As lovely as a Tennessee winter can be, you may be enjoying the beautiful, summer weather. Driving in winter can be tricky, but dry roads and plenty of sunshine have their own hazards. In fact, when the weather in Tennessee is good, traffic may be moving much faster, which can place you at risk of severe injuries in the event an accident occurs, especially if a tractor-trailer or other commercial vehicle is involved.
Sharing the road with a tractor-trailer can be a harrowing experience in the best conditions. They weigh many tons more than your vehicle even when their trailers are empty. If your vehicle is involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, you stand a much greater chance of suffering catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Common causes of truck accidents
Any accident includes so many variables that it is not always easy to identify the cause. In some cases, more than one factor may combine to cause an accident. Even if you drive defensively, obey the rules of the road and respect the right-of-way of the larger vehicles, there is no guarantee that another driver won’t make a reckless move that creates a multi-vehicle crash, including your vehicle. Following are some of the common mistakes both truckers and other drivers make.
Truckers may:
- Not receive adequate training to handle a rig
- Fail to understand the rules for safe driving, including rest breaks
- Drive too fast to make up for time lost on mandatory breaks
- Drive negligently to meet unreasonable demands of trucking companies
Other drivers may:
- Fail to allow enough time or space for a trucker to stop, such as pulling out in front of a rig or changing lanes without warning
- Try to pass a truck on the same side to which the truck is making a turn
- Refuse to slow down or allow a truck to merge into their lane
- Drive into oncoming traffic to pass a truck when it is unsafe to do so
Of course, driving too fast, allowing cellphones or other things to distract them, and driving while impaired are common issues with drivers of all types of vehicles.
Who can help you?
These are only a few of the driving errors that impatient, negligent or reckless drivers may make that create an unsafe situation for everyone on the road. If you or someone you love suffers injuries in an accident involving a tractor-trailer, you certainly want to maximize any compensation for which you are eligible. Having experienced legal advocacy may provide you with the resources you need to pursue your goals.