Big rigs could weigh up to 30 times more than the average passenger vehicle. For that reason, truck accidents that involve cars or other smaller vehicles in Michigan and elsewhere often leave occupants of passenger vehicles with catastrophic injuries or worse. Many such collisions occur because 18-wheelers and other large trucks need more distance to come to a halt. Fully loaded trucks need even more space to stop.
An analysis done by the federal Department of Transportation revealed the most common events that lead to truck accidents. A significant number of these accidents involve a big rig driver losing control of the vehicle because of an unanticipated event such as a tire blowout. Engine problems or the hood flying up can also cause loss of control. Truckers driving too fast for road and weather conditions may be to blame for many crashes.
Shifting cargo can make a large truck challenging to control, and drifting off the edge of the road is potentially disastrous. Encountering a stationary vehicle or random objects on the roadway might not leave enough distance to bring the big rig to a halt. Unrealistic deadlines can cause driver fatigue, which could have deadly consequences.
Victims of truck accidents, or the surviving family members of those who did not survive such accidents may have grounds to pursue damage recovery through the Michigan civil justice system. An experienced truck accident attorney can assess the circumstances to determine what parties to name as defendants. In truck accidents, more than just truck drivers may be deemed negligent. These could include the transportation company, the freight loading company, and the entity that maintains and services the engine. A successful presentation of the claim might result in a monetary judgment to cover financial and other losses.
