Commercial trucks are a fixture across the roads in Connecticut. Usually, they travel without incident, but an accident can occur in a flash. Truck crashes are some of the most devastating and complex for several reasons.
Severe injuries and damages
Big rig accidents often cause severe injuries and death. When a smaller passenger vehicle is involved, it could even get crushed. If victims survive, they’re more likely to be left with catastrophic injuries and permanent disabilities.
Liability may be uncertain
Another reason why truck accidents are complex is that liability might be unclear. Various parties may be involved such as the truck driver, trucking company, truck owner, cargo loader, truck manufacturer, mechanic or the manufacturer of the truck’s components. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, it can be obvious or challenging to determine the liable party or parties.
Heavy regulations
Federal and state agencies heavily regulate the trucking industry. Truckers can only operate for a set number of hours and must take rest breaks. Unfortunately, trucking companies often skirt the law to make quotas and order their drivers to work past their shifts. However, electronic logging devices may be able to help as they record the trucker’s hours automatically and could show various data surrounding an accident.
Insurance companies are often involved
Trucks often carry different insurance policies, and multiple insurers might be involved. The trucking company and cargo loader could have policies tied to the truck, so if an accident occurs, the victims might have to turn to the insurers for compensation. However, adjusters try to avoid paying or offer lowball settlements insufficient to cover the damages.
Facts might be unclear
Sometimes, the facts of a truck collision are unclear. In that situation, an investigation of the scene might be necessary. A team could also conduct accident reconstruction to learn how it occurred to help the case.
Trucking accidents usually occur due to negligence. You can reduce your risk by using defensive driving and giving plenty of space when sharing the road with a truck.
