What Percentage of Truck Accidents are Caused by Cars?

Not all truck accidents are caused by truck drivers. Many crashes involving a semi or large commercial truck and a car are caused by the automobile driver.

The most comprehensive analysis of commercial truck accidents found that in collisions between trucks and passenger cars, the passenger car driver or vehicle was at fault slightly more often than the truck driver.

In two-vehicle accidents between one truck and one passenger vehicle, 56 percent of passenger cars and 44 percent of trucks were responsible for the crash, the Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) says. These statistics give trucking companies more reason to try to blame the passenger car drive after collisions between trucks and cars.

The issue of fault is often more complicated to determine in semi-truck accidents. Passenger vehicle drivers need experienced legal help if they have been injured in a truck accident. There could be tens of thousands of dollars in compensation for medical bills and other losses on the line.

Experience and Resources Dedicated to Truck Accident Cases

At Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, our truck accident lawyers have extensive experience representing victims of large truck crashes. Our firm has dedicated its resources to focus on truck accidents in Indiana and the Midwest.

Attorneys David W. Craig and Scott A. Faultless are certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in the area of personal injury law involving semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles. The law firm has pursued injury cases against semi-truck drivers and trucking companies in Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Kansas.

Craig, Kelley & Faultless has assembled a truck accident emergency response team that includes a private investigator, a mechanical expert, an expert qualified to download data from a commercial truck’s “black box” event data recorder, and an accident reconstruction specialist.

Why Accidents Between Large Trucks and Passenger Vehicles Happen

While the Large Truck Crash Causation Study says passenger vehicle drivers are overall more often at fault for collisions with commercial trucks, there are several causes of accidents that are more likely to be the truck driver’s fault.

According to an analysis of the LTCC, the truck driver is more likely to have been at fault if the critical reason for an accident was:

• Recognition – not seeing what was happening, inattention, or distracted driving
• A driving decision – such as speeding or other forms of aggressive driving
• Vehicle failure – such as failed brakes, or a blown tire.
• Driving too fast for conditions – failing to slow down for inclement weather or congested traffic

Additional contributing factors to truck accidents that are more likely to be the truck driver’s fault include:

• Failure to stop to avoid the crash
• Unfamiliarity with the roadway
• Delivery deadline pressure
• A false assumption, such as expecting the other driver to turn or yield

In cases in which the car driver is at fault, the cause of the crash is more likely:

• Driver error, e.g., overcompensating in a turn or drifting from a lane
• Illegal maneuvers, such as illegal turn
• Fatigue or falling asleep
• Illness
• Alcohol or drug use

Statistics from the study indicate that trucks or truck drivers are more likely to cause a crash because of the trucker’s aggressive or inattentive driving or the vehicle’s failure. Passenger vehicle drivers are more likely to cause a crash because of adverse physical conditions or a driving error.

Let Us Investigate the Truck Accident That Injured You

An independent investigation by our truck accident investigative team can show how and why a truck accident occurred.

Our team can gather evidence in several ways:

• Accident scene: We move quickly to secure evidence at the scene and obtain photographs and measurements that help show what happened.
• Witness statements: We work to locate witnesses and security cameras footage.
• Vehicle damage: We will secure a court order to ensure that the truck is not touched until our investigators can access it. Our mechanic will examine the truck’s brakes and other systems and components.
• Event data recorder: We’ll download the EDR (black box) contents for information about the truck’s speed, braking, and trajectory before the crash.
• Truck driver and company records: Truckers maintain detailed logs of driving and other job activities and required rest breaks. Trucking companies must keep records of maintenance and repairs, driver licensing and training, and more. We can examine these for evidence of wrongdoing.
• Accident reconstruction: When necessary, our forensic consultants can analyze the variety of data we gather and reconstruct the truck accident to determine how it occurred and who is at fault.

Contact Our Indiana Truck Accident Attorneys

After a serious truck accident, it is not unusual for the trucking company, or commercial motor carrier, that owns the truck and employs the truck driver to move quickly to shut down inquiries into the wreck. They may offer the victims a settlement, which is invariably too low or forcefully assert reasons for blaming the passenger car driver for the accident. Some trucking companies will move quickly to get rid of the wrecked truck and make the truck driver unavailable to investigators. We have had to track down trucks across multiple states to examine them before they were scrapped.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you may be eligible for significant compensation for your losses. This requires a thorough investigation that finds the evidence needed to demonstrate who should be accountable for the accident and your injuries.

Our experienced Indiana truck accident attorneys can make sure that your legal rights are protected. We are committed to securing the information and evidence required to find out the truth about your truck accident. Our goal is to help you recover full compensation for your losses to ensures your future financial stability.

Contact Craig Kelley & Faultless at (800) 746-0226 or online for a free consultation about your accident. If you are unable to come to us, we will come to you.