Utah Semi Truck Accident and Injury Lawyers
An everyday semi-truck on the road can appear harmless, but quickly turn deadly when the truck goes out of control. Large Truck accidents are far more frequent than you may know. Every 16 minutes, a person is killed or sustains injuries in accidents involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, or semi-trucks. Truck driver’s work long hours at a time transporting merchandise all over the country. They often become fatigued while driving which often results in poor judgment calls in critical moments on the road.
In 2001, 429,000 large trucks were involved in traffic crashes in the United States. Sadly 4,793 of those were fatal causing the deaths of 5,082 people. If these numbers appear staggering, the number of people injured in large truck collisions in 2001 is even more dramatic. 131,000 people were injured in collisions with heavy trucks in 2001. These accidents happen frequently and are affecting large numbers of innocent people. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that in crashes involving large trucks and other vehicles, 98% of the fatalities occur to people in vehicles that collide with large trucks. Consequently it’s generally not the truck drivers who are seriously affected by their mistakes, it’s you.
Large truck accidents can occur at any time and any place. The accident report for the year 2002 shows just how true that is. 71% of Large Truck accidents occurred during good weather, 71% on dry roads, 75% during the daytime, and 88% on weekdays. Almost half of Utah Semi truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not Utah. These accidents can happen anywhere and at any time and affect any person, not just in bad weather or heavy traffic.
The bad news is that the number of large truck accidents isn’t decreasing; in fact it’s getting worse. From 1992 to 2002, the number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes increased by 10 percent. As this number grows the threat of fatal accidents caused by large trucks grows with it and makes our roads increasingly unsafe. The increase in accidents over the ten-year period regrettably does not point towards bad weather or increased traffic, it points to irresponsibility: driver fatigue, unsafe vehicle operation, large, unstable loads or defective equipment.
Utah State law protects individuals who fall victim to tractor trailer accidents, entitling them to damages that include pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses, etc. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Utah Truck accident, contacting a knowledgeable lawyer will help ensure you receive just compensation. The Salt Lake City, Utah Large Truck accident attorneys at the Christensen Law Firm specialize in commercial truck accident claims and will provide you with the legal representation you need to protect your future. Unlike other law firms, we limit the amount of cases we accept to ensure all our clients receive the personal attention they deserve.
