Large commercial trucks are among the most dangerous on the road. These vehicles — tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, over-the-road carriers or 18-wheelers — have a fatal crash rate that is more than 50% greater than the rate for all other vehicles. From cross-country tractor-trailers to local gravel trucks, these dangerous trucks — and their drivers — pose a serious threat to public safety.

Slack & Davis understands the complex variables involved in truck and tractor-trailer accidents, and we offer the expertise, resources and diligence necessary to quickly determine causes of and demonstrate liability for every accident. Led by attorney Mike Davis, our team has successfully litigated numerous cases involving serious injuries and wrongful death from tractor-trailer and commercial truck accidents. Based on this experience, we've outlined below some of the problems with unsafe trucks. Contact us to learn more.

Causes of Truck Accidents
Fierce competition in the trucking industry means that many truck companies and drivers cut corners and compromise safety, which can lead to dangerous driving conditions, serious injuries and lost lives.

Driver Fatigue
Driver sleepiness has devastating results. In fact, a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) administrator stated in a conference addressing large tanker truck rollovers that the primary cause of up to 75% of truck rollover crashes can be attributed to "driver inattention or drowsiness." (Public Citizen) Yet the FMSCA recently decided to maintain the existing 11-hour driving limit for truck drivers, putting more people at risk.

Unsafe Equipment
With an eye on profits rather than safety, some trucking companies push the limits of their trucks, postponing regular maintenance or overhauls as long as possible. Worn tires, brake defects, poorly adjusted air brakes, cracked trailer frames or other failing parts are common occurrences.

Reckless Driving
Truck driver negligence is a leading cause of trucking accidents. Speeding, running off the road, aggressive driving, failing to yield, or other dangerous driving can cause serious injuries to individuals in passenger vehicles.

Overloaded Trucks
Overweight trucks are more likely to be in accidents, more prone to roll over in crashes, and take more time and distance to brake. In many cases, these extra seconds and feet mean the difference between life and death. Insufficient inspections and insignificant fines do little to deter truck companies from driving overloaded trucks to push profitability.

Limited Compliance Reviews
In 2005, the Department of Public Safety completed compliance reviews for only one of every 10 companies it identified as the biggest potential dangers on the road, according to The Dallas Morning News. Trucking companies involved in fatal accidents or repeatedly ordered off the road for safety violations are not automatically investigated for compliance.

Lax Background Checks
Questionable hiring practices and insufficient background checks by trucking companies result in the hiring of drivers with criminal records, drug problems, false documentation and shocking driving records. Two recent news reports about drug-related truck incidents illustrate the problem. In one the driver failed to take his medication, causing him to lose consciousness and control of his vehicle, which resulted in two pedestrian deaths. In another, the driver of a big rig who repeatedly tested positive for drugs was repeatedly hired by trucking companies - with no background checks. In many cases, drivers simply begin driving the day they are hired, with no training and no questions asked. In addition, "independent" drivers, such as gravel haulers typically paid by the load, often lack proper insurance or registration.

Licensing Fraud
In the past five years, the federal government has discovered licensing fraud in 24 states. The payment-for-license schemes usually center on so-called third-party examiners who are hired by states to perform driver testing. (Reader's Digest, Chicago Tribune)

NAFTA Brings More Unsafe Trucks to U.S. Roads
Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented in 1994, trade between the U.S. and Mexico has more than doubled. The majority of this trade occurs via trucking, and the majority of truck traffic from Mexico enters the U.S. at the Texas border. And that number is expected to rise significantly, in part due to a pilot program initiated by the U.S. Department of Transportation that permits up to 100 Mexican motor carriers (roughly 500 trucks) to operate throughout the U.S. The increasing number of Mexican trucks, with safety standards that are dangerously weaker than in the U.S., will continue to jeopardize U.S. highway safety.

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Righting the Wrongs

Slack & Davis attorney Mike Davis leaves no stone unturned to help his clients. He thoroughly investigates all the evidence involved in a case, including regulatory non-compliance on the part of the trucking company or the driver, the driver's driving record and employment history, the company's hiring and training policies, the driver's log and the truck's "black box" data recorder, manufacturing details and law enforcement records.

If you or someone you know have been injured as a result of negligence in an auto / car, bus or tractor-trailer accident, please contact us for a no-cost evaluation.

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