Texas is always at or near the top of the list when it comes to the number of commercial truck accidents per year. Thousands of people are hurt in these wrecks, many of them severely. But what are the most common causes of these big rig crashes? Our Dallas truck accident lawyers highlight five of the most common causes.
1. Driver Fatigue
The trucking industry is severely short of truckers, and to make up for it, existing drivers spend long hours on the road.
Even though laws regulate how many hours someone can drive a truck, some drivers feel pressure to stay behind the wheel longer. Some even go so far as to falsify logbooks to make it look like they’re logging fewer hours than they really are.
Tiredness and fatigue make truckers less attentive and slower to respond, making their massive vehicles a significant danger to others.
2. Improperly Loaded Trucks
Weight distribution is vitally important to the stability of large trucks. Cargo that’s loaded hastily may not be put in the right place on the trailer. This could throw off the balance and make the truck more likely to roll over or cause the cargo to fall off the trailer.
3. Speeding and Other Types of Impaired Driving
Facing strict delivery schedules, truck drivers sometimes feel pressure to drive as fast as possible, even if it means speeding. Excessive speed makes it harder for trucks to stop and makes them less able to avoid problems.
Truck drivers sometimes also engage in other dangerous behaviors, like consuming alcohol or drugs. In fact, as we wrote about in 2023, Texas has more reported trucker drug violations than any other state.
4. Poor Truck Maintenance
Commercial trucks need frequent maintenance to stay in safe working order. But trucking companies don’t like pulling trucks off the road; after all, a truck isn’t making money unless it’s driving. As a result, maintenance sometimes gets deferred.
Items like brakes and tires, which perform well when maintained properly, become dangerous when neglected. That makes the truck much more likely to be involved in a wreck.
5. Dangerous Weather Conditions
Truck drivers often try to push through bad weather rather than stop and wait for things to clear up. Conditions like dense fog, heavy rain or strong winds can all make driving a truck hazardous.
Get Legal Help After a Texas Truck Wreck
Ted B. Lyon & Associates is a leading law firm representing those injured in big rig truck wrecks in Texas. Our experienced injury and wrongful death lawyers are here to talk about your legal options. Call 877-Ted-Lyon or email us to arrange a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with an attorney.
