Driver Caused 18-Wheeler Crash in NE Texas

Paris Trucking Accident Attorneys

In 2007, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration looked at the cause of 18-wheeler crashes in the U.S. Investigators studied 963 trucking accidents from among the 120,000 U.S. trucking accidents that occurred from 2001 through 2003. That’s 120,000 trucking accidents in just 33 months!

The researchers looked at a sample of 963 accidents to learn what had caused the accidents in which 249 people died from fatal injuries and 1,654 people suffered serious injury. Investigators found that 87% of the time driver error was a key factor in causing the truck crash. (Vehicle problems and environmental factors accounted for 13% of accidents.)

  • In 12% of 18-wheeler crashes, the truck driver couldn’t perform his job either because he fell asleep, had a medical problem, or was too impaired to drive – drunk driving, drug use. Even prescription drug use can be a problem.
  • In 28% of truck wrecks, the driver failed to recognize what was happening on the road because he was distracted or not paying attention.
  • In 38% of cases, the truck driver was driving badly — driving too fast for road and weather conditions (30% of the accidents included speeding), misjudging the speed of other vehicles or what was happening with traffic, driving too aggressively or following too close.
  • In 9% of the cases, the truck driver lost control of the vehicle. In some cases the driver panicked or over-compensated – perhaps from lack of training or lack of experience driving a big rig. In some cases, cargo shifted, putting the vehicle out of balance.

Investigating Driver-Related Causes of Texas Trucking Accidents

There are a lot of different ways that truck drivers can cause 18-wheeler wrecks. How can your lawyer prove that driver-error caused the accident that led to your injuries if the driver or trucking company is claiming they weren’t at fault? That’s when investigative skills and expert resources come into play.

When you hire a Paris trucking accident attorney at Roper & White, Attorneys at Law, we immediately get to work investigating your case.

  • We subpoena trucking company records, insurance records and police records to identify lack of training or past citations for bad driving or drinking or drug use (on or off the job)
  • We look at the trucker logbook to see if he was following the rules about driving time and resting time? Was he driving tired? Did the trucking company know that and push the driver to violate the rules?
  • Did the trucking company know the driver had problems – medical problems, drug problems – but use him anyway?

We understand the anguish that follows a catastrophic trucking accident. We cannot ease the heartache of your losses, but we can work hard to ensure you receive fair compensation and the responsible party is held accountable.

Contact a Sulphur Springs Trucking Accident Attorney You Can Trust

If you have endured the devastating loss a loved one in a trucking accident, the personal injury lawyers at Roper & White are here to help. Call 903-270-1281 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.