Delivery Truck Accidents Can Be an Overlooked Hazard

You see them every day – they might be box trucks, they might be large vans. Delivery vehicles are everywhere these days, whether they bear the logos of Amazon, Federal Express, UPS, or the local grocery store. These vehicles are on the road a lot and, like all other kinds of vehicles, they get involved in accidents. The difference is, almost all of these delivery vehicles are larger and heavier than almost all passenger vehicles, and when they are involved in accidents with passenger vehicles, the smaller vehicle often loses. If you have been injured in an accident with a delivery truck, you should consider speaking with a Round Rock personal injury attorney.

Transportation Accidents, Including Delivery Trucks, Are a Leading Cause of Injuries and Fatalities

Federal statistics show that transportation accidents are the leading cause of workplace deaths. Delivery drivers, sales workers, and truck drivers had the most work fatalities of any occupation group. The problem for people who aren’t truck drivers, including delivery drivers, is that those delivery drivers often were in an accident with someone else – usually in a passenger vehicle smaller than the delivery vehicle. While delivery vehicles often weigh from 12,000 to 30,000 pounds, most passenger vehicles weigh no more than 2,000 pounds. Even delivery vans typically used by companies such as Amazon, such as the Mercedes Sprinter, weigh more than 11,000 pounds.

Official data make it difficult to tell how much local delivery trucks contribute to accident rates. The federal government defines large trucks as any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds. Most commercial delivery trucks are between 10,000 and 20 thousand pounds. Nearly 5,000 people were killed in accidents involving large trucks in a single year, and more than 20 percent of these crashes involved delivery-sized vehicles. In fact, industry statistics indicate that the accident rate for delivery fleet trucks is at 20 percent and rising.

The reasons behind delivery truck accidents are basically the same as for most other traffic accidents. They include:

  1. Driver non-performance, meaning the driver fell asleep, was disabled by a heart attack of some form of seizure, or was impaired for another reason;
  2. The driver was inattentive or distracted;
  3. The driver was going too fast for conditions, misjudged the actions of other vehicles, or was following another vehicle too closely;
  4. The driver made an overcompensating action to a traffic situation, used poor directional control, or panicked.

Inadequate training of drivers, improperly or overloaded trucks, and overwork also can be factors.

 

If You Have Been Involved in an Accident With a Delivery Truck, Call the Round Rock Personal Injury Attorneys at Elissa I. Henry Law Firm, PLLC

If you have suffered a personal injury in an accident with a delivery truck, you should contact the lawyers of Elissa I. Henry Law Firm, PLLC. We have the experience to assist you and determine if you are entitled to compensation, and you can reach us at (512) 766-4529 or through our website for your free case evaluation.