Truck Accident Facts and Statistics
Why You Need a Truck Accident Attorney in Tuscaloosa
When a truck and an automobile collide, it is not hard to figure out which vehicle will bear the least damage and cause the most harm. According to the Tuscaloosa truck accident attorneys at Junkin, Pearson, Harrison, Junkin & Pate L.L.C., a fully-loaded large commercial truck weighs approximately 80,000 pounds, while an average passenger automobile weighs about 3,000 pounds. Due to this size disparity, any collision with a commercial truck is likely to result in deadly consequences for a passenger vehicle.
Trucks are Dangerous Vehicles
The following truck accident facts and statistics can help put into perspective the types of dangers associated with trucking accidents:
- In 2008, 113,000 people were seriously injured in trucking accidents in the United States.
- A person is killed or sustains injuries in accidents involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers or semi-trucks every 16 minutes.
- Truck accident attorneys in Tuscaloosa know that large trucks are more likely to be involved in a fatal multi-vehicle crash than are passenger vehicles.
- More than 4,500 persons in cars and other passenger vehicles die annually in collisions involving large trucks and buses, while approximately 700 heavy truck drivers and passengers in truck cabs die each year.
- According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in crashes involving large trucks and other vehicles, 89 percent of the fatalities occur to the people in passenger vehicles.
- Men are about two times more likely to be killed or injured in a trucking accident than women.
- While all persons between the ages of 18 and 55 are at a greater risk for trucking accidents, the risk appears greatest for those ages 18 to 25.
- Trucking accidents are more common in rural areas than in urban or suburban areas.
- Accidents involving trucks are most likely to occur on the weekdays in the daytime.
Contact us
It is important to understand your legal rights and options if you or a loved one suffered serious injury in a truck accident. You may be able to seek compensation for your losses through a truck accident lawsuit, which will help you recover your financial losses and compensate you for your non-material losses and suffering. That is why you should speak with a truck accident attorney in Tuscaloosa as soon as possible.
The Tuscaloosa truck accident law firm of Junkin, Pearson, Harrison, Junkin & Pate L.L.C. invites you to contact them today for a private consultation at their toll free number 888-309-5521, or e-mail us for a prompt response.
