Injured in a Trucking Accident? We Will Fight For Your Rights!

A trucking accident is frightening for many reasons.  These large commercial vehicles are significantly larger and weigh quite a bit more than the average passenger vehicle on the road.  Additionally, it takes much more distance for a commercial truck to stop than a passenger vehicle.  And, if a truck hits a passenger vehicle, it almost always results in personal injury or death.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides some frightening statistics and points out just how problematic these accidents can be, “A total of 3,852 people died in large truck crashes in 2015. Sixteen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 69 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 15 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists. The number of people who died in large truck crashes was 22 percent higher in 2015 than in 2009, when it was lower than at any year since the collection of fatal crash data began in 1975.”

Unfortunately, truck drivers are allowed to drive for very long shifts and some may even drive longer than they are allowed to drive.  And, as the National Sleep Foundation points out, sleepy or drowsy driving is all too similar to drunk driving, “Drowsy driving is dangerous because sleep deprivation can have similar effects on your body as drinking alcohol. Being awake for 18 hours straight makes you drive like you have a blood alcohol level of .05 (for reference, .08 is considered drunk). If you’ve been awake for a full 24 hours and drive—say, after a night where you just couldn’t fall asleep—it’s like you have a blood alcohol level of .10.”

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident with a truck or commercial vehicle that was not your fault, it is imperative that you seek the help of a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.  When a truck or commercial vehicle accident occurs, the vehicle operator’s blood alcohol level should be tested right away.  Further, all vehicle logs of drive time/shift length should be checked to ensure that they do not exceed the legal limit.  At Alcock Law, we understand the complexities of a trucking accident and the unique legal and insurance intricacies involved with your case.  Your injuries could leave you with lifelong pain or complications and you deserve to be compensated for the vehicle operator’s negligence.  Even if the truck or commercial vehicle has a major company with a big legal team on their side, we will be on your side and fight for your rights.  We can visit you in your home or in the hospital so that you can get your case underway as quickly as possible.  Every state has special laws that apply to trucking accidents and you do not have to figure it out on your own.  Allow us to help you with your case so that you can get what you deserve if you have been injured in a trucking accident.