Semi-truck collisions, like most other crashes, are often the result of poor decision-making by drivers. People let their speed get too high or become too complacent about monitoring their surroundings.
Those mistakes can lead to devastating crashes. However, semi-truck collisions typically involve professionals who drive for hours every day that they are on the job. In some cases, those professionals might experience medical emergencies while working, and those medical challenges might actually be the underlying explanation for why a crash occurred.
How common are medically-induced collisions?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration carefully assesses reported commercial collisions to guide safety policies. According to FMCSA reports on collision causes, non-performance or a driver becoming incapable of controlling a semi truck, is responsible for roughly 12% of collisions where the commercial vehicle is at fault.
Some non-performance scenarios involve a driver falling asleep at the wheel. Others may occur due to a pulmonary embolism, stroke or heart attack. Even if there is a clear medical explanation, the driver or their employer may still be liable for the damages caused by the crash.
While medical screening is one of the many requirements imposed on transportation companies and their employees, sudden medical events are not always predictable. Commercial drivers work in a high-stress environment that can trigger underlying or managed health conditions. Additionally, even the healthiest person can experience a sudden medical emergency with little warning.
Both insurance claims and litigation may be possible when medical issues cause semi-truck collisions. Reviewing what happened and the effect that a crash has had with a skilled legal team may make it easier for people to pursue compensation after a commercial truck collision.
