We make plenty of assumptions when we hear about big wrecks, but if it happens to you, you might not really know who caused your truck accident. We always assume it’s the truck driver, but sometimes there’s a lot more to the story.
The New York Times recently came out with a scathing editorial called “The Trucks Are Killing Us.” In it, the author claims that Congress is “coddling” the truck industry. He says that if past trends hold true,
“More people will be killed in traffic accidents involving large trucks this year than have died in all of the domestic commercial airline crashes over the past 45 years.”
But even with trucks clearly causing horrible fatal accidents all over America, the trucking industry continues to press for lower safety standards. For example, Congress is now considering:
- Allowing truck drivers to work 82 hours/week (instead of the current 70 hours over 8 days)
- Lowering the minimum driving age for large trucks
- Allowing longer and heavier trucks on the road than we already have
Who Caused Your Truck Accident?
As a Memphis truck accident lawyer, I’ve seen how truck accidents work. Sometimes it’s the driver’s fault. But much more often, these devastating crashes come from higher up. Some trucking companies ignore regulations and human health and force their drivers to work far longer than they should. They refuse to give people breaks or set reasonable deadlines so drivers can get proper sleep. And occasionally these companies will ignore maintenance on their vehicles.
This puts all drivers at risks – whether you drive a car or a truck. And if an accident does happen, it can be very complicated to figure out who’s at fault.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, contact me today. I can help you figure out who is at fault. The conversation is free.