When a big truck gets in an accident there are often very serious injuries and people are killed. The size difference itself between a big truck and a standard automobile makes trucks dangerous. When a truck accident causes a severe injury you may have serious injures or may have lost a loved one. It is important then to have a good truck accident lawyer because trucking companies have lawyers who do nothing but defend the company when accidents happen. Read on to find do young truck drivers have more accidents.
Often when there are truck accidents there are serious injuries like spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain damage, loss of limbs, major bodily damage, and even death. Truck injury lawyers can help you get paid for medical bills, property damage, pain, suffering, loss of income, and for wrongful death when a fatality occurs.
There are a lot of reasons for accidents, and there are a lot of reasons for trucks to cause accidents. In general young truck drivers who are not experienced do get into more accidents than older drivers with more experience.
According to a Dept of Transportation study, a person in a car versus truck accident is nine times more likely to be killed than if they were in an accident with another car. When the youngest group of truck drivers are compared, that likelihood goes up to 13 times more likely.
In general, young truck drivers have more accidents. A study by the American Automobile Association showed drivers age 16-17 have more accidents than any other age group regardless of the type of vehicle. Younger people have more accidents in general, and that tends to carry over when large trucks are involved.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration younger drivers, 20 years old or younger, make up six percent of all drivers. Even so, they account for 19 percent of accidents that result n a fatality.
There is currently a controversy in the trucking industry concerning age limits for drivers, and part of that is due to the fact that there is a shortage of truck drivers. Long hours and time away from home, as well as relatively low pay, make the job less appealing to many. There is also more demand for truckers, making the shortage even more acute.
Currently, drivers must be 21 years of age or older to drive across state lines. Those between the age of 18 and 21 may drive large trucks in their state, which means they drive shorter distances. The proposal to lower the age to 18 is in response to that shortage.
Young truck drivers with less experience are also less expensive for the trucking company owners, so they support the lower age. Trucker safety organizations oppose the move, feeling it is better to keep the more experienced drivers on the road, especially for long-haul drivers.
A new proposal would lower the long haul, or across state lines, the age to 18 throughout the nation. Some safety advocates say the age should be raised to 21 even for truckers who do not cross state lines.
There has been an increase in demand for trucking over the last few decades, and that trend seems to be continuing. Over the past five years, fatalities involving truck accidents have increased by 11.2 percent. Even with this recent rise, the American Trucking Association says the overall accident rate involving larger trucks has fallen 32 percent since the 1980s.
Truck driving is a dangerous business. In 2015 there were 761 truckers killed in accidents on the job. That was more than any other industry. There were other industries that had a higher death rate, but because of the number of truck drivers that there are, there were more fatalities among drivers.
Truckers are often paid by miles driven, or by getting to a certain place on time. There are regulations in place, including the number of hours that can be driven in a day. Still, drivers are often faced with choosing between following the rules and getting a good paycheck. This puts them in danger, and it puts in danger drivers of regular-sized automobiles on the road.
Combine the fact that younger drivers are more likely to have an accident, and forcing drivers to choose between safety and production, and you have a recipe for disaster.
This is why trucking companies maintain a big legal staff, to protect them from lawsuits. This is also why you need to contact a truck injury lawyer if you are involved in an accident with a big truck. Especially if you have lost a loved one in a truck-related accident, you should contact a lawyer. it is also important to never sign anything before you consult with your attorney.
Truckers have a hard job, and accidents happen. If one happens to you, you need a good attorney to make sure you are able to get the compensation you deserve.
