No one in Wisconsin wants to be involved in an accident with a big rig. The standard passenger vehicle is no match with respect to size, and there is always significant damage. Not only are personal injuries almost always a result, but fatal injuries are very common as well. Statistics show that, even though trucks are only a part of 4% of the total vehicles on the highways across the U.S., annually, big rigs are a factor in around 10% of fatal accidents. The numbers assuredly reflect the size ratio differential. And when fatalities are not the result, catastrophic injuries are common.
The statistics regarding truck accidents and the ultimate damage they create does not end there. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, nearly one-third of the accidents occurring in 2017 were due to truck driver error of some fashion. And approximately 5% of those fatal crashes involved mechanical failure of truck parts such as brake malfunctioning, which is also a natural problem due to the inability to stop an 18-wheeler quickly because of heavy and often overweight cargo.
Truck accidents occur for a wide variety of reasons, but there are typically some common issues involved such as driver fatigue, recklessness, speeding, and distracted driving. Driver fatigue and distracted driving are actually regular issues in many truck accidents even when they are not the primary cause, but other extenuating factors such as driving under the influence or operating rules violations are common major contributors.
It is always vital to have representation in a truck accident claim since there can be a number of factors involved in a collision. An experienced Wisconsin auto accident attorney can evaluate the claim for all potentially negligent parties while crafting a case for maximum damages.