AN INDIANA PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY DISCUSSES COMMERCIAL TRUCK CRASHES
As a personal injury attorney representing individuals who are injured in motor vehicle crashes, it is apparent that there are a disproportionate amount of cases involving injuries and wrongful deaths caused by commercial vehicle crashes than car on car accidents. According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute body that compiles these sorts of statistics—large commercial trucks are responsible for approximately six percent of motor vehicle collisions on the Indiana roadways and highways every year. From the years 2006 to 2010, large trucks were involved in 62,000 collisions with motor vehicles. Of those, 6,855 resulted in varying degrees of injury (from minor to incapacitating), and 560 resulted in death. These numbers may not seem significant without context, so to put it in perspective: while large commercial truck crashes only account for six percent of all accidents, they claimed fifteen percent of all traffic crash fatalities.
Why Commercial Vehicle Crashes are Deadlier
When it comes to motor vehicle collisions, the two most significant factors are mass and velocity. Semi-trucks usually travel at the same speeds as private transportation, but their weight is significantly greater. That increases the peril significantly.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Report: “Most likely due to the mass of the large truck colliding with a smaller vehicle, the probability of a fatality was higher for drivers of the other vehicles.” Large trucks are defined as “units identified as truck (single 2 axle, 6 tires), truck (single 3 or more axles), truck/trailer (not semi), tractor/one semi trailer, and pickup trucks over 10,000 pounds.” What’s important to note is that the term “large trucks,” as used in these reports, excludes a number of large commercial vehicles that fall short of the definition, but are still substantially larger than cars. Private motor vehicles in the United States range from 3,000 to 5,000 pounds in weight. With the cut off between light and large trucks being five tons, a number of heavy commercial vehicles fall into the category of light trucks. However, that doesn’t mean their superior mass doesn’t make them more dangerous than a private car—especially when they are carrying a heavy load, which increases their mass.
Commercial Truck Crash Personal Injury Attorneys in Indiana
If you have been injured in a crash involving a commercial truck, or a loved one has been killed in a motor vehicle collision, you should contact a qualified, Indiana personal injury attorney immediately to protect your rights. There is never a fee unless you collect!
