Tennessee Trucking Accident Attorneys
TENNESSEE TRUCK ACCIDENTS
If you have been involved in a Tennessee truck accident, then you know that it can have a devastating impact on your life and the lives of the people who care about you the most. Truck accidents often leave the person in the other vehicle with serious or even fatal injuries. This is because of the sheer size and weight of the large, commercial trucks or big rigs. An ordinary passenger car, truck or sport utility vehicle does not stand a chance before these large trucks and tractor trailers that could be carrying up to 80,000 pounds.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 146 fatal truck accidents in Tennessee and 3,769 large truck accidents that involved injuries in 2007, the most recent year for which these statistics are available. It is true that a number of accidents are caused because drivers of passenger vehicles do not exercise sufficient care and caution while driving near or around big rigs. However, there are also many times when the truck driver is at fault for the accident.
There are many reasons why a truck accident can occur.
Truck Driver fatigue: In many cases truck drivers are working long hours and facing unrealistic delivery schedules. Federal officials blame driver fatigue as a probable factor in 20 to 40 percent of truck crashes. There are strict federal regulations that govern how many consecutive hours a driver can be behind the wheel. Drivers and trucking companies are required to maintain logs to keep records of their hours of operation. But many trucking companies are not diligent about this and several have even been known to falsify driver logs.
Poor vehicle maintenance: A number of accidents occur because of mechanical defects such as tire failure or brake failure. It is the driver and the trucking company's responsibility to ensure that their vehicles are maintained properly. Overloading of big rigs is also another common reason for brake failure.
Driving under the influence: Intoxicated or impaired driving are also major reasons why truck accidents occur. The NTSB recently reported that one or more drugs were detected in 67 percent of fatally injured truckers.
Distracted drivers: Many recent big rig accidents have involved truck drivers either texting or talking on their cell phones while driving.
Contact Us
If you have been injured or a family member has been killed as a result of a collision with a tractor-trailer, don't hesitate to contact the Tennessee tractor trailer crash attorneys or wrongful death lawyers at Baker Associates for a free consultation and case evaluation.
If you are looking for truck accident injury attorneys in the Knoxville or Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area, schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys by completing the form below.
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Knox County
2126 First Tennessee Plaza
800 South Gay Street
Knoxville, Tennessee 37929
Phone: 865-521-0001
Sevier County
121 Court Avenue
Sevierville, Tennessee 37862
Phone: 865-428-2888
