- Truck Driver Errors
Operating a commercial truck is challenging and stressful. The blind spot accident lawyers at Burger Law get it. Truckers face tight deadlines and are often paid by the mile, so they have incentives to cut corners wherever possible. A driver may disregard the rules of the road by speeding, driving too fast for weather conditions or responding to deadlines and other pressures by aggressive driving or road rage. Meanwhile, the loneliness of spending so many hours on the road may cause truck drivers to get distracted behind the wheel or abuse drugs or alcohol as an escape. These “escapes” cause a drastic decrease in fundamental skills, including vision. An already large truck driver’s blind spot can become astronomical while under the influence. Even without those issues, a truck driver may make technical errors such as braking too late or forgetting to even check those blind spots.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service regulations are in place to ensure that drivers stay awake and alert. This regulation, coupled with one for controlled substances and alcohol use and testing, are in place to keep the roads safe and to prevent blind spot accidents.
- Trucking Company Errors
While the truck driver is often the main culprit for an accident, the trucking company that employs the driver may share the blame. The company may have hired an unqualified driver, allowed an inexperienced driver to get behind the wheel without adequate training or failed to supervise its drivers to make sure that they were taking appropriate safety precautions. Meanwhile, a trucking company may ignore a need to repair a truck or turn a blind eye to a known defect so that truck can stay on the road. Some truck accidents result from a defect in the truck or one of its components. This may mean that the manufacturer made a mistake in the design or manufacturing process. For example, a loose-fitting rear view mirror may result in an exposed blind spot or a defective brake may prevent a truck driver from stopping in time.
The FMCSA has established federal regulations for the inspection, repair and maintenance of trucking equipment, as well as for the hiring practices of employers.
- Cargo Loader Errors
Cargo loaders must ensure that a truck is properly loaded and that the cargo is safely secured. An overweight or overloaded truck can be challenging to operate safely, particularly with oversized equipment that increases the driver’s blind spot. Truck drivers are also required to inspect their vehicles before getting behind the wheel to make sure that they are loaded safely and in compliance with FMCSA industry regulations.
- Road Design or Maintenance Errors
Government entities are responsible for constructing safe roads and ensuring that they stay that way. A dangerous road with a high rate of accidents may indicate problems with road design or maintenance. More than 100,000 large truck accidents occur each year due to improper lane-changing, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. More than one-third of these accidents are preventable by using short-range radar to detect moving vehicles in a truck’s blind spots and alert the driver. Also, truck drivers are responsible for adjusting their speed to unsafe road conditions and lane-changing, but this cannot always prevent a crash.
What Are Common Injuries From St. Louis Blind Spot Accidents?
What Are Common Injuries From St. Louis Blind Spot Accidents?
As with all truck crashes, the injuries from blind spot accidents are usually most severe for those not in the truck. It is a common case of physics – when 80,000 pounds hits 4,000 pounds, the smaller vehicle will lose. Some of the common injuries of a blind spot accident include:
- Neck and back or spinal cord injuries - Spinal Injuries are serious injuries that can affect your mobility and the motor function of your limbs. The spinal cord is the main avenue that your brain uses to send commands throughout your body. According to the World Health Organization, 90 percent of spinal cord injury cases are caused by trauma, and motor vehicle accidents are the leading source. Any damage to your spine can often result in serious injuries throughout other areas of the body.
- Lacerations from broken glass – A powerful truck accident can break glass in your vehicle and those of others. It happens more often than you would think, and the current weak standards of automotive glass lead to more splintering. With all that glass potentially flying around, you can get severe lacerations and resulting scarring or nerve damage.
- Internal injuries and internal bleeding – Internal bleeding can be dangerous anywhere in the body and one of the most common causes of internal bleeding is trauma from truck and car accidents, including impact and penetrating injuries as well as deceleration injuries, when the sudden stop of a vehicle causes internal organs or vessels to break or rupture. Internal bleeding can cause fatal organ failure when untreated. The problem with internal bleeding is that it is sometimes difficult to detect, and you may not realize the severity of your condition following a St. Louis truck accident.
- Broken or crushed bones – Trauma from truck accidents and other vehicular accidents is the most common cause of broken bones. Extreme breaks like displaced fractures or comminuted fractures when the bone is shattered into several pieces can be particularly dangerous.
- Burns and scars – While burns and scars may not seem as serious as some of the other injuries arising from truck accidents, they are among the most common. Fast-spreading, high-temperature fires may develop in truck accidents, especially when gas tanks are punctured or sparks spread from severed electrical wires.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and concussions – According to the CDC, in 2020 there were 64,000 traumatic brain injury deaths, and truck and car accidents are one of the leading causes of fatal TBI. Traumatic brain injuries are caused by sudden trauma, either by impact or penetration, to the brain. While mild and moderate cases generally heal successfully, severe TBI can result in coma or death. Severe traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for individuals under the age of 44.
How Can a St. Louis Blind Spot Accidents Lawyer Help Me?
How Can a St. Louis Blind Spot Accidents Lawyer Help Me?
Trucking companies and their insurers will try to get away with only paying out a small amount to individuals who have sustained injuries from truck driver blind spot accidents, often leaving them with serious injuries and not enough compensation to cover their medical and financial damages. The blind spot accident attorneys at Burger Law will take the required steps to protect you from insurance companies who will attempt to take advantage of your situation.
As your blind spot accident lawyers in St. Louis, Burger Law will:
- Investigate your truck driver blind spot accident, including identifying all witnesses, security footage or other information to identify the at-fault driver
- Ensure you get the full medical treatment you need to recover
- Pursue every legal avenue to get you the financial recovery you deserve
- Always make sure you know what is going on with your case
- Handle all documentation, negotiation and litigation
- Offer sound legal counsel based on experience and expertise, while always allowing you to make your own decisions for you and your St. Louis family
- Fight back against the truck driver’s or trucking company’s insurance company when they refuse to be fair
- Stand by your side when it seems everyone else is against you
- Take your truck driver blind spot accident case to trial if we cannot secure a fair settlement offer in negotiations
- Do whatever it takes to get you full compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses and the pain and suffering you have incurred due to your injuries