Uvalde Truck Stopping Distance Accidents

Uvalde Truck Stopping Distance AccidenDue to its massive size, weight, and unstoppable momentum, a commercial 18-wheeler truck poses even greater risk to surrounding traffic on the roadway than a common passenger vehicle in the event of a collision. The operator of a vehicle of this size is responsible for controlling many tons of metal moving at speeds of up to ninety-miles an hour – if they’re obeying the speed limit. If you or someone you love has been involved in a semi-truck or any other Uvalde truck accident, the lawyers at the Carabin Shaw law offices in Uvalde want to hear your story. Contact us today to find out how you can enlist a Uvalde truck injury attorney prepared to fight at all costs to protect your right to compensation.

Unfortunately for other motorists, the National Trucking Industry is lobbying to use even larger and bulkier trucks on the nation’s highways. The commercial trucking industry has sought to increase this weight capacity to as much as 97,000 pounds. While their motivation is most certainly rooted in transportation efficiency and profit maximization, the unforeseen consequences of additional weight could further place drivers, including operators of the trucks themselves, in grave and immediate danger in the event of Uvalde truck stopping distance accidents.

Semi-trucks make up about 5% of all freeway traffic, a figure that only increases with each passing year, and in the most dense traffic areas of the country, as many 1 in 4 automobiles is a semi-truck. Due to the large variance in their size and weight from other automobiles, trucks of this magnitude pose a sizable hazard to other drivers in smaller cars.

This sort of carelessness only amplifies the dangers such large vehicles already impose, especially in situations when a driver is unable to stop the 18-wheeler from careening into oncoming traffic and injuring other motorists and passengers. Due to these concerns, it is not surprising that advocates for safety strongly oppose an increase in allowable weight limits on heavy trucks, but their reasoning is not limited to simply a rise in structural and peripheral danger.

Semi-trucks make up about 5% of all freeway traffic, a figure that only increases with each passing year, and in the most dense traffic areas of the country, as many 1 in 4 automobiles is a semi-truck. Due to the large difference in size and weight, as well as ability to stop within a proper distance to avoid collisions, trucks of this magnitude pose a sizable hazard to other drivers in smaller cars.

Depending upon shipment weight, speed, condition of equipment, and other unforeseen road hazards, it commonly takes a commercial truck weighing up to the legal weight restriction – 80,000 pounds for 18-wheelers – the full length of a football field to come to a complete stop. Typical passenger cars only weigh slightly less than 5,000 pounds. Furthermore, posted speed regulations do not accurately measure what is truly a safe speed for trucks of this magnitude, as they do not take into account the dangerous contrast of weight and momentum in an 18-wheeler. There are some prevalent issues that consistently cause such Uvalde truck stopping distance accidents. These include:

• Weather conditions that cause tires to skid, truck bodies to slide into surrounding traffic, or otherwise diminish the driver’s ability to control a large commercial truck.
• Equipment failure and mechanical malfunction.
• Driver carelessness and distraction.
• Drunk, drugged, and fatigued driving.
• Improper loading of cargo that further prevents the driver from stopping in time to avoid a collision.
• Negligent vehicular operation around sharp turns and other unanticipated changes of direction

The lawyers who represent the Uvalde region with the law firm of Carabin Shaw understand all the nuances of handling trucking accidents brought on by issues of proper stopping distance. There are many factors that can be used against responsible parties in pursuit of a successful accident claim. If the driver was hired by the trucking company in a careless manner, for example, compensation from the corporation who hired the truck driver may be partially accountable for your injuries and loss.

With rather alarming frequency, trucking companies seem to select employees through a reckless and expeditious hiring process devoid of appropriate drug screening or investigation into driving and police records. This sort of negligence increases the possibility of a company hiring someone with a history of substance abuse and irresponsible judgement, up to and including DUIs and arrests for various types of recklessness behind the wheel. All of these factors can lead to the hiring of someone much more likely to endanger themselves and others with a recklessly diminished stopping distance.

Unfortunately, Uvalde truck stopping distance accidents can happen to anyone; if it happens to you, will you be prepared to successfully fight for your right to compensation? The experienced lawyers of Carabin Shaw serving Uvalde and the surrounding region have the specialized expertise to do just that.

Occasionally, drivers are also hired to operate a commercial truck without the trucking company first providing proper training and safety education necessary for competent semi-truck operation. Reasons for this type of hasty carelessness may stem from deadline pressures and other business concerns. The attorneys at Carabin Shaw in Uvalde take all of this into account when building a victim’s case against a trucking company’s oversight.

Even without a flagrant indifference towards safety, even the most qualified and highly trained truck drivers can create danger on the roads due to fatigue caused by a strenuous workload or the pressure of meeting delivery deadlines. Unfortunately for accident victims, the trucking company will most always side with their drivers in case of a commercial trucking collision. This might include attempting to place blame on the victim, regardless of how clear it may be that the truck driver’s own negligence was the root cause of the accident. This is where an experienced and dedicated Uvalde truck stopping distance accidents lawyer from Carabin Shaw can help. Call us today for a free consultation at 800-862-1260.