Driving alongside semis with double tractor-trailers or giant box trucks can make any Spokane motorist a bit anxious. These large vehicles can be unpredictable and their payloads can swing back and forth from your lane to theirs.
These trucks can be hard to wrangle under the best of circumstances, but when truck drivers are giving less than 100% of their attention to the road, the chances of a scary collision increase dramatically. You are right to be afraid when a big rig is piloted by distracted drivers who aren’t fully focused on their job.
Finding Support for Truck Accident Victims in Spokane
Victims injured due to the mistake of a truck driver should never have to sit and wait for medical support and help with missed paychecks at work. Truck drivers and the companies they drive for should be fully responsible for a victim’s recovery.
Insurance companies for at-fault drivers can make it hard for victims to earn a fair settlement. However, you can count on an attorney with CCD Law of Spokane to fight for every cent you need to pay for recovery and to rebuild your life. Contact us today for a free consultation and tell us what happened to you.
Distraction Dangers for Truck Drivers
Truck drivers make the long haul for hours at a time. They don’t get a lot of breaks and they may not get the sleep they should. For some drivers, the fight to stay awake on those long trips can be challenging.
They can turn to entertainment and their cellphones to stay engaged, but these obvious distractions will take their eyes off the road and put the safety of everyone else in the lanes in danger. Beyond just veering out of a lane, a truck driver can miss seeing stopped traffic ahead and look up too late to prevent an accident.
Studies show that a fully loaded big rig going just 65mph can need the length of almost two football fields to come to a complete stop. So those recognition and reaction times of a distracted driver can make the difference between a close call and a devastating multiple vehicle collision.
Truck drivers face plenty of temptation for distraction on the road. These are just a few of the factors that may draw their eyes and attention from their windshields:
- Cellphone Use – Texting while on the road or checking social media posts are temptations every driver faces. Drivers can look at a screen for only a few seconds and not realize they’ve traveled hundreds of feet by the time they look up. A phone call and even hands-free conversations can be enough to affect the focus of a truck driver.
- Entertainment – Drivers can watch movies to pass the time and even though their eyes aren’t on the screen every moment, their attention on the road can fade. Tuning a satellite radio to a new station can cause a distraction. Some truck drivers have even been known to attempt to read a book while driving.
- Driver physical and mental state – We can all have a bad day and struggle to keep our thoughts on the road. This same emotional trauma can affect attentiveness of truck drivers.
- Drug use — Intoxicants can affect the ability to focus on the road. Truck drivers are tested for drug use when they are hired and face random testing throughout the year. They can still use a drug to keep themselves awake and alert, yet these drugs may pose even more problems. An adverse effect from a drug can leave drivers impaired. They are often unable to tell when they aren’t fit to be behind the wheel.
Who Can Be Held Accountable for a Truck Accident?
When a truck driver loses focus on the highway or the street ahead, devastating collisions are possible. Victims shouldn’t have to wonder who to turn to seek support while they recover, but truck accidents can involve several different insurance policies.
Drivers could have personal truck accident insurance coverage. The company they work for could be providing the coverage. The driver’s parent company may also be held liable if maintenance or repair negligence was to blame for an accident. Companies end up responsible for the safe operation of their equipment. They may also be liable if they didn’t perform proper drug and background checks on their employee.
The truck’s manufacturer may share some blame if a vehicle or part design flaw contributed to the collision. Recalls may have been due for a big rig but were ignored. This is all evidence of negligence in the victim’s favor.
Contact a Truck Accident Victim in Spokane
A truck driver may have carelessly looked away from the road and caused a devastating accident for you or a loved one. The fault may be clear but insurance companies will still attempt to call your injury claim into question.  Don’t accept this shameful treatment.
Allow a Truck Accident Lawyer serving Spokane and the surrounding area to make sure you and your family get what you need to rebuild your lives after a devastating collision. Contact CCD Law for a free case strategy session. Tell us what happened to you so we can begin securing the compensation you’ll need to make a full recovery.
