Large Truck Accidents |
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Get Help from an Iowa Truck Accident Lawyer
Accidents involving large trucks are among the most serious and most deadly in the United States. Ninety-eight percent of truck accidents result in severe injuries or even death. At Olson Law Office, P.C., our Iowa truck accident lawyers recognize that handling these cases requires a thorough understanding of commercial vehicle regulations on both the federal and state level. Trucking companies are required to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations concerning their equipment and their drivers' hours of service.
Causes of Truck Accidents
Driver fatigue is a common problem, as hours of service regulations are routinely violated. Careful examination of records after an accident often shows serious and even fraudulent violations of those safety regulations. However, trucking companies are only required to maintain many of those records for six months. Without obtaining those records before they are destroyed, injured parties or survivors of those killed in truck wrecks have a much more difficult time proving the trucking company's negligence. This is why consulting with Iowa injury attorneys immediately after an accident is so crucial.
The Dangers of Truck Accidents
Large truck accidents inflict serious damages on our roadways each year. One out of nine traffic fatalities in 2007 resulted from a collision involving a large truck. In 2007, 413,000 large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic crashes in the United States; 4,584 were involved in fatal crashes. A total of 4,808 people died (12 percent of all the traffic fatalities reported in 2007), and an additional 101,000 were injured in those crashes.
The Disadvantage to Cars Involved in Large Truck Accidents
In 2007, large trucks accounted for eight percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes and four percent of all vehicles involved in injury and property-damage-only crashes. Seventy-five percent of fatalities in large truck crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved in the crash. Only 17 percent of fatalities involved drivers or occupants of large trucks. Therefore, victims of these types of crashes, and families of victims, need Iowa truck accident lawyers on their side who know how to defend the rights of their clients. With the increased use of smaller cars today, motorists are even more at risk of being severely hurt or killed in truck accidents.
The Dangers of the Road
Large trucks were much more likely to be involved in fatal multiple-vehicle crashes – as opposed to fatal single-vehicle crashes – than were passenger vehicles (82 percent of all large trucks involved in fatal crashes, compared with 59 percent of all passenger vehicles). Most of the fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred in rural areas (62 percent), during the daytime (66 percent), and on weekdays (78 percent). The percentage of large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes who had blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher was 1 percent in 2007. The BAC limit for all commercial vehicle operators in every state in the U.S. is .04 g/dL, half of the legal limit of .08 for all other drivers.
Taking Legal Action Quickly With an Iowa Truck Accident Attorney
In all automobile accident cases, it is essential to take measures promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. Iowa personal injury lawyers have the knowledge and experience to conduct these investigations quickly, so that client rights can be protected.
If you experience a personal injury due to a truck accident, contact an Iowa truck accident lawyer right way so that you can resolve your challenge with a minimum of personal difficulties. Olson Law Office, P.C., is a legal firm that has the experience and knowledge to help clients defend their rights. To protect your health and property, contact Iowa truck accident lawyer Alan Olson today at (866) 576-6529. Don’t delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
