There are five common causes of truck accidents that drivers in Kentucky should know about. Some of these causes can be attributed to the actions of the trucker or of a passenger vehicle driver. For example, the leading cause is driver errors like speeding, drowsy driving, DUI and aggressive driving. Yet the majority of error-related crashes between truckers and passenger vehicle drivers are the latter’s fault.
Bad weather is another factor that can cause both truckers and passenger vehicle drivers to become negligent. In the case of 18-wheelers, it’s not unusual for hydroplaning or jackknifing to occur. Then, there are crashes that arise because vehicle owners neglected maintenance. Here, truckers may be more often to blame because truck components wear down sooner. Before every shift, truckers are to inspect their rig and fill out a maintenance report.
Defective parts that suddenly fail are a fourth cause. Those who are injured in a crash involving a defective part may wind up filing their claim not against the trucking company but against the manufacturer of that part. The company that installed or repaired the part may also be held liable.
Lastly, companies that break the industry-specific rules for loading cargo are behind many truck crashes. Incorrectly loaded cargo can tip the truck over or spill onto the road.
Many truck accidents end in catastrophic injures for those in passenger vehicles. Fortunately, victims have a chance of obtaining compensation for their medical expenses, the income lost during their recovery and so on; it means filing a personal injury claim. With a lawyer, this complicated procedure may go more smoothly. The lawyer may, for example, hire investigators to show just how the defendant was guilty. Victims may leave all negotiations for a settlement to their lawyer, too, litigating as a last resort.
