Fatal Accidents Involving Large Trucks on the Rise

Mississippi drivers may be interested to learn that the number of large trucks involved in fatal accidents increased in 2015, according to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These are the most current numbers available.

The FMCSA reports that 4,050 large trucks, which are those over 10,000 pounds, were involved in fatal accidents in 2015. This is an 8 percent increase from the 3,749 that were involved in deadly crashes in 2014. However, the number of large trucks involved in injury accidents dropped by 1 percent between 2014 and 2015, from 88,000 to 87,000. In 2015, the number of large trucks involved in crashes that caused only property damage dropped by 1 percent, from 346,000 to 342,000.

The number of large trucks and buses involved in deadly accidents has been trending upward for several years. In 2009, there were a total of 3,432 large trucks and buses involved in fatal crashes. By 2015, that number had jumped to 4,311, which is a significant increase of 26 percent.

Truck accidents can be caused by a number of factors, including an inattentive or unqualified truck driver, speeding, or negligent truck maintenance. Regardless of the cause, they can result in catastrophic and sometimes fatal injuries to occupants of other vehicles, in large part due to the overwhelming size and weight of 18-wheelers. People who are injured often face the need for lengthy and expensive medical care and treatment. When it can be determined that the accident was the fault of the truck driver or trucking company, an attorney can often assist those who have been harmed in seeking appropriate compensation.