The National Leader in Trucking Accidents
In 2017, there were more than 150,000 large commercial truck crashes. These massive collisions created about half that many injuries (75,123) and caused 4,579 fatalities. Truck accidents occurred more in Texas than in any other state in the country. Our state has suffered from enough truck accidents—and so has the rest of the country.
Despite making up less than 5 percent of all vehicles on the road (according to 2015 figures), commercial trucks are involved with 11 percent of all traffic deaths. One of the leading causes of such frequent injury and death is the trucking industry itself, which compels drivers to break the rules in order to make ends meet. Tired drivers make more mistakes, and they can't afford mistakes when driving an 80,000-pound machine.
How Trucking Companies Are Making the Road Unsafe
One of the chief ways that trucking industry makes the road unsafe is how it pays its drivers. Most new truckers are paid by the mile—which means they're unpaid for everything else. That arrangement incentivizes driving for as long and as far as possible every day. Unfortunately, the rigors of life on the road sometimes get in the way of driving long distances. Traffic, repairs, and other issues can ruin a trucker's schedule.
- Driving to pick up new loads
- Planning routes
- Abiding by federally-mandated rest breaks
- Waiting for loading/unloading
- Submitting to rig inspections
When truckers are unable to "make their miles" (which is often), many of them lose money on a day's work. As a result, truckers will do everything they can to make up for those loss days with extra-long driving days. The problem is that the law prevents drivers from operating for longer than 14 hours a day—only 11 of which can be spent driving.
It's not an unreasonable law, since studies show that 1 in 4 trucking crashes occurred when a driver had been on the clock for 17 hours or longer. However, companies and their "driving school" instructors often teach new drivers how to fool the system. One common tactic is keeping two federally-mandated logbooks—that way, a driver can appear compliant during any inspection.
As a result, thousands of tired drivers are getting behind the wheel of their trucks—and that's no small problem. According to FMCSA data, 1 in 7 truck crashes are directly caused by fatigue. Some experts believe the number is far higher since drivers are incentivized not to report that they're tired. Sleep researchers have found that even moderate tiredness can impair our driving as much as having a drink.
What to Do When You're in a Truck Accident
If you were injured in a Prime Inc. truck accident—either as a motorist, a carrier employee, or as an independent contractor—you're going to need a lawyer. Here's why: trucking companies immediately go on the defensive when they're facing liability after an accident. They deploy an army of adjusters, lawyers, and investigators to build a case against you, meaning your insurance claim will either be delayed or denied.
The best way to fight them is with the same tactics.
Arnold & Itkin LLP has represented thousands of cases by utilizing the same strategies against insurers and large companies to level the playing field between victims and negligent wrongdoers. As a result, we've helped our clients secure billions of dollars to pay for medical care, replace lost wages, and rebuild their lives.
People deserve the same resources that trucking companies use against them. Our firm has secured record-setting verdicts nationwide by ensuring that our clients get the same inexhaustible resources that their wrongdoers get. It all begins with a free case consultation—by calling our lawyers, you can review your options with a Prime Inc. truck accident attorney at no cost. There's no upfront cost, no out-of-pocket expenses, and no bill: you focus on healing while we focus on winning.
Call (888) 493-1629 or use our online form to learn what recovery is available to you under the law. Let our nationally renowned trucking law firm help you get your life back.
