According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were more than 400,000 large truck accidents in the US in 2020, which led to more than 4,000 fatalities.
Thanks to life-saving technology, the fatality rate of these accidents is only around 1%, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Thousands are left with life-altering injuries each year, and getting to the bottom of who or what is responsible is the job of a trucking accident attorney.
How Often Does Tire Failure Occur?
National Transportation Safety Board statistics explain that unsafe or failed tires are a factor in approximately one in three motor vehicle accidents. This is one of the reasons that almost every motor vehicle inspection office checks the status of a vehicle’s tires before granting an inspection sticker. Tires that are worn are far more likely to blow out.
The average trucking tire is filled to an average of a hundred PSI or more–this is three times higher than the average passenger vehicle. With this amount of pressure, an eighteen-wheeler truck tire blowout sounds like an explosion, which is one reason why trucking accidents are much different than car accidents.
If a blowout occurs to one of a truck’s front steering tires, it is nearly certain that it will cause an accident. Even a blowout in a rear tire can cause heavy tire material to enter the roadway at over seventy miles per hour, creating a sudden and immediate hazard.
Who Is Responsible?
Truck drivers are often overworked and overstressed, and many truckrs neglect to inspect their vehicle’s tires regularly. Annual government vehicle certifications can only do so much, and it is often the driver’s responsibility to make sure their truck is in a safe working condition at all times.
It would be unfair, however, to solely blame truck drivers. Sometimes, passenger vehicles are at fault, and the truck driver sues the driver for the accident.
Furthermore, there are hundreds of large trucking companies in the US that operate on a profit-above-all-else basis. When a company like that buys countless tires a year, getting another 10% of use out of a tire that costs $400 can lead to significant savings, which they may be willing to value above safety.
Despite the average trucking accident settlement reaching well into the six- and seven-figure range, court settlements have done little to limit trucking companies’ refusal to put public safety first. This–coupled with a culture that encourages abusing the mileage and time driving restrictions placed on drivers–can lead to terrible consequences.
Who Can Help?
Trucking accident lawyers at Strom Law have years of experience dealing with large vehicle accidents. Whether the truck was independently owned and operated or was part of a fleet owned by a multi-billion dollar corporation, a well-qualified attorney is essential in case of an accident.
Strom Law’s depth of experience is necessary when dealing with big companies and their insurers, who often pass the blame back and forth. Getting a just settlement without a lawyer is difficult, so regardless of whether tire failure or something else is to blame for your accident, Strom Law is ready to help!
