A motor vehicle accident has the potential to leave a victim with serious injuries and damage to his or her personal property. The severity of a crash largely depends on factors specific to the situation, such as the speed the vehicles were traveling at the time of the crash and the size of the vehicles. Accidents involving large and heavy vehicles are more likely to result in serious damage. This includes commercial vehicles and large personal vehicles, such as pick-up trucks.
Drivers of large trucks have the responsibility of driving as safely as reasonably possible. Speeding and reckless driving may be especially dangerous behind the wheel of one of these vehicles, and innocent people may pay the price for this reckless behavior. If you are the victim of an accident caused by the driver of a large truck, semitrailer or commercial vehicle, you may have legal options available to you.
The widespread impact of these trucks
Accidents involving large trucks and commercial vehicles may be a more serious safety concern than many assume. According to the National Safety Council, of all of the vehicles involved in fatal accidents in the United States, approximately 9% of them are large vehicles. The NSC considers large vehicles to be any that have a gross weight of over 10,000 pounds, excluding buses and motor homes. You share the road with these types of large personal and commercial vehicles every day as you drive in Texas, and each of these drivers bears the responsibility of safely sharing the road.
Because of the size and weight of these types of vehicles, they are capable of causing serious damage in the event of a crash. In 2020, over 100,000 large vehicles were involved in a crash that resulted in the injury of at least one person. Statistics indicate these accidents are more likely to take place on non-interstate roads, and more than 60% take place during daytime hours.
Are you the victim of an accident?
If you are suffering from injuries after an accident involving a large truck, you may be suffering due to the reckless or negligent actions of another driver. It is within your rights to seek financial recovery through the Texas civil justice system, and an assessment of your case will help you understand what options could be available to you. Accidents involving large personal or commercial vehicles have the potential to cause significant impacts in your life, but you do not have to navigate the aftermath alone.