According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, almost 11 times every day there is a fatal truck accident, which kill nearly 4,000 people each year.
In addition, more than 100,000 people are injured every year in truck crashes. That is the same as if a commuter jet crashed every single week of the year, killing everyone on board. And the numbers have worsened: Truck-crash fatalities have increased since 2009, as more goods are shipped on American highways and the trucking companies and drivers are under pressure to get the loads delivered on time.
In any other industry, thousands of deaths a year would generate a national outcry. But because trucking deaths are scattered in small numbers across the country, they don’t often get coverage in the national news. And as trucking is the backbone of a struggling U.S. economy, both government and industry are wary of putting too many restrictions in place that could harm the country’s ability to do business.
Regulators, industry, lawyers and victims reveal a mix of causes for the deaths. The reasons why are as varied as overly tired drivers, companies that don’t screen for problem drivers and government that is slow to force new safety technologies on to American roads. Some industry associations even passenger vehicles weaving dangerously in and out of the way of heavier, slower-reacting trucks.
If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of an auto accident involving negligence, please call our Connecticut I-95 accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today.
