Perhaps one of the most frightening experiences a driver faces on a Virginia highway is an encounter with a tractor-trailer. Whether a big rig is passing, coming up from behind or turning across multiple lanes, a driver of a smaller vehicle is wise to remain alert and cautious. Truck accidents may result in catastrophic or fatal injuries for the occupants of smaller vehicles. Sometimes even the most cautious driver is at the mercy of a trucker.
Truck accidents statistics
Recent statistics show that the rate of fatal tractor-trailer accidents is on the rise, with deadly truck accidents increasing by nearly 6% in the past year. The victims of fatal truck accidents are most often the occupants of passenger vehicles. A commercial truck may weigh as much as 30 times the weight of a passenger vehicle, which makes the trucks more difficult to stop to avoid a collision and more devastating when they collide with a car.
The cause of most commercial vehicle accidents is human error. This can include making unsafe lane changes, failing to obey traffic signs and following too closely. Most often, crashes with tractor-trailers result from a truck driver failing to yield the right of way to another driver.
When a truck driver is negligent, the consequences can be tragic. Victims of truck accidents may suffer injuries that change their lives forever. Pursuing compensation following a truck accident can be complicated because there are often numerous entities involved, such as trucking companies and their insurers. Many Virginia accident victims benefit from the assistance of a skilled personal injury attorney.