In the blink of an eye, a truck accident can leave you with devastating injuries and more wide-ranging damages that affect nearly every aspect of your life. A personal injury lawsuit might help you offset some of these losses, but before you proceed with your claim you need a strong understanding of truck accident causes. That way you’ll be in a stronger position to spot negligence and build an effective personal injury case that protects your interests.
Common causes of truck accidents
There are a lot of different ways that North Dakota truck accidents are caused. This includes the following:
- Fatigue: Truckers are often under tight deadlines that cause them to work more than they should, sometimes in violation of hours-of-service regulations. This can cause them to be fatigued and tired behind the wheel, thus limiting their ability to drive safely.
- Poor maintenance: Trucks are supposed to be routinely inspected and repaired. When truckers and their employers cut corners here, they run the risk of putting a dangerous vehicle out on the road.
- Distraction: Truckers are on the road for a significant period of time. As a result, they often look for ways to entertain themselves while out on the road. This can include everything from reading email and watching movies to gawking at their surroundings. All of these take their eyes off the road and can lead to a devastating collision.
- Speeding: Truckers usually get paid by the mile. So, the faster they drive, the more they can get paid in a given hour. This sometimes incentivizes them to speed, which could put innocent motorists like you in harm’s way.
Have you been seriously injured in a truck accident?
If you’ve been hurt in a wreck involving a truck, then you need to be prepared to take legal action to hopefully secure accountability and recover the compensation needed to spur your recovery forward. If you’d like to learn more about how to do that, then please continue reading our blog.