Trucks are a frequent sight on the Kentucky roadways. Their size, the speeds at which they travel and truckers’ reputation for pushing as hard as they can to get their deliveries to its destination by a certain time can lead to people sharing the road with them being intimidated. There is a perception that accidents between passenger vehicles and large trucks are almost always the responsibility of the trucker. This is the catalyst for legal claims seeking compensation. However, that is not always the case despite inaccurate assertions to the contrary.
Television program highlights truck accidents, blaming truckers
A recent story on the syndicated news program “Inside Edition” highlighted truck accidents and how blameworthy truckers are for them. Truckers were said to be out of control. Using anecdotal evidence from people who have suffered injuries and lost loved ones in truck accidents, the program suggested that many truckers are behaving irresponsibly and outright dangerously. Reporters also accompanied law enforcement in Indiana as semi-truck drivers were stopped for violations like driving at excessive speeds and distracted driving.
It presented statistics suggesting the people lose their lives because of a semi-truck accident every 15 minutes. That is contradicted by research studies such as one from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) that stated truckers were responsible for far fewer crashes involving cars and trucks than the car drivers. Eighty-one percent of car drivers behaved in ways that led to the collision while 27% of truckers did the same. An estimated 10% assigned blame to both parties.
Truck companies should be aware of the truth when lodging a defense
After a truck accident, people who were injured or lost a loved one are understandably looking for someone to hold responsible. There are reasons why a trucker could have caused an accident such as going beyond the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) guidelines for time on the road, driving under the influence, being distracted, operating the vehicle recklessly or if there were issues with the truck itself. A trucking defense could be effective once the evidence is accrued and assessed. The driver and company might be found to have behaved appropriately. When there is a truck crash, the driver and the company should know the value of being fully protected and those experienced in these cases and finding the facts can be of great help.