Posted in Personal Injury,Truck Wreck on May 12, 2017
Two people suffered critical injuries after their vehicle collided with a semi-truck in Rutherford County on Monday at around 11 a.m.
Per a report by WKRN.com, the accident occurred at the intersection of South Church Street and Joe B. Jackson Parkway near Walmart.
A spokesperson with the Murfreesboro Police Department told reporters that the victims were in critical condition after the accident. WSMV.com reports that a LifeFlight helicopter was called to the scene to transport the victims to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
The identities of the victims haven’t been released, and the cause of the crash is also unknown. Law enforcement officers are investigating the crash.
The Daily News Journal reports that a portion of Shelbyville Pike is closed due to the accident.
4 Common Causes of Big Truck Accidents
When cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs are involved with accidents with big trucks, drivers and their passengers are at risk of suffering critical and often life-threatening injuries. The average passenger vehicle weighs around 4,000 pounds, while semi-trucks can weigh around 80,000 pounds when they’re carrying cargo. The differences in size and weight mean that big trucks can cause significant damage to smaller vehicles.
Knowing some of the most common causes of big truck accidents may help you avoid being involved in one:
Driving while preoccupied or distracted is quickly becoming one of the most common causes of all types of accidents, including truck accidents. The drivers of both passenger vehicles and semi-trucks can cause accidents when they fail to pay attention to the roadway due to things like talking on the phone, sending and reading text messages, and doing anything else that takes their focus off the task of driving.
Trucks have multiple “no-zones” located on their cabins and trailers. When vehicles drive in these no-zones, truck drivers may be unable to see them. The next time you drive near a big truck, keep the four no-zones in mind, which include the space directly in front of the driver, directly below his side window, directly behind the truck, and in his blind spot on the passenger side of the cabin and extending down the length of the trailer.
Trucking companies and the drivers they employ are under pressure to make deliveries as fast as possible. And while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires that drivers abide by a strict rest and time off schedule, some drivers and their employers may fail to follow those regulations to improve productivity and efficiency. When that happens, drivers are more likely to make mistakes behind the wheel or even fall asleep, putting themselves and other drivers at serious risk of accidents.
Trucks may rack up hundreds of thousands of miles in a single year of operation. And while their parts are designed to withstand frequent cross-country trips, they still need to be maintained and replaced regularly. However, some truck drivers and trucking companies neglect maintenance schedules to save time and money. Trucks that have aging or failing brakes and tires can be extremely hazardous to their drivers and other motorists.
Other common causes include drivers making right turns into the paths of big truck trailers, passing trucks in situations where their drivers don’t have enough time to slow down or stop, and impaired and intoxicated driving.
At Matt Hardin Law, our Nashville truck accident attorneys know how dangerous semi-trucks can be when they’re involved in accidents with passenger vehicles. Victims of these types of crashes often suffer debilitating and even life-threatening injuries that can leave them facing expensive medical bills and significant time away from work.
If you or someone you know was hurt in a truck accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, you may be eligible to pursue a claim for compensation. Our legal team has helped victims like you for more than 20 years, and we know how to build cases that get results. Contact us today by dialing (615) 200-1111 or completing a free online consultation form.
