Being in any accident on the road is scary and damaging. Being in a truck accident, however, often leads to the greatest of injuries.

For example, if a loaded 18-wheeler were to rear-end you while going 25 mph, then you’d be hit with 179,844 pounds of force. For a 2000-pound Honda Civic to inflict the same amount of force in an accident, it would have to be traveling at 442 mph. See the difference?

Because of this, truck drivers have a huge responsibility to stay safe on the roads — and yet, accidents happen. When these accidents happen and you’re left as the victim, you need representation from a truck accident lawyer. Here at Metier Law Firm, we serve clients throughout Fort Collins, Denver Metro, Golden, and Colorado Springs. For strength when you need it, we’re here. Contact us today for a risk-free consultation if you’ve been in a truck accident, and read below to learn common causes of truck accidents.

Impaired Driving

No one should be on the road driving when their abilities are impaired in any way. In the U.S., 29 people die every day in a motor vehicle crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver. In 2016, 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes; this was 28% of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. that year.

These numbers are shockingly high, and yet they don’t include other types of impaired driving. Our truck accident law firm has seen impaired driving result from the following reasons:

• Fatigue – We all know we shouldn’t drive when we’re tired. In fact, many studies indicate that driving while tired is as bad as driving while intoxicated. If a truck driver was driving while seriously fatigued and it resulted in an accident, our truck accident lawyers will find out.
• Alcohol or drug use – Consumption of any substances, such as alcohol or drugs, can lead to serious truck accidents on the road. Truck drivers — just like all drivers — should not consume harmful substances before or during a drive. Let our truck accident lawyers determine if this is the cause of your accident.
• Distracted – Perhaps the driver was emotionally distracted, texting while driving, or otherwise using their phone while driving. If their distraction was the cause of the crash and your injury, then you deserve compensation.

Speeding

Remember that example about how a loaded 18-wheeler would hit you with 179,844 pounds of force when traveling at 25 mph? Now imagine if that same truck were traveling the speed limit of 65 mph or it was speeding at just 10 miles over the limit. The difference would be immense — and could be negatively life-altering for you.

Serious bodily injuries occur as a result of speeding truck drivers. These injuries could include everything from spinal injuries to traumatic brain injuries, loss of limbs, paralysis, and more. Laws are there for a reason, and if you’ve been the victim of a truck accident because someone else wasn’t following the speed limit, then our truck accident lawyers can defend you and work hard to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

Blind Spots

All cars have blind spots — but trucks’ blind spots can be seriously dangerous. For a truck, blind spots are known as No Zones.

A No Zone is the area around the truck where your car is either no longer visible or where you are so close to the truck that it can’t stop or maneuver safely. It’s important for you to avoid these No Zones as much as possible, but it’s equally important for truck drivers to move cautiously and prevent cars from entering their No Zones as much as possible.

Tip: If you can’t see yourself in the reflection of the truck’s side mirror, then the truck driver can’t see you.

Poor Maintenance

Truck drivers have strict standards for maintenance on their vehicles, and it makes sense. After all, they drive the truck all day every day — not just to work and a restaurant like you do. If they don’t maintain their truck properly, then they could put themselves and all other drivers on the road at serious risk.

If you were in a truck accident and the driver inadvertently caused the accident by not maintaining their truck properly, then we’ll find out. Our truck accident lawyers are trained to determine what the root cause of the accident was.

Work With A Truck Accident Lawyer In Colorado

Whether your truck accident was caused by one of the aspects outlined in today’s blog or by something else entirely, our team of truck accident lawyers will find out.

Today, modern commercial trucks are equipped with monitoring systems that alert quick response teams of attorneys and investigators. This is done immediately following an accident so they can start to build their case against you. How do we know this? We used to be them.

Now, we’re one of the good guys. We’ll work tirelessly to determine what caused the accident and what compensation you need for short- and long-term health and success. We’ll build a strong case that is trial-ready.

We know that injuries from truck accidents can last forever — but we also know you deserve compensation and justice. For a truck accident lawyer throughout Fort Collins, Denver Metro, Golden, or Colorado Springs, you can count on Metier Law Firm. Contact us today to schedule a risk-free consultation and start working toward your truck crash settlement.