As one of our Pittsburgh readers, you know that sharing the roads with commercial trucks is a way of life as a driver.
It doesn’t matter if you’re making your way down I-79 from Pittsburgh to Washington or cruising on the outskirts of the city on the parkway, you’re sure to be in close proximity to trucks.
While there are things you can do to prevent an accident with a truck, such as keeping your distance when at all possible, commercial drivers don’t always take the same level of caution. Instead, they know they’re in the biggest vehicle on the road so they use this to their advantage.
Here are some of the primary causes of truck accidents:
- Lack of training, such as trucking companies that neglect to touch on common safety concerns and defensive driving
- Reckless driving, which takes on many forms such as speeding and failing to use a turn signal when changing lanes
- Drowsy driving, often related to a trucker who has been on the road for too many consecutive hours
- Driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs
- Unrealistic schedule, often because a trucking company wants its driver to reach his or her destination sooner than expected
- Distracted driving, with common forms including texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking and adjusting a GPS system
These are some of the many reasons why truckers cause accidents, not only in Pittsburgh but in other parts of the country as well.
It can be a challenge to deal with the aftermath of a truck accident, so preparation is key.
Your health comes first, but you should also take the time to learn more about the crash, such as why it occurred.
Once you collect all the necessary information, you can then turn your attention to your legal rights. Depending on the factors surrounding the crash, you may be able to seek compensation from the trucker and/or trucking company. If nothing else, you should learn more so you better understand what you can and can’t do.