Trucking Accident Areas

Overview

Arizona Truck Accident Injury Attorneys

Our law firm has handled many truck accident cases and our lawyers are aware of the devastating effects that serious injuries can have on victims and their families. We have prepared the following pages to provide you with additional information about truck safety laws and the legal assistance our attorneys provide.

For more information about a topic, click the heading.

Trucking Accident

Large commercial trucks, also known as semis, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers, account for a disproportionate share of serious injuries and traffic deaths on America's highways. According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), large trucks account for 12 percent of all traffic fatalities, even though they account for only 3 percent of all registered vehicles and 7 percent of vehicle miles traveled.

Truck-Car Collisions

Drivers and passengers in cars are especially vulnerable in collisions involving large trucks because of the weight difference between the two types of vehicles. Cars weigh an average of 3,596 pounds, while large commercial trucks (known as semis, eighteen wheelers, and tractor-trailers) can weigh up to 80,000 pounds with their loads. In car-truck collisions, 98 percent of the fatalities were occupants of the car.

Trucking Laws

Federal interstate trucking regulations and Arizona intrastate trucking regulations govern everything from the truck maintenance, to how loads are secured, to what routes trucks are allowed to drive, and how truckers are allowed to drive. The regulations are designed to reduce the number of people injured and killed in car-truck collisions.

Truck Accident Causes

Truck accidents often involve some type of negligence on the part of the truck driver, the trucking company, or both. Some of the common causes of car-truck accidents include driver fatigue, aggressive driving, improper maintenance of the truck or trailer, improper loading, and driving with an unsecured load.

Fault in Truck Accidents

Fault in a truck accident may involve driver error, negligence on the part of the company that hired the driver, negligence on the part of the company that owns the trailer, or all three.

Truck Driver Responsibilities

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, more than one-fourth of the truck drivers who are involved in fatal crashes in 2004 had at least one prior speeding conviction. Seven percent of truck drivers had a previous license suspension or revocation. Many trucking companies negligently hire drivers with bad driving records because they want to move cargo at the cheapest possible price.

RV Accident

Many people take to Arizona roads in motor homes, travel trailers, 5th wheelers, and other recreational vehicles (RVs). Unfortunately, some of the people operating these vehicles are inexperienced drivers who present a danger to those in smaller cars and trucks.

Bus/Train Accidents

Trains and buses are known as "common carriers." This means that the businesses or municipalities operating these vehicles, as well as the drivers operating the vehicles, have a high level of responsibility to transport each paying passenger in a safe manner.

Free Initial Consultation

We offer a free initial consultation to clients with trucking accident injuries. If you cannot make it to our office, we will come to you at the hospital or at your home.

Contact the Phoenix, Arizona truck accident injury attorneys at HPC today at 602.271.9344.

What to Expect in your Initial Meeting

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