Truck Accident Attorney in Northwest Indiana

The semis with which we share our roads are the largest and heaviest vehicles out there, and accordingly, they are at the heart of some of the most harmful accidents out there. The immense impact of truck accidents helps ensure that they are terrifyingly violent accidents. If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured in a truck accident, consulting with an experienced Northwest Indiana truck accident attorney is the surest path forward. 

Truck Accidents: The Statistics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shares many important statistics related to commercial truck accidents on our roadways, including:

• The occupants of the other – much smaller – vehicles involved in truck accidents are far more vulnerable to the impact of these accidents. In fact, semis can weigh as much as 30 times more than the cars we drive.
• In 2018, there were 4,136 fatal truck accidents on our roads. The vast majority of these deaths were the occupants of the other vehicles involved. 
• The 2018 rate for fatal truck accidents was 31 percent higher than it was in 2009. 
• Fatal truck accidents accounted for 11 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2018. 

Hours-of-Service Regulations

Truck driver fatigue often plays a role in serious truck accidents. Truck drivers are professional drivers who are responsible for moving their massive rigs safely over our highways, and this requires that truckers remain alert while behind the wheel. Commercial trucks drive our economy, and business is booming, which means truck drivers are often pushed beyond the limits of safety. While federal restrictions limit the number of consecutive hours a driver can spend behind the wheel, some drivers bypass these restrictions – and some trucking companies push drivers to exceed these limitations – thus increasing the risk of truck accidents. 

Trucks and Risk Factors

The massive trucks that roam our roads represent multiple crash risks, including:

• When a truck is fully loaded, it can require up to 40 percent more stopping distance than other vehicles, and this distance increases if the truck’s brakes are in poor condition or if the road is slippery due to inclement weather. This fact contributes to life-threatening rear-end accidents.
• Truck drivers experience large blind spots all the way around their rigs, which leave motorists within these blind spots extremely vulnerable to truck drivers who fail to take the necessary precautions when leaving their lanes.
• Semis are much taller – with much higher ground clearance – than other vehicles, which can lead to deadly underride accidents (when a car crashes into and travels under a truck’s trailer). 

Look to an Experienced Northwest Indiana Truck Accident Attorney

Truck accidents are among the most dangerous accidents on our highways, and if a truck driver’s negligence leaves you injured, the dedicated truck accident attorneys at Arshad, Pangere & Warring are here to help. Your rights and your rightful compensation are our focus, and we’re committed to leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of your case’s just resolution. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.