Arizona’s varied terrain and often adverse weather conditions can test even highly trained and experienced truck drivers. Add to that distracted driving, mechanical problems, and incorrectly loaded cargo, and an accident can happen quickly and without warning.
If you recently experienced a trucking accident on an Arizona road, the experienced attorneys at Valley Injury Team know the challenges you’re facing. Regardless of your role in the accident, our attorneys will explain your options and help you take your next steps.
Four states border Arizona: New Mexico, California, Nevada, and Utah. The Grand Canyon State shares its southern border with Mexico. Every year, billions of tons of freight are transported on state roads and interstates, such as I-10 and I-17.
Truck drivers have a substantially lower crash rate than car drivers (27% lower). However, due to an 18-wheeler’s size and weight, truck accidents tend to have a much greater impact.
In 2022, over 120,000 large trucks were involved in crashes that caused injuries, according to the National Safety Council. Approximately 6,000 people died, nearly 70% of whom were passengers in other vehicles.
There were roughly 120,000 crashes on Arizona roads in the same year. While the vast majority of these accidents only involved passenger vehicles, thousands were attributed to large, cargo-carrying trucks.
If you’ve been in a truck accident, your injuries may be substantial, even life-changing. The capable attorneys at Valley Injury Team can make sure the responsible party is held accountable.
When a truck weighing 35,000 pounds (excluding cargo) jackknifes, rolls over, or collides with another vehicle, investigators will likely uncover multiple causes for the accident. Some contributing factors will trace back hours or days before the crash, while others will come into play seconds before the devastation occurs.
Here are a few of the most common causes of truck accidents.
Driver error tops the list of causes of truck accidents. Long-haul truckers may fail to follow the rules of the road when they speed, drive aggressively, or work while fatigued. Many also take their focus away from the road due to distractions like texting, talking on the phone, communicating with dispatch, eating, or using navigation apps.
Research reveals that car drivers cause three-quarters of fatal accidents involving both cars and trucks.
Most small-vehicle-driver errors don’t differ significantly from big-rig driver errors: distracted driving, aggressive driving, following too close, running traffic lights, and speeding are all common issues. However, alcohol- and drug-related impairments tend to run much higher among drivers of passenger vehicles.
In addition, those operating cars and small trucks frequently forget or ignore the fact that truck drivers need more space in all directions, particularly when making turns. Besides having sufficient room to operate their rigs, truck drivers must be able to see who’s following or passing them in their rear-view mirrors.
Although most accidents happen when the sky is clear, adverse weather conditions contribute to thousands of single- and multiple-vehicle accidents each year. In Arizona, truck drivers must contend with extreme heat, rain, snow, dust storms, and smoke from wildfires.
It’s hard to miss the black shreds of rubber littering the edges of interstates and other major highways. They indicate recent tire blowouts, a leading cause of truck accidents.
Other common mechanical failures that can lead to accidents include defective or incorrectly operating blinkers, headlights, wipers, or tie-downs, as well as faulty or failed suspension systems.
Proving the cause of your accident is crucial for seeking compensation for your damages. Our trucking accident attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident to determine what factors contributed to your crash.
The injuries truck drivers sustain in accidents vary widely. Among the most reported are crush injuries, including nerve, bone, and organ damage; head injuries, such as concussions, contusions, and traumatic brain injuries; back and spinal cord injuries; and blunt force-related internal injuries like contusions, abrasions, lacerations, and fractures.
Establishing the nature and extent of your injuries will be a big part of pursuing a claim. Our skilled legal team can assess your medical records to calculate fair and adequate compensation for your losses.
It depends on the case. Considerations include the number of drivers involved, the seriousness of the injuries and property damage, who was at fault, and whether you or the truck driver is an employee or contractor.
Trucking accidents often come with more complexity than passenger vehicle crashes, as a different set of state and federal laws and regulations apply to commercial vehicles.
In many cases, an accident may involve more than just the truck driver, trucking company, and other drivers impacted by the crash. The repercussions may extend to the truck manufacturer, a parts manufacturer, a cargo company, or any number of government agencies.
For drivers injured due to a truck driver’s negligence, the legal process goes a different route. Most of these cases become personal injury claims.
To support your claim for compensation, our trucking accident attorneys will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the accident, the at-fault truck driver, and the company that employs them. We’ll also interview witnesses and speak to experts, leaving no stone unturned as we strive to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Pursuing a claim successfully will require you to correctly identify the party responsible for your accident. The amount you can seek will depend on the truck driver or their employer’s insurance coverage, which can differ based on vehicle weight and cargo type.
Additionally, the extent of your injuries and property damage and whether the truck carried hazardous materials can also influence the outcome of your claim. Commercial truck drivers must conform to federal safety regulations, adding another layer of legal nuance to an already complicated situation.
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, contact Valley Injury Team for a free consultation with an Arizona lawyer who has experience handling the legal aftermath of truck crashes and worker injuries. Our team is ready to support your needs and help you pursue just compensation for your losses.
If you suffered injuries in an accident due to someone else’s negligence or wrong doing, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries and losses. At Valley Injury Team, we fight tirelessly to protect your rights and seek the compensation you need. We’re proud to serve clients throughout the Phoenix area, including Mesa, Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale and Queen Creek.
Valley Injury Team is committed to helping you understand your legal rights and options, reducing your stress and uncertainty, and giving you the support you need during this challenging time. Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation.
