A Vancouver, Washington truck accident lawyer explains what to know
In an effort to reduce the number of bus and truck accidents nationwide, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has budgeted $480 million as part of a road safety effort designed to prevent accidents involving these large commercial vehicles.
“Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grant funding is an important tool for reducing crashes and fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles,” acting FMCSA Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless said in a press release published by Safety + Health magazine.
So, what is the FMCSA doing to prevent bus and truck accidents? How common are these accidents? Why do they happen? And what legal options are available for bus and truck accident injury victims? Vancouver, Washington truck accident attorney Colin Scott of The Scott Law Firm, PLLC explains what to know.
What is the FMCSA doing to prevent bus and truck accidents?
The recent $480 million in federal grants will address bus and truck safety in several different ways, including:
- More safety inspections of large commercial trucks and buses.
- Additional investigations of commercial motor carriers in response to safety concerns about individual companies.
- Increased audits of new truck carriers and bus companies, with additional emphasis on responsible operation and safe transportation of goods and passengers.
- Educating the public, commercial truck and bus drivers, and companies about the importance of driver safety, especially when it comes to common causes of collisions like distracted driving.
How common are bus and truck accidents?
The good news is accidents involving commercial trucks and buses decreased last year, according to accident data compiled by the FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Specifically, the number of fatalities for such accidents decreased by an estimated 8 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to Safety + Health magazine based on federal accident data for commercial trucks and buses.
To put such numbers in perspective, there were 168,320 accidents nationwide in 2022 involving large commercial vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 pounds, according to FMCSA accident data. This includes 116,353 semi-truck tractor-trailer accidents in 2022.
What are common causes of commercial truck accidents?
Like many motor vehicle accidents, some of the most common causes of collisions involving commercial trucks and buses involve some of the following common contributing factors:
- Speeding drivers, especially on busy highways, where many commercial truck drivers travel at high speeds.
- Distracted drivers, especially truck drivers texting while driving, operating a cellphone, looking up directions or talking to a truck company dispatcher while driving.
- Falling asleep at the wheel, which is common for many long-haul truckers who work long hours driving tractor-trailers, delivery trucks and other large commercial vehicles.
- Truck drivers under the influence of alcohol or other drugs while driving.
In addition, other common causes of commercial truck accidents include:
- Improper truck brakes, which remain one of the most common commercial truck violations, according to Transport Topics and The Trucker.
- Inexperienced truck drivers, who often don’t know how to safely judge high-risk situations on the road.
- Truck drivers with a history of reckless driving.
What legal options are available for commercial truck accident victims?
People injured in an accident caused by a bus or commercial truck have one or more legal options for recovering money they deserve for their accident-related expenses, such as:
- Accept a one-time settlement offer from the at-fault party.
- File a lawsuit seeking damages, the legal term for compensation for all financial losses.
Common at-fault parties in truck accident claims may, but do not always, include:
- The truck driver who caused the collision.
- The trucking company that employs the truck driver.
- One or more businesses that loaded the truck (for example, if the truck was loaded improperly, and that is what caused the accident).
- The company that owns the truck’s trailer or cab, which can sometimes be different companies.
Vancouver, Washington truck accident lawyer Colin Scott has experience handling cases that involve a bus or semi-truck and knows what to do in such situations. We have many years of experience handling motor vehicle accident cases of all kinds and getting bus and truck accident injury victims the money they rightfully deserve.
Why should I hire a Washington truck accident attorney?
"I cannot say enough good things about the result of my decision to retain Colin Scott as my attorney.” – Gary
If a bus or truck driver caused your collision in Washington, you might think you don’t even need a lawyer to get the money you deserve for all your accident-related expenses. Unfortunately, many injury claims involving buses and commercial trucks often turn out to be extremely complicated legal cases.
Vancouver, Washington truck accident lawyer Colin Scott knows exactly what to do in such situations. That’s because we have years of experience handling these complex cases and getting truck accident injury victims the money they rightfully deserve.
Put your trust in a law firm that puts your needs first. Contact us and schedule a free consultation with a Washington truck accident lawyer ready to fight for you. We work on a contingency fee basis. That means you only have to pay us if we secure a financial settlement or verdict for you. Schedule an appointment at our Vancouver, Washington office today. We handle legal cases statewide.