks that can put other motorists in danger. A trucking company might push its drivers to ignore hours of service limits or routine maintenance checks, which can also lead to an accident.
Trucking companies are sometimes negligent in their hiring practices. They should hire experienced drivers with safe driving records. A shortage of qualified drivers means companies sometimes hire people who can’t do the job safely.
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What Should You Do if You Are Involved in a Truck Accident in Virginia?
The first thing you should do after an accident is to call 911 to summon police and an ambulance to the scene if anyone needs emergency medical care. If possible, you also should take the following steps:
- Get the truck driver’s name, their employer’s name, and their insurance information.
- Use your phone to take photos to document the scene of the accident and your injuries.
- Get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident.
- See a doctor right away for a medical evaluation, if you did not go to the emergency room in an ambulance.
- Hold on to your medical records and pay stubs.
- Don’t say anything to any insurance companies until you have consulted with a personal injury lawyer about your legal rights.
- Select an experienced truck accident attorney to advocate on your behalf and guide you through the claims process.
Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Virginia are Ready To Help You
John E. Lichtenstein is a founding member of Lichtenstein Law Group, PLC, with more than three decades of experience as a trial lawyer. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, John has successfully resolved hundreds of cases on behalf of his clients, including some of the largest jury verdicts and settlements in Virginia history. He has also served his profession, including serving as President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in 2015-2016 and as Chair of the Virginia State Bar Criminal Law Section in 2007-2008.