Typically, any accident involving a tractor-trailer truck is a serious one. These behemoth vehicles can cause substantial damage to property, vehicles and people in a short amount of time. Even a momentary lapse in judgment on the part of a truck driver could leave you or other Colorado residents facing lasting difficulties.
Though truck drivers are an integral part of delivery and meeting supply and demand in the business world, it is essential that truck drivers and trucking companies keep safety during a travel a top priority. If they do not, it becomes far too easy for serious and fatal accidents to occur.
Risk taking and inexperience
By the nature of the job, truck drivers are on the road for hours at a time for multiple days in a row. If they are not driving and making pickups and drop offs, they likely are not earning their much-needed pay. Unfortunately, pressure to earn money and pressure from employers to make speedy deliveries can result in truckers participating in risky behavior that could put themselves and other travelers at risk. Risky behavior could include speeding, driving in truck-prohibited lanes, cutting off other vehicles, following too closely and more.
As with drivers of smaller passenger vehicles, inexperience can contribute to truck accidents as well. Even if drivers have had their licenses for years, driving a big rig is vastly different than driving a passenger vehicle. Additionally, new truck drivers may have not yet developed the skills to recognize a potential hazard or know how to handle that hazard in efforts to avoid an accident.
Other contributing factors
Because truck drivers are on the road for significant amounts of time, they are at risk of suffering from fatigue and distraction. Some drivers may travel for hours upon hours and still not take the necessary amount of rest before getting back behind the wheel. In some cases, they could violate regulations to do so.
It is also not uncommon for truck drivers to be unfamiliar with the routes they are traveling, especially if they are new drivers or have been hired by a new company. Drivers could also be unfamiliar with the cargo they are hauling and how it affects the way they need to drive. An unexpected shift in cargo could easily throw off the balance of a truck and cause a driver to lose control.
Have you been injured?
If a truck accident recently resulted in your suffering serious injuries, you may feel that life will never be the same. In some ways it likely will not be. You may struggle to handle the medical bills, lost wages and other financial difficulties that the crash has caused, and you may be going through immense emotional turmoil as well. If so, you may want to consider taking legal action to seek compensation for the damages you have suffered.