When involved in an accident, large trucks can cause serious damage. Ranging from completely destroyed vehicles to tragic injuries or fatalities, truck accidents are devastating accident types. Here’s a look into truck accidents statistics both on a national level, as well as right here in Pennsylvania.
Number of Truck Crashes
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 342,000 truck accidents reported throughout the United States in the year 2013. In Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were 6,573 large trucks involved in traffic crashes.
Number of Injuries and Fatalities
Heavy truck crashes led to 28 occupant deaths in 2013 in Pennsylvania, but 155 total deaths. Nationally, the number of fatal collisions was much higher. Large truck accidents resulted in roughly 3,568 occupant deaths in 2013. There were also 95,000 people injured in large truck crashes that year.
Causation and Contributing Factors to Truck Accidents
During the weekday, the majority of large truck crashes nationally occurred during the daytime (73 percent of crashes). On the weekend, though, the trend shifted and the majority of crashes—60 percent—occurred during the nighttime. Sixty-four percent of large truck crashes in the U.S. occurred in rural areas.
Besides time and location of truck accidents, though, there were many other contributing factors. While only two percent of truck drivers involved in accidents nationally had a BAC (blood alcohol content) level of above .08 percent in 2013, 17 percent of truck drivers involved in fatal crashes had at least one prior speeding conviction.
In Pennsylvania, only 36 – or 0.6 percent – of truck drivers had a BAC level of above .08 percent. These numbers suggest that driver error—like speeding or truck driver distraction—contributed to truck accidents in 2013 both nationally and at the state level than did drinking while driving.
What to Do Following a Truck Accident
After a truck accident, you may have questions about what your rights are, how to file a claim, whether or not you should pursue a lawsuit, and who might be held liable. Because truck accidents are often complex—and the fact that there are often multiple parties on whose shoulder liability may fall—navigating the legal system is best with the assistance of an attorney.
At Cordisco & Saile LLC, our attorneys can work with you to help you understand all of the above. To that end, we maintain a current truck accidents blog that explains some of the more complex parts of truck crash law. To begin, give us a call today to schedule your free case consultation at 215-642-2335.
