Deaths from San Francisco Big Rig Accidents Are on the Rise
Deaths from San Francisco big rig accidents are on the rise. While trucks grow the economy by moving tons of cargo between states, these large carriers are also responsible for thousands of crashes every year, many of which are fatal. Those who do make it past a big rig accident suffer severe injuries and incur high medical treatment costs, lost wages from time away from work, lost earning capacity and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have been involved in a big rig accident in San Francisco, you may want a San Francisco big rig accident attorney to help you navigate the post accident process.
Many big rig accidents are the result of negligent or reckless driving. This is actionable in court. If you or a loved one was involved in an accident with a large truck, consult a San Francisco big rig injury lawyer today.
Big Rig Accidents Rising – What Data Shows
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates interstate commercial driving and reports on trucking safety. This is what its most recent report on large truck accidents shows:
- In 2015, as many as 4,050 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes, an 8 percent increase from 3,749 in 2014.
- The large truck fatal crashes resulted in 4,067 fatalities in 2015, 667 of which were large truck occupant deaths. In 2014, the number of fatalities was 3,908, 656 of which were large truck occupant deaths.
- Large truck fatal crash involvement rate per 100 million miles covered also increased from 1.34 in 2014 to 1.45 in 2015.
- In 2015, 87,000 large trucks were involved in injury crashes while 346,000 were involved in property damage only crashes.
Overall, both large truck fatal crashes and fatalities in large truck accidents have risen more than 20 percent since 2009.
A Look at California
Locally, there were 271 fatal crashes involving large trucks in California in 2015, five accidents more than in 2014. These accidents resulted in 296 fatalities.
According to the FMSCA report, 60 percent of all fatal big rig accidents occurred on rural roads. Only 25 percent occurred on interstate highways. In addition, 75 percent of fatal crashes occurred during the day and majorly on weekdays (83 percent).
What Causes Big Rig Accidents?
The US Department of Transportation reports that close to 90 percent of large truck crashes are caused by human fault; either the driver was negligent, reckless, careless or distracted. This happens when the driver is:
- Distracted by devices such as mobile phones
- Excessive Speed
- Fatigued (30 percent of truck crashes were caused by driver fatigue)
- Intoxicated
- Insufficiently trained
- Violating traffic rules
Non-human related causes of truck accidents include:
- Bad weather
- Obstructions on the road
- Poor road conditions
- Defective vehicle equipment
Impact of Big Rig Accidents
Because of the sheer size of big rigs, accident victims suffer severe injuries that include:
- Broken bones
- Loss of limbs
- Neck and spine injuries
- Brain injuries
- Permanent scarring
- Bruises, cuts and lacerations
In the worst cases, these injuries cause death.
Victims have to incur high medical bills because of their injuries. In fact, fatal trailer accidents cost Americans over $20 billion each year, $13.1 billion of which is related to loss of quality life. The rest relates to lost wages and lost earning capacity.
Commercial truck accidents deal a heavy blow to the families of deceased and injured victims financially, emotionally and psychologically. If someone you loved suffered a San Francisco big rig injury, someone may have been liable for the accident. Contact the experienced San Francisco big rig accident attorneys at Deldar Legal today to discuss your legal options.
Posted in: Auto Accidents, Big Rig Accidents