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The Causes of Truck Accidents in Virginia

Truck accident attorneys Breit, Drescher and Improvento are currently accepting cases involving those who have been injured due to the negligence of truck drivers. Virginia Beach and Norfolk has some of the heaviest truck and tractor trailer traffic on the east coast. An accident with a truck or tractor trailer almost guarantees severe injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck of tractor trailer accident in the Norfolk, Virginia Beach or Tidewater area, contact Breit, Drescher and Improvento for a free legal consultation today.

It goes without saying that trucks are enormous. An accident with a truck or tractor trailer is practically a guarantee that the driver and passengers of the car that gets hit will all be dealing with real physical injuries.

While this is definitely bad, what makes it worse is that the insurance companies that cover commercial trucks go out of their way to avoid paying fair settlements to injury victims. Accepting a settlement from a commercial trucking insurer without talking to a lawyer is a guarantee that you won’t get enough to cover your damages.

There are many reasons that truck accidents happen, and to be fair to the average trucker, many of the accidents occur due to no fault of their own. Some accidents occur due to bad weather, or some occur because another driver causes a chain reaction. But many accidents occur due to the general culture that surrounds commercial trucking, in which whoever gets the most cargo from point A to point B the fastest gets the most money. With a culture like that, drivers can be encouraged to skirt the rules and avoid safety regulations in order to get more money. And with that profit before safety mentality, it comes as no surprise that many accidents are the fault of drivers who speed, or drivers that don’t sleep, or drivers that skirt safety inspections.

Here are some of the more common causes of truck accidents:

Lack of Training and Supervision: Some drivers or companies think nothing of putting a trainee between the wheel of a truck or tractor trailer.

Tired or Distracted Drivers: Many drivers think nothing of going many hours without sleep. In fact, going without sleep is both part of truckers payment incentive and trucker culture. It’s dangerous enough to do this when you are behind the wheel of a car, but when you are behind the wheel of a truck the danger to others is multiplied.

Improperly Loaded Trucks: You would think that the idea to loading cargo is to simply throw it in the trailer and get going. But it isn’t. Cargo must be loaded in such a way that it is properly secured. Also, trucks that are overloaded can very easily throw off the delicate balance of the truck and it’s cargo trailer.

Drug Abuse: Although the number of incidents involving truckers and drugs has certainly declined over the years, the threat of truckers using speed or other amphetamines in order to stay awake is still a very real one. Aside from it being illegal, this is dangerous because while these substances might keep them awake, it does very little to keep them alert.

Poorly Maintained Vehicles: Any truck has a great many moving parts, and all of them are crucial to the safety of the vehicle. Tractor brakes, trailer brakes, brake couplings, steering systems, tires, truck coupling systems, lighting systems, mirrors, reflectors, wipers, defrosters, hydraulics and side and rear under ride guards should all be properly inspected before a trip is made.

Speeding: Again, this is part of the “profit over safety” mentality. If a trucker can get his freight in faster, he gets more money. This increases his incentive to drive faster and drive longer than he should.

Distracted Driving: Most trucks these days have more gadgets and gizmos than the average house. There are GPS devices, laptop computers, CB’s, cell phones, iPods, and even televisions. This is all well and good, but until they come up with a gizmo that drives the truck for you, the end result is that drivers that spend too much time with their distractions are putting others at risk.

At Briet, Drescher and Improvento, we have decades of experience in dealing with the insurance companies that represent commercial trucks. We know all the delays, denials and defenses that they use to avoid paying injury victims what they deserve, and we will do our best to get you past the process and back on your feet.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact the Norfolk, Virginia truck accident law firm of Breit, Drescher and Imprevento for a free legal consultation today.

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