There are a number of reasons why a truck might crash into another vehicle or motorcycle rider. An important part of the process in a trucking accident case is to identify the cause of the accident and the responsible parties. An experienced Houston trucking accident lawyer can do just that.

In general, some common causes behind commercial trucking accidents include:

1. Driver Fatigue

Federal regulations for truck drivers limit the number of hours a truck driver can drive in a given time period. However, truck drivers sometimes bend those rules in order to make deadlines.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducts special studies of driver fatigue because it has been identified as a primary cause of many collisions. This agency is also keenly aware that hours-of-service regulations that attempt to reduce driver fatigue are highly controversial and regularly violated.

Factors that Contribute To Truck Driver Fatigue

Determining why truck drivers succumb to driver fatigue is fairly simple and largely based in economics. They include:

  • The desire of commercial truck drivers to make more money by driving more hours than is allowed by law.
  • Trying to meet unreasonable delivery deadlines set by supervisors or commercial trucking operations that have the driver under contract.
  • Being flat-out ordered by a trucking company to continue driving, despite firm complaints by the driver that he or she is too exhausted to keep driving. In these types of situations, drivers are at risk of losing their jobs, but fail to grasp that if they collide with another vehicle while driving in a fatigued state, they are likely to badly hurt or kill another driver.
  • Driving while fatigued may have consequences that the truck driver can’t control, even if they want to. Extreme fatigue can cause commercial truck drivers to have hallucinations, fall asleep, and even reduce their mental capabilities. Certainly, a fatigued truck driver cannot react to sudden changes on the road, causing accidents that could have been avoided had the truck driver been awake and alert.

2. Substance Use and DWI

Truck drivers may turn to stimulants such as amphetamines or methamphetamine to stay awake on the road. Drug use can impair a driver’s judgment and perception. There also are reported incidents of truck drivers driving under the influence of alcohol. Either drug or alcohol use can cause catastrophic collisions.

3. Negligent Hiring

When a truck driver commits an error behind the wheel that causes a crash, it’s natural to ask whether the trucker should have been allowed to operate the truck in the first place. When a trucking company hires a driver with a history of moving violations or other indicators that the driver was a high-risk employee, the company may be guilty of negligent hiring.

4. Negligent Maintenance

Federal regulations require regular inspections and maintenance of trucks on the highway. Trucking companies are required to keep records of maintenance and repairs. When truck drivers or trucking companies fail to keep up with maintenance, brake failures, tire blowouts, or other mechanical problems might cause a truck driver to lose control and crash.

5. Improperly Trained Drivers

Driving a truck takes much more skill and training than driving a passenger car. Semi trucks are more complicated to operate and need wider berths to make safe turns and longer stretches of road to come to safe stops. When drivers aren’t properly trained in the safe operation of 18-wheelers, collisions may result.

6. Truck Company Negligence

Trucking companies have a duty to follow all federal regulations regarding the safe operation of large trucks, including regular maintenance of vehicles. They also have a duty to ensure that their fleet drivers comply with regulations limiting their driving hours. When a trucking company fails to comply with regulations, have maintenance policies in place, or follow its own written safety procedures, the company may be guilty of negligence.

7. Speeding and Moving Violations

Speeding is the leading cause of fatal crashes involving large trucks.

When a truck driver is speeding, fails to signal a lane change, or commits some other moving violation, any resulting accident can lead to serious injuries. Truckers that drive over the speed limit or too fast for the conditions are endangering everyone around them because loaded tractor-trailers require 20 to 40 % more stopping distance than passenger cars. Even worse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that drivers who speed are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors such as drinking and driving and using a cellphone while driving.

8. Distracted Truckers

Just like any other driver on the road, a truck driver might become distracted by the use of a mobile device. There have also been documented cases in which truck drivers were watching DVDs in their trucks while they drove. Distracted driving is one of the leading preventable causes of highway accidents.

9. Failing to Maintain Proper Lookout

Every driver has a duty to maintain a proper lookout while operating a motor vehicle. Every driver has a duty to maintain a proper lookout while operating a motor vehicle. Maintaining a proper lookout means devoting your full attention to driving, continuously monitoring road conditions, and watching out for vehicles or pedestrians, using all available means (i.e. windshield, side windows, and mirrors).

Because of their size, trucks have large blind spots called “no zones.” Truck drivers should regularly check their mirrors and be aware of blind spots to make sure they don’t hit another vehicle when changing lanes or making turns.

10. Truck Defects

Sometimes a defect in the way a truck was designed or manufactured may be the root cause of a serious crash. In this event, the company that designed or built the truck may be liable to compensate people who are injured because of those defects.

What Is A Design Defect?

Large trucks are complex vehicles with a broad range of mechanical components, equipment systems, and safety technologies. In the case of a design defect, there is a flaw or error in the way that a truck is designed to be made that renders a truck inherently dangerous even if it is properly manufactured.

What Is A Manufacturing Defect?

A manufacturing defect arises from errors during the production phase such as the use of substandard materials in braking systems. This kind of defect usually occurs because of a deviation in design specifications and results in the product being dangerous when it is used in the way intended.

Semi-Truck Brake Failure

As perhaps the most essential safety feature on any vehicle, due to their sheer size, speed, and potential to cause devastation in a collision, it is critical to have properly functioning braking systems on any commercial or semi-truck. According to the Department of Transportation, nearly 30 percent of all large trucking accidents involve brake failure, inadequate alignment, or other brake system issues.

While truck drivers, owners, and the companies who maintain these large vehicles are typically responsible for the brakes’ safe and effective operation, brake system manufacturers can also be held liable if their design or production methods cause a failure and a truck accident occurs. There are strict regulations centered around manufacturing these vital safety systems and if negligence led to a semi-truck brake failure and you suffered serious injuries in a collision, it is important to find those responsible and hold them accountable.

Other Common Types Of Truck Defects

Unfortunately, other types of manufacturing and design defects are not uncommon. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the agency responsible for establishing safety standards for all types of motor vehicles and issuing recalls when motor vehicle equipment does not comply with federal regulations or has a safety-related defect. Every year the NHTSA issues hundreds of warnings and recalls for unsafe vehicles.

Under the United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety, a defect includes “any defect in performance, construction, a component, or material of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment.” Design or manufacturing defects in commercial trucks frequently involve the following components:

  • Tires
  • Steering
  • Suspension systems
  • Wheels
  • Lighting system (headlights, taillights, brake lights), signals, and monitoring systems
  • Fuel system

If you or a loved one was involved in an accident with a truck driver, contact our Houston truck accident lawyers today at The Krist Law Firm, P.C. at 443-234-0423 . We will investigate your case and gather evidence to prove that the truck driver was at fault. We will help you obtain the maximum amount of compensation possible.