If you have been involved in a Nevada truck accident, you need a top–rated Nevada truck accident lawyer on your side. Whether they are slowing you down, driving too fast, or cutting you off as you drive in their blind spot, semi-trucks are dangerous.
Unfortunately, as a result of the high volume of semi-trucks on our roads, there’s a good chance that, in the future, you might need to hire a truck accident attorney. Las Vegas incidents involving you and a semi-truck are a matter of when and not if.
Even scarier, there is arguably no worse accident that you can be involved in than a collision with a semi-truck. As the chart below shows, a semi-truck accident was the cause of death for nearly 5,000 people in 2017. Our Nevada personal injury attorneys at Valiente Mott can help you with legal recourse for your injuries. Contact us today to get started.
Semi-Trucks Are All Over Our Roads
Semi-trucks drive an estimated 175 billion miles every year. Roughly 5.6 million semi-trailers are registered for use in America. These 5.6 million semi-trailers are hauled by an estimated 2 million semi-trucks. As a result of the high volume of semi-trucks on our roads, about 68 percent of all goods are delivered by semi-trucks in America. In fact, enough goods are transported to work out to around 60,000 pounds per American every year. Those numbers are likely to only increase as we rely more on semi-trucks to deliver goods that are bought online. The Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates that by 2045, freight volume in America will increase by roughly 49 percent to an estimated 27 billion tons. Of this freight, a majority will be moved by semi-trucks. Semi-trucks on our roads are unavoidable now and into the future.
Have you have been injured by a semi-truck recently? It might be difficult to get proper compensation to pay your medical bills without the help of a Las Vegas truck accident lawyer. Insurance companies, especially bigger firms, have a lot of sneaky tactics to avoid paying you the amount you deserve. But we can help! Contact our Nevada truck accident lawyer teams in Las Vegas and Reno for a free consultation.
Why Are Semi-Trucks Dangerous?
Pulling alongside a semi-truck instills fear in many of us. The sheer size difference between a semi-truck and the average car is enough to scare any driver, especially motorcycle drivers. Semi-trucks weigh approximately 30,000-40,000 pounds, but can even weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Conversely, the average 4 door sedan weighs 3,351 pounds. Moreover, not only does the size of semi-trucks pose a serious danger to other drivers on the road, their potential for harm is increased when factoring in the following: (1) driver fatigue, (2) poor maintenance, (3) driving too fast, and (4) driver inexperience.
Driver Fatigue is a Major Cause of Truck Accidents
Driver fatigue is the number one cause of most cases handled by a personal injury attorney. Trucks, Nevada semi-trucks, and other large vehicle accident statistics show that almost 30 to 40 percent are caused by fatigue, according to the The National Transportation Safety Board. A more recent study conducted by the FMCSA and NHTSA found that driver fatigue was the leading factor in 18,000 accidents. While federal regulations mandate that drivers can be on the road for a maximum of 11 hours in a 24-hour period, many drivers still struggle with fatigue.
Poor Maintenance Causes Many Semi-Truck Accidents
Every semi-truck on the road in America is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA requires that all semi-trucks be systemically inspected, maintained, and repaired. Despite such regulations, on September 7, 2017, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance performed brake checks on 7,698 commercial vehicles throughout Canada and America and found that 14 percent of all vehicles tested were unfit to drive because of their brakes. And according to FMCSA and NHTSA, brake problems were the leading factor in large truck accidents. Aside from brakes, tires are another part of trucks that are often not properly maintained and fail regularly.
Top-rated Nevada truck accident lawyers work with the leading experts to expose poor maintenance in semi-trucks. You should always contact a Nevada truck accident lawyer if you have been in a semi-truck accident.
Speeding Semi-Trucks are Dangerous
Next to fatigue, going too fast is one of the biggest causes of accidents encountered by any truck wreck attorney. The size of semi-trucks make them unbelievably dangerous when traveling too fast. In fact, according to a study carried out by the DOT, in fatal accidents caused by a driver-related factor, traveling too fast was the leading factor. When a semi-truck travels too fast it will often not be able to stop in time to avoid an accident. Further, the load within the semi-trailer can shift, causing the semi-truck to become uncontrollable. Semi-trucks traveling too fast is such a major concern that Senators from Georgia and Delaware have proposed a law that would limit the speed of semi-trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds to 65 mph.
Inexperienced Operators Lead To Errors
The semi-truck industry is facing a shortage of drivers, which leads to more inexperienced semi-truck drivers being on the road. This is obviously a big liability for everyone. Of the 19 factors identified as the leading cause of accidents in the study carried out by FMCSA and NHTSA, 15 were linked to the driver. Of those, many can be tied to driver inexperience, including (1) the driver being unfamiliar with the roadway, (2) the driver making an illegal maneuver, and (3) the driver not paying proper attention to the road.
Let Our Nevada Truck Accident Lawyer Represent You
Have you been involved in an accident with a semi-truck? If so, you need a top-rated truck accident lawyer Nevada victims trust such as the attorneys at Valiente Mott. You should always contact a Nevada truck accident lawyer if you have been in a semi-truck accident. The team at Valiente Mott Injury Attorneys is licensed in Nevada, Utah, and Washington and services Las Vegas, Reno, Sparks, Elko, Carson City, Salt Lake City, Provo, Lehi, St. George, Cedar City, and all other areas within Nevada, Utah, and Washington. We have handled plenty of successful personal injury and wrongful death cases involving semi-trucks. We also don’t ask for payment until you win the case and get your just compensation.
Contact us today for a free consultation. If you have a question or you are just not sure about putting together a case, let our Nevada truck accident team help with your concerns. No fee unless we win.
