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The Most Common Causes of 18-Wheeler Accidents in Mississippi

Nearly one in every eight traffic fatalities involves an 18-wheeler. Large commercial trucks typically need much more time to come to a stop, are more likely to have significant blind spots which prevent them from seeing much smaller vehicles on the road, are often carrying heavy loads which could scatter hazardous debris following an accident, and are more prone to rollover than automobiles. Because of the specific nature of the big rig, the truck driver often walks away from an accident with fatalities with only minor injuries, and every year in the United States, over 5,000 people will die as the result of an eighteen-wheeler trucking accident.

Aggressive Driving of Truckers Contributes to Accidents

The sheer weight of a tractor-trailer truck on the highway makes it a formidable enemy when the truck is involved in an accident with a passenger vehicle. Unfortunately, many drivers of 18-wheelers drive in an overly aggressive manner, leading to an increase in accidents. Although there are plenty of truck drivers on the road who are conscientious, safe drivers, those few who are not can give the entire industry a negative image. Many truck drivers who are driving in a less-than-safe manner do so because of the unrealistic schedules forced on them by the trucking company they work for. Truckers are consistently under tight deadlines and mileage quotas, making for very stressful work conditions, which in turn can lead to aggressive driving. Truckers end up making unsafe lane changes, failing to yield the right-of-way to passenger vehicles, making unsafe, too-wide turns, cutting off other vehicles, or driving too fast for the road conditions.

Truck Driver Fatigue Causes Accidents

Although Federal commercial trucking regulations certainly require truckers to stop and rest during their work day, keeping logs to prove they have taken the required breaks, the reality is that due to company pressure and tight deadlines truckers do not always follow these rules. Since both the truckers and the trucking companies make more money the quicker the loads make it to their destination, there is little incentive to follow the Federal guidelines.  Logs can be doctored and truck drivers can end up spending far too many hours on the road, becoming fatigued and even falling asleep at the wheel. Truck drivers also often drive in the early morning or late night hours in an attempt to avoid traffic, which also adds to driver fatigue.  This level of driver fatigue is responsible for many serious truck accidents.

Truck Driver Distraction Causes Accidents

Driving negligence often involves driver distractions such as cell phone use, the use of on-board computers, eating while driving, the use of a GPS, or even fiddling with the radio or other musical device. While truck driver distraction can be difficult to prove, Electronic Control Modules such as the type used in airliner black boxes can record crucial details which took place immediately before the accident occurs. If the truck in question contained an ECM, your attorney will subpoena the records in order to prove negligence or driver distraction. If it is suspected that the driver was using a cell phone, then cell phone records will be obtained and analyzed.

Improperly Secured Loads Cause Accidents

One safety standard that is often overlooked is a properly secured load which can contribute to accidents on the highways. Improperly secured loads can lead to loose objects falling into the road, flying off and hitting car windshields, or can cause the trucker to lose control of his truck as objects from an unsecured load fly off. In short, an unsecured load on an 18-wheeler is an accident waiting to happen, and puts innocent people in danger.

Big trucks are responsible for many of the deadly and devastating accidents which occur on America’s roadways. If the truck driver is not giving his full attention to the road, then the risk of an accident significantly increases. If you have been involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, it is imperative you find a personal injury attorney who has specific experience in trucking accidents. Your attorney will need to establish liability in order to secure a fair and reasonable settlement for all injured parties, so don’t leave your future to chance or the goodwill of the trucking company.

At Barrett Law, PLLC, a dedicated Mississippi truck accident attorney from our law firm is committed to representing Mississippi car accident victims with the compassion and personal attention that has allowed our law firm to develop a leading reputation throughout Mississippi.  We have been helping Mississippi car accident victims in Lexington and across Mississippi for over 75 years so call Barrett Law, PLLC today at (662) 834-2376.

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Federal Regulators to Eliminate Major Loophole in Drug Testing of Tractor-Trailer Drivers

Although federal regulations have mandated drug testing for truck drivers operating tractor-trailers for well over a decade, some rather major loopholes have allowed those who would otherwise be disqualified from driving on Mississippi highways to remain on the road.  New proposed legislation called the Safe Roads Act may eliminate many of the loopholes that permit commercial drivers to avoid drug and alcohol testing requirements.  Recent studies have shown that almost 70,000 commercial truck drivers currently operating tractor-trailers have tested positive for drugs.  Despite the issue of liability, commercial trucking companies hire these potential unsafe drivers for a variety of reasons including:

  • Many trucking companies fail to conduct adequate background checks that might reveal such tests.
  • Those truck drivers that are independent contractors continue to drive despite positive drug tests.
  • Commercial truck drivers do not disclose prior positive drug tests to potential or current employers.
  • Self-employed drivers who are negligent do not voluntarily remove themselves from service.

The new legislation is aimed at keeping commercial truck drivers who have tested positive for drug use off the road by employing a more comprehensive reporting and enforcement system.  The legislation contemplates the development of a comprehensive database that will compile information regarding drug test results including refusal to submit to such drug testing.  The law would impose an affirmative duty on employers and medical review officers to report positive tests for alcohol and drugs to the national database.

Commercial carriers will be required to check the database as part of their background check during the hiring process for any commercial truck drivers.  To ensure that employers obtain current data, tractor-trailer drivers will be required to provide tests at least every three years.

While drug and alcohol use by drivers of tractor-trailers is in decline, the problem still persists.  Drug use by commercial truck drivers appears to have outpaced alcohol use as a potential danger to other motorists.  A report by the Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety (IITS) of interstate commercial truck drivers found that 15 percent of all truck drivers tested positive for marijuana, 12 percent tested positive for non-prescription stimulants, 5 percent tested positive for prescription stimulants, 2 percent tested positive for cocaine and less than 1% had alcohol tested positive for alcohol.  Alcohol use by truck drivers was once a very serious problem but is now only a factor in a relatively small percentage of trucking accidents.

Trucking companies that are lax about conducting background checks before hiring new truck drivers are directly responsible for many injuries and fatalities caused by commercial truck drivers that should not be on the roadways of Mississippi.

The Barrett Law Office represents those injured in commercial trucking accidents throughout Mississippi.  We are committed to handling the legal and insurance issues related to serious Mississippi trucking accidents so that our clients can focus on healing.  If you or your loved one has suffered injury or the loss of a loved one in a tractor-trailer accident, a Mississippi truck accident attorney is available today for a free initial consultation when you call us today at (662) 834-2376.

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