Rollover truck accidents happen all the time and can lead to serious injury or even death. Research has shown that the most common causes for rollover truck accidents can be prevented. Often these types of accidents are caused by driver error, problems with how their cargo was loaded, or roadway issues. The following are some of the most common causes for rollover truck accidents.
- Truck Speed
Probably the most common reason rollover truck accidents occur is because of the speed at which the truck was traveling. Most rollover truck accidents take place on the highway. That’s because vehicles on these roadways can legally travel at higher speeds. While speeds of 65 miles per hour or more may be fine on clear sunny days, driving that fast can be dangerous on wet road conditions, inclement weather or when the truck has a very heavy load. One truck crash causation study showed about 45% of rollover crashes were caused by excessive speed.
2. Curves
Curvy roadways are the second most common cause of truck rollover accidents. Plus, truck rollover accidents caused by curves result in almost one-third of truck rollover deaths. Curves in the road are particularly dangerous when combined with high-speed travel. Many of these types of accidents take place on highway on and off ramps. Semi trucks, with their trailers’ low roll stability are especially susceptible to being involved in those types of rollover accidents. If truck drivers are in a hurry, misjudge their speed or the severity of the curve or their loads are too heavy, curve-related rollovers can be the result.
3. Inattentive Drivers
Distracted drivers are the cause of many rollover truck accidents each year. Whether the driver is tired and nods off, is talking to passengers or looking at their phones or somewhere else besides the roadway ahead of them, it can have serious consequences. Often they may miss lane or direction changes, stopped traffic vital roadway information or roadway hazards. As a result they may attempt to make slit-second maneuvers and end up flipping their trucks and doing damage to themselves and others.
4. Loss Of Control
Many truck rollovers happen because the driver lost control of the truck. This can lead to over-steering, braking too rapidly or overcorrecting. Research shows that improper steering maneuvers was the primary control related issue in truck rollovers. Again, being sleepy or distracted are common reasons drivers lose control of their trucks. In some cases sudden lane changes, problems with the roadway or illness may be the reason the driver losses control of their truck and it ends up rolling it over.
5. Legal Help
A good truck accident attorney can help in many of these types of truck rollover crashes. They can identify some of the extenuating circumstances that led to the accident that were outside of the control of the driver. Often poor road maintenance or other factors could have been partially at fault. Pointing out facts like these can help a great deal when the case goes to court.
Contact the experienced lawyers at Terry & Kelly
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a large truck, contact an Austin truck accident attorney immediately in order to preserve certain legal rights and get you the compensation you deserve. Contact Terry and Kelly, PLLC at 512-910-2000 for a free consultation and case evaluation.