A dump truck and a car tangled at Dogwood Road and Airport Road around 2 p.m., Monday, March 11, 2019. According to police, the dump truck was traveling northbound on Airport Road when a car come onto Airport Road from Jade Avenue, and the truck hit the car on the driver’s side.
The driver of the car, a 67-year-old woman died at the scene, and her 45-year-old passenger was seriously injured and taken to St. Luke’s Hospital at Fountain Hill.
Dump Truck Crashes
Dump trucks are big and heavy and when fully loaded can weigh over 80,000 lbs. So when a 4,000 lb car and a dump truck collide, the car is going to take the brunt of the damage. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 3,986 people died in large truck crashes in 2016, and passenger vehicle drivers and occupants comprised 66 percent of those fatalities. This shows how dangerous it is to drive around dump trucks.
The Institute also reports that in most cases, the fault of the accident is on the other vehicle and not the truck driver. This means that people are making mistakes around dump trucks and paying for them with injuries and fatalities.
One problem for drivers when it comes to dump trucks is that these trucks have large blind-spots called “no-go zones”, and many times drivers of cars zip around the heavier trucks not giving them the respect due. Also, trucks—especially fully loaded—take a lot longer and more road to stop.
How do These Crashes Occur?
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 59 percent of all large truck crashes occur on U.S. highways while 19 percent of them occurred on freeways and interstate highways while the balance of them occurred on state highways, county roads and minor roads.
While each crash is unique, there are common causes of dump truck and larger truck crashes with driver error being a common factor in many of them
- Speeding: Overall, speed is a primary cause of over 31 percent of all traffic fatalities, and when cars speed around big commercial trucks, it can be risky.
- Impairment: While the percentage of impaired truck driver accidents is much lower than those in passenger cars, 2018 showed a 5.9% increase in truck-driver crashes were the bac of the driver was .08 or higher.
- Distracted driving: Texting and other cell phone use is rapidly overtaking all other forms of distracted driving. Others include changing the radio or cd player, or eating.
- Drowsy Drivers: Trucks often spend hours on the road leading to driver fatigue.
- Load shifts: These happen when an unsecured load causes a truck to swerve or jackknife, this can be avoided by using suitable restraints to properly secure the cargo or load of he vehicle.
Do I need an Attorney?
If you are injured by a dump truck or other large commercial truck, you might wonder if you need an attorney. The truth is, many times you don’t. However, if you don’t have someone looking out for your interests, then you are left with relying on the insurance company to treat you fairly. It is the insurance agent’s job to pay you as little as allowed.
You need to see an attorney who can evaluate your case and give you advice based on what’s best for you. Don’t just take the word of the insurance company regarding how much you are entitled to. Call the Pearce Law Firm, P.C. at (215) 557-8686 or text at (215) 880 6164. You can also send them a message online by clicking here.
