Truck Accident Lawsuits
Every day, massive commercial trucks share our highways with passenger vehicles, creating an inherent danger that becomes tragically apparent when collisions occur. The sheer size and weight disparity between an 80,000-pound semi-truck and a standard car means that occupants of smaller vehicles bear the brunt of catastrophic injuries. If you’ve been involved in a collision with a commercial truck, understanding your legal rights and the lawsuit process becomes paramount to securing the compensation and justice you deserve.
Tens of thousands of drivers and passengers are injured in large commercial truck crashes every year. U.S. truck drivers suffer a disproportionate number of injuries in motor vehicle crashes, and the number of deaths and injuries of innocent motorists in these accidents is five times larger.
Trucking accidents are reportedly on the rise in Ohio and the rest of the United States. A national road safety study conducted recently found that heavy trucks and buses are responsible for almost 4,000 road deaths each year.
There are more than 15 million commercial trucks transporting over 70 percent of all U.S. goods every year. Commercial trucks—delivery tractor trailers, busses, big-rigs and semi-trucks—are very heavy and difficult vehicles to control. A small amount of inattention or fatigue can result in fatal accidents.
Trucking employers and transport companies are accountable for their drivers and their on-road behavior. If trucking management overworks their drivers or is aware of their drowsy driving and fatigue, they can be liable for contributing to an unsafe working environment and dangerous roadways.
Driver Fatigue Leads to Truck Accidents
Drowsy and fatigued truck drivers in Ohio and around the country are responsible for causing dangerous accidents which lead to severe injuries and road fatalities. Driver fatigue, or physical or mental exertion that impairs performance, may be due to a lack of sleep, extended work hours, strenuous work or non-work activities, or substance related.
One study published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that 13 percent of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers were fatigued at the time of their last accident. The Truck Crash Causation Study reported over 12,000 commercial truck crashes over a span of about three years, which resulted in more than 249 deaths and 1,654 injuries.
A report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), found that U.S. motor vehicle deaths increased 7.7 percent nationwide in one year. Driver fatigue is a likely cause for many of the accidents. The problem has become so serious that safety agencies have expanded their definitions of impaired driving to include drowsy drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated in one recent year, drowsy driving was responsible for 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths.
These statistics are likely underestimated. When a crash occurs, most drowsy drivers do not report the cause due to concerns about insurance, employment or legal consequences. About 23 percent of adults say they know someone personally who has crashed due to falling asleep at the wheel. Approximately eleven million drivers admit they have had an accident or a near miss because they were too tired to drive.
The annual societal cost of driver fatigue and drowsy driving is around $109 billion, not including property damage.
The Unique Nature of Commercial Truck Collisions
Truck accidents differ fundamentally from typical car crashes in both severity and legal complexity. The physics alone tell part of the story—a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh twenty times more than a passenger car, generating crushing force upon impact. Stopping distances extend dramatically, sometimes requiring the length of two football fields for a loaded truck traveling at highway speeds to come to a complete halt.
Beyond the physical dynamics, truck accidents involve intricate federal and state regulations that don’t apply to regular motorists. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration establishes comprehensive rules governing everything from driver qualification and training to vehicle maintenance and hours of service. Violations of these regulations often serve as the foundation for successful lawsuits, providing clear evidence of negligence.
The injuries resulting from these collisions frequently change lives forever. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage resulting in paralysis, severe burns, multiple fractures, internal organ damage, and amputations appear far too commonly in truck accident cases. Many victims face years of medical treatment, countless surgeries, and permanent disabilities that eliminate their ability to work or enjoy life as they once did.
Common Causes Behind Devastating Crashes
Driver error accounts for a significant percentage of truck accidents, though the underlying causes often point to systemic problems within the trucking industry. Fatigued driving remains a persistent issue despite federal hours-of-service regulations limiting how long truckers can remain behind the wheel. The pressure to meet tight delivery schedules sometimes leads drivers and companies to falsify logbooks or ignore mandatory rest periods.
Distracted driving has intensified with modern technology, as truck drivers face the same temptations to check phones, use GPS systems, eat, or engage in other activities that divert attention from the road. Given the extended reaction time needed to control these massive vehicles, even momentary distractions can prove fatal.
Improper training creates dangerous situations when inexperienced drivers take control of commercial vehicles without adequate preparation. Trucking companies eager to fill driver shortages sometimes rush training or hire underqualified operators, prioritizing profit over public safety.
Mechanical failures represent another major accident category. Brake system malfunctions, steering failures, transmission problems, and lighting defects can all cause drivers to lose control. Poor maintenance practices, often resulting from companies cutting corners to reduce expenses, directly contribute to these preventable failures.
Cargo-related issues create unique hazards. Overloaded trucks exceed weight limits and become harder to control, while improperly secured loads can shift during transport, causing rollovers or spilling onto roadways. Hazardous materials transported without proper precautions add another layer of danger.
Environmental factors like poor weather conditions, inadequate road design, or construction zones amplify risks, particularly when drivers fail to adjust speed and following distance appropriately.
Joe Lyon has 17 years of experience representing plaintiffs in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving trucking accidents and defective auto components in Ohio and throughout the nation.
The Firm is capable of reviewing the dangers of driver negligence, cargo overloading, poor driver training, driver fatigue, and litigating a case involving a truck accident.
The Firm handles cases on contingency fees advancing all costs of the case and accepts the financial risk of the litigation to allow the clients access to court and reduce the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare needs.
The Firm does not seek reimbursement for fees or costs in the event of a non-recovery.
COMMON CAUSES OF TRUCK ACCIDENTS
- Vehicle brake problems
- Truck traveling too fast for conditions
- Driver unfamiliar with roadway
- Roadway problems
- Driver intoxicated with illegal or over-the-counter drugs
- Driver inattention
- Driver made illegal maneuver
- Driver distraction
- Truck tire problems
- Driver following too close
- Cargo overloading
- Driver intoxicated with alcohol