Truck Accidents

Las Vegas Truck Accidents Attorney

There are many reasons why trucks get into accidents with other vehicles. This has much to do with the handling, performance and roadworthiness of the vehicle. Commercial truck drivers are required to obtain proper training in order to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) creates the rules and regulations for testing and licensing commercial license holders. Background checks must be thorough. States are required to issue the CDL’s (Commercial Driver’s License) after the driver has demonstrated they have the required skills necessary to driver commercially. The question remains: if commercial drivers are properly licensed and tested, why are there so many accidents, crashes, injuries and deaths?

Truck Driver Negligence: Some of the Reasons Why Truck Accidents Occur

A 2007 groundbreaking study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration detailed various causes for large truck accidents. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Drug use, including prescription drugs. These affect driver response time.
2. Speeding – in 23% of the accidents, speeding was a factor
3. Unfamiliar territory – driver was lost
4. Over the counter medication was present in 18% of the crashes
5. Driver’s failure to check blind spots
6. Driver fatigue – in 13% of accidents
7. Driver not utilizing “simple” safety precautions – e.g., not using the turn signal
8. Driver distraction
9. Difficult to maneuver truck
10. Road rage

Source: U.S. Dept. of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
“The Large Truck Crash Causation Study”

Las Vegas Truck Accident Complimentary Case Review, No Fees Unless Your Case is Won or Settled

It is easy to see that many of the reasons for accidents, as reported by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is due in part or whole by the driver’s conduct or malfeasance. A driver who breaches their duty in this manner has committed negligence or a more serious offense. If a truck driver was both negligent and reckless in causing an accident, punitive damages may apply as a means to punish the driver and also to deter others from performing similar conduct. If an individual was harmed in an accident, the defendant(s) may be responsible for medical expenses and treatment, pain and suffering, lost income, lost future income, property damage, loss of enjoyment of life, and more. Attorney Paul VanDerwerken has settled more than 2000 cases and taken more than 125 vehicle accident cases to trial. He is a skilled litigant who will use his considerable legal knowledge to obtain the maximum amount of compensatory damages possible for the client. To schedule an appointment with Attorney VanDerwerken, call 702-385-5050.