Carmichael Truck Accident Lawyer

In 2014, the world was stunned when comedian Tracy Morgan, known for his regular appearances on Saturday Night Live and his leading role on the TV show "30 Rock", was severely injured when a tractor-trailer slammed head-on into his limo bus. The truck driver, who was speeding, had been driving his Walmart delivery truck for more than 24 hours without rest when the accident occurred, according to Rolling Stone.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, commercial tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers are large vehicles weighing an average of 80,000 pounds. This means the damage is devastating when a freight truck collides with another car like a sedan, an SUV, or even a limo. The accident mentioned above involving Tracy Morgan is a prime example. The collision resulted in the death of a passenger inside Morgan's limo and injuries to several others. Morgan was forced to devote over a year of his life to rehab and recovery since he suffered multiple broken bones and a brain injury.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCA), over 5,000 large trucks and buses were involved in deadly accidents in 2018. On the national level, approximately 1-in-10 fatal traffic accidents involve a large semi-truck. Even more startling, of deaths arising from collisions with large trucks, the individuals occupying the smaller vehicle died or suffered catastrophic injuries in almost all of the wrecks.

These statistics tell us two things: first, large tractor-trailer accidents happen more often than most think. Second, accidents with 18-wheelers and semi-trucks routinely involve untimely deaths or serious injuries.

The truck accident involving Tracy Morgan is also an instructive example of how collisions with these large vehicles often occur. Like most truck drivers, the commercial truck driver that injured Tracy Morgan was overworked and held to a strict schedule. According to ABC News, the National Transportation Safety Board reported that the negligent truck driver was awake for more than 28 hours when the crash occurred and was driving over 20 miles above the posted speed limit.

You may be surprised to discover that many truck drivers engage in similar behavior and push themselves to be on the road for long hours to make timely deliveries. This causes large trucks especially dangerous to drive near because the truck driver may be less alert than they should be.

The nature of a truck driver's delivery schedule also makes it likely that the truck driver will exceed the recommended speed limit for large trucks. Many trucks drive at or slightly below the speed limit, but drivers on a schedule may believe that speeding is necessary to deliver timely. In effect, speeding truck drivers turn their vehicles into high-speed missiles, barreling down the highway just waiting for an accident to occur.

The nature of cross-country trucking also results in regular vehicle maintenance problems. Trucks are designed to be sturdy and reliable vehicles, but accidents do happen. Improper truck maintenance can result in tire blowouts, brake failures, and engine trouble, and these maintenance defects create a hazardous roadway hazard.

The YouTube video below provides ten safety tips for sharing the road with truck drivers.