Know The Difference Between Car And Truck Accidents
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009 there were more than 13 million car accidents and 500,000 commercial truck accidents. Many of those accidents resulted in serious injury or death of one or more of the drivers or passengers involved.While both car and truck accidents are similar in many ways, truck accidents differ from car accidents in three key ways; financial liability, driver responsibility, and personal injury.
Financial Liability
In a car accident, only the drivers involved in the accident can be held liable. Most states even require motorists to carry a minimum level of insurance to cover any damages to another driver's car when they cause than an accident.
However, in a truck accident liability that is much more complex than that. Not only can the driver of the truck be held liable, but the trucking company can be too. The commercial trucking industry is regulated by the federal government and is required to ensure that all their trucks meet federal safety standards. For example, if it is revealed that the trucking company failed to perform scheduled maintenance on the truck's brakes, the trucking company shares liability for the accident.
Driver Responsibility
While all motorists are required to follow traffic laws, truck drivers are held to a much higher standard and have extra regulations to follow than your average car driver. For example, federal regulations restricts the amount of hours a truck driver can be on the road over a given period of time. Though this regulation may sound odd, it is to prevent truck drivers from driving with little to no sleep to meet deadlines which could result in a fatal accident.
In order to drive a commercial truck in the first place, truck drivers must have additional training in order to obtain their commercial driver's license. This is due to the large size of commercial trucks that make it challenging to drive and maneuver around. If the truck driver was improperly trained or did not receive their commercial driver's license, the trucking company may be liable for allowing this to occur.
Personal Injury
Anytime there are multiple cars involved in an accident, there is potential for injury. Sadly, due to the massive size of commercial trucks, truck accidents have a much higher rate of serious personal injury and fatality than the average car accident. This not only makes the accident more expensive in damages and medical costs, but often leaves everyone involved serious injured or in a life-threatening condition.
If you have been in an accident involving a commercial truck, don't hesitate to seek financial compensation for your injuries. Medical bills can be expensive and you may be left unable to pay for the care and treatment you need after an accident. Even worse, you may have lost a loved one in a truck accident and face funeral costs. The last thing you need to worry about after an accident is bills.
Don't let yourself get stuck with the bills any longer.
If you live near or around the St. Petersburg area, then you need to contact the St. Petersburg Lawyer for your case. Our legal professionals are dedicated to getting you the financial compensation you need to recover. Contact us for a free case review.