Rear-end collisions account for 23% of all truck accidents, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That makes rear-end impacts the most common type of truck crash.
Every year, an estimated 20,000 people are hurt and 700 people die in rear-end truck wrecks. To be clear, these are situations where the truck rear-ends another vehicle, not crashes where someone rear-ends a truck.
In the vast majority of rear-end collisions, the driver of the vehicle that hit someone from the rear is at fault. But why are there so many rear-end 18-wheeler accidents in the first place? What are truck drivers doing that leads to these crashes?
Driver Error Causes Many Truck Accidents
A large study by the FMCSA concluded that two-thirds of truck accidents occur because of some type of driver error. Some of the most common mistakes made by truck drivers include:
- Failing to recognize upcoming hazards on the road or near the road
- Making incorrect assumptions about the actions other drivers will take
- Speeding
- Driving while distracted by phones, radios, food or other things
- Following too closely/tailgating/not using proper following distance
- Freezing up/not knowing how to react to a situation
Additional causes of truck accidents are not necessarily mistakes but are instead dangerous behaviors by truckers. These include prescription drug use, drinking and driving, and driving aggressively.
Serious Injuries in Rear-End 18-Wheeler Wrecks
Unsurprisingly, the impact of being rear-ended by a massive truck can leave drivers and passengers in a normal vehicle seriously injured. Some of the most common injuries include:
- Back and spine injuries such as herniated discs or paralysis
- Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
- Head injuries and brain trauma
- Broken bones, including compound fractures
Serious injuries like these can change your life. You deserve compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and any other harm you suffer because of a rear-end truck impact.
Getting compensation is not easy, though. There could be multiple parties involved, such as the truck company, the trucker, the manufacturer of a defective truck part, and others. You’ll need a legal team that has experience handling complex truck wreck cases in Texas.
Were You Rear-Ended by an 18-Wheeler in Texas? Call Us.
If you’ve been seriously injured or lost a loved one because you were rear-ended by a truck, call the team at Ted B. Lyon & Associates. Our Dallas law firm has extensive experience in truck accident litigation and we know what it takes to win compensation for our clients. Call 877-Ted-Lyon / 877-833-5966 or send us a message for a free consultation.
