Call 814-343-9860

today for a free consultation

Blog

Crash rates go up among dump and concrete delivery trucks

Pennsylvania motorists may have good reason to feel anxious whenever they drive around commercial trucks. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a new report that focuses on accident rates among dump trucks and ready-mix concrete delivery trucks, and the results are not reassuring. In 2016, there were 8,206 dump truck crashes so severe that the vehicle had to be towed away. There were 838 such crashes with concrete delivery trucks.

Compared to 2015, that’s a jump of 9 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. There were 2.7 percent more dump truck crashes that resulted in injuries, coming to a total of 5,483. Injuries were involved in 3.8 percent more concrete delivery truck accidents. Fatalities arose in 38 ready-mix delivery truck crashes; this was five more than in 2015.

Accident rates are going up for two main reasons: poor driving habits among truckers and stalled efforts to prevent accidents. Many truckers speed, use their phones behind the wheel and drive when fatigued. Some push themselves to meet deadlines and receive their by-the-load incentives. In the process, they endanger themselves and others.

Currently, though, federal regulators and industry safety experts are seeking to do two things. One is cut down on fatigued driving, and the other is to better monitor truckers’ activities on the road.

Drowsy, distracted and impaired driving are all examples of negligent behavior. When negligence is behind a motor vehicle crash, an innocent victim can consider suing for their losses. In this state, one must take action within two years of the accident. This is where a lawyer can come in, hiring investigators to gather proof against the driver and medical experts to determine the extent of the injuries. The lawyer can then proceed to negotiations with the trucking company’s legal representatives.