Truck accidents cause devastating injuries and deaths in Las Vegas, Reno, and throughout Nevada. Our team fights to hold those at fault for truck accidents accountable. If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident, please contact a truck accident lawyer Valiente Mott for a free and confidential consultation.
What Causes Truck Accidents
Not every truck accident results in severe injuries, but accidents involving tractor-trailers are more likely than other crashes to be serious. More than half of the fatal accidents in Nevada involve commercial trucks. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver Fatigue
- Distracted Driving
- Oversized or Improperly Secured Loads
- Excessive Speed
Driver Fatigue
Truck drivers often drive excessively long hours, sometimes due to unrealistic trucking company requirements for distances they must travel. Federal laws limit how long a truck driver may be on the road without a break; when drivers ignore the time limits, they increase the likelihood that they will fall asleep and put themselves and others on the road in danger.
Distracted Driving
Distractions can come in many forms, but phones, GPS devices, and other gadgets are now commonplace in the cab of a truck. The urge to check text messages, eat a snack, or find some way to pass the time when on the road for hours on end can be overwhelming. If a driver has his eyes off the road for even a few seconds, a serious accident can occur.
Oversized or Improperly Secured Loads
Overloading trucks or not securing the load properly disrupts the balance of the trailer and creates a hazard. Laws limit the amount of cargo a truck can carry and require that the load be packed and secured in a balanced way. When drivers or trucking companies load the truck improperly, it makes accidents more likely to occur.
Excessive Speed
Commercial trucks are considerably heavier than passenger vehicles, so they require more energy to move and stop. The impact of speeding is amplified when the speeding vehicle is an oversized truck – they take longer to stop and, in an accident, they strike with more force. However, truck drivers are often on a strict schedule, creating an incentive to drive faster than the law allows.
Why The Cause Of A Truck Accident Matters
Regardless of whether a leading cause of semi-truck accidents played a role in the crash or it had an unusual cause, the claimant needs to be able to prove that the defendant was to blame. The first step is to determine how and why the accident happened.
Spotting the potential and likely causes of semi truck accidents requires some understanding of the trucking industry and the unique physics involved in large vehicle accidents. It is important to work with Nevada personal injury lawyers who have a lot of experience with truck crashes.
Speak With A Nevada Truck Accident Attorney
The team at Valiente Mott has successfully represented truck accident victims in and around Las Vegas, Reno, and Salt Lake City. For personalized attention from an effective Nevada truck accident law firm, call to schedule a free consultation with our team today.