There are over three million professional truck drivers in the United States as reported by the American Trucking Association. With the abundance of semi truck drivers on the road, most of them can usually be found driving on the main interstate highways, essentially meaning that there is a higher risk for semi truck wrecks.
There are some key pieces of information that most professional truck drivers know that many motorists do not, including:
Truck drivers are rarely injured in a semi truck wreck with a passenger car.
Most passenger cars normally weigh in at about 5,000 pounds or less. Coupled with the fact that semi trucks typically weigh anywhere up to 80,000 pounds, you can guess which automobile typically tends to suffer the most damage if the two are in an accident. Because the semi truck has such an advantage in size, truck drivers rarely experience injuries to the degree that the drivers in their smaller counterparts do. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) approximates that over a half of a million semi truck accidents occur yearly, meaning that passenger vehicles need to keep an extra eye out while on the road.
Learn more about how to safely navigate around big rigs here.
Truck drivers are held to a higher standard.
Aside from abiding by the rules of the road that passenger vehicles have to follow, truck drivers have to also follow a set of regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These safety rules address everything from truck maintenance, how the truck drivers are expected to handle their vehicle, challenging weather conditions, to a requirement for safety policies implementation.
Truck drivers are often trained in what to do after a semi truck wreck.
It is not uncommon for most trucking companies to institute procedures for their drivers to adhere to in the event that they are involved in a semi truck wreck. Usually, this training reiterates that the truck company does not want the truck driver to give statements to third parties at the scene or admit that they may have been at fault. They can also instruct the truck drivers to take photos at the accident and to fill out a short statement detailing the events that have transpired.
Trucking companies are required to have commercial liability policies.
The FMCSA regulations further require both the truck driver and the company to be covered by commercial liability insurance at the minimum of $750,000 and up. Generally speaking, large semi-truck companies usually have numerous layers of insurance with at least a one million-dollar policy with additional coverage above that base liability policy. Since there is usually a higher chance for a semi-truck wreck, the safety truck regulations often require more insurance coverage to compensate.
If you have gotten into a truck accident and have no idea where to turn, the Law Offices of Zappettini & Bradley is here for you. Contact us today, and we can help you navigate your truck accident claim.
