Truck accidents in Arizona can be extremely dangerous. According to the NHTSA, although commercial trucking companies are legally required to adhere to certain safety standards, these are not necessarily enforced in all circumstances. Moreover, since trucks tend to be much larger than other vehicles, they may potentially be more deadly in the event of an accident.
There are a number of ways for commercial truck accidents to occur. Although the drivers of such vehicles overall tend drive safely, employer pressure can sometimes cause them to behave in unsafe ways. For example, drivers that receive incentives for driving faster and farther than others may be more at risk of being involved in fatigue-related crashes. Drivers might also not be properly trained to understand their own limitations, which can also put them at risk for involvement in dangerous car accidents. These incidents might be mitigated by instituting greater emphasis on safety within an organization.
When a large truck is involved in an accident, statistics provided by the NHTSA indicate that it’s much more likely to be a multiple vehicle crash; at least 81 percent of fatal truck accidents occur during multiple vehicle crashes. This can naturally increase the number of victims of such crashes, and indeed, of the 3,921 people killed in fatal truck crashes in 2012, 73 percent were occupants of vehicles other than the truck itself.
Trucking companies are required by state and federal laws to adhere to various safety practices with respect to driver fatigue, vehicle maintenance and other matters. If someone has been involved in accident with a truck, it may be necessary to investigate the policies and procedures of the company itself to verify compliance with these and other regulations. Should an investigation determine that noncompliance wholly or partially contributed to a plaintiff’s injury, he or she may be entitled to receive damages from the company and other entities involved in the incident.