The holiday shopping season is here. With it will come a significant increase in the amount of delivery trucks that take to the road. Although that may not seem problematic at first glance, the reality is that these trucks often pose a threat to other motorists, sometimes even causing devastating accidents that result in serious injuries or death.
But how do delivery truck accidents occur? Let’s look at some of the most common reasons that may leave you susceptible:
- Distraction: This may seem obvious since distracted driving is a problem with all motorists, but delivery drivers can be even more distracted as they take their eyes off the road to look for delivery addresses and side streets or as they confer with their navigation device. Taking your eyes off the road for just a couple of seconds can cause a significant amount of distance to pass without your attention, which means that these delivery truck drivers are essentially navigating city streets with temporary blindness.
- Abrupt vehicle movements: Although delivery trucks should be driven with care, many drivers make abrupt turns onto side streets and brake suddenly in order to stop at a home or business. These quick and unexpected movements can result in other motorists being taken by surprise, sometimes resulting in rear-end collisions or t-bone wrecks.
- Speeding: Delivery truck drivers are on tight timelines, especially during the holiday season. As a result, they oftentimes drive faster than they should, which means that they may be unable to stop quickly enough to avoid an accident or they may run a traffic signal or stop sign.
- Poor reversing: Backing up a big truck can be difficult, meaning that it requires care to do so safely. Yet, all too often delivery truck drivers reverse their vehicles too quickly, which means that they may fail to recognize that there’s a pedestrian, bicyclist, or another vehicle behind them.
- Improper cargo securement: To try to make their deliveries more quickly, many of these truck drivers leave their doors open. If the cargo inside the vehicle is improperly secured, though, then boxes can fall out, forcing other vehicles to take evasive maneuvers. This can result in a multitude of accidents.
- Inadequate maintenance: Delivery trucks should be properly maintained in order to safely operate on the road. In far too many instances, though, delivery companies fail to make proper repairs to their trucks. This can leave these trucks at risk of being compromised in a way that puts other motorists at risk of being involved in a wreck.
- Failing to use the parking brake: If a delivery truck stops, the driver should be sure to use the parking brake. If he doesn’t do so, then the truck could roll away and potentially hit a pedestrian or bicyclist. The truck could even end up rolling into an intersection, thereby causing a multi-vehicle accident.
Have you been injured in a delivery truck accident?
If you’ve been injured in a wreck involving one of these vehicles, then you may be wondering about what you can do to find some accountability and obtain the compensation that you need to recover from your injuries. Fortunately, an attorney can help you analyze your situation and build a personal injury lawsuit if doing so is warranted under the facts. Hopefully then you can seek resolution or a judgment that puts you on the path to achieving the fullest recovery possible and getting back to your normal life.
To learn more about what an attorney can do to help you in these matters, please consider reaching out to a legal team that you think is right for you.
