Let Our Dedicated Team of Experienced Lafayette Truck Accident Lawyers Go To Work for You

We may not always realize it in our everyday lives, but we share the road with a slew of different dangers. Between your typical car accidents, wayward pedestrians, and rogue motorcycles, there are plenty of ways to find yourself injured during an afternoon drive. However, these typical dangers seem somewhat insignificant by the catastrophic potential of a different type of accident: Truck accidents. With the sheer weight and force of a truck barreling down on you, these types of crashes can turn deadly in a split second. In fact, a 2017 report stated that of all the trucking accidents that occur, a whopping 77% of them result in an injury or death.

The Potential Danger of Larger Vehicles

These types of accidents happen a lot more often than you’d think. A wreck with an oversized truck occurs about once every 15 minutes. That means a lot of lives are constantly in jeopardy due to these behemoths of the road. We’re not talking about pickup trucks either, although those may be more dangerous in their own right compared to a VW Bug, for example. An oversized truck could be a school bus, big rig, shipping truck, garbage truck, city bus, and many more. It’s not about what type of truck it is… it’s about the truck’s potential to cause great bodily harm if it isn’t controlled properly.

With so many of these vehicles on our country’s roadways, you may be more vulnerable than you thought. While you shouldn’t live your life in constant fear of being struck by one of these trucks, it’s important to know their power. They are naturally built to carry large weights. As such, they are extremely heavy and durable themselves. That makes them all the more dangerous when the driver experiences a lapse of judgment. Whether their drivers are overtired, text while driving, or are just not paying attention, there are a number of ways for these useful transportation tools to become a danger to the public.

As you can imagine, when larger trucks do get into accidents, the one receiving the brunt of the damage is usually the person in the other vehicle. For example, in fatal truck crashes, the large majority of the deaths associated with the accidents were not the drivers themselves. Studies show that the deceased victims turn out to be the driver or passenger of the car that got hit in 82% of cases. Basically, these oversized trucks are built to protect their cargo. Their cabs are built to withstand great amounts of damage without putting the driver’s life at risk. They have their reasons for doing this, mostly to protect their shipments and employees, but the end result means that there are giant steel wrecking balls on the roadways, and innocent people are paying the price.

Common Misconceptions About Truck Accidents

There are some common myths about truck accidents that have made their way into the public mind over the years. Let’s take a look at the truth about these potentially dangerous crashes. As stated by a 2017 report, 57% of oversized truck crashes occurred in rural areas rather than on the interstate, contrary to what most people would assume. Further, many times you only hear about these sorts of crashes when it is “worst-case scenario” and they wind up on the news. Many of these reports seem to deal with tractor-trailers flipping on the interstate and causing a pileup. The truth is that these vehicles flipping is rather uncommon. In fact, only 4% of fatal crashes involving a large truck were caused by the vehicle rolling over and putting people in harm’s way. More times than not, an accident precedes the event. Statistics show that 74% of fatal crashes and 81% of injury crashes involving a large truck started because of a collision with another vehicle.

Another common misconception about vehicle crashes, in general, is that they happen more often during times of low visibility. This is also what most people assume about larger trucks. The truth is that only about 20% of truck wrecks take place between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. In fact, most of the accidents happen right in the middle of the day as the roads are more crowded. With more exposure to vehicles, most crashes take place around noon to 3 p.m.

Finally, due to the nature of their sheer size and weight, most people assume that the large majority of trucking accidents result in death. Fortunately, this isn’t true. Most accidents only result in injury, but even so, these injuries tend to be quite severe. Due to a large amount of force in these accidents, serious injuries are commonplace when individuals are struck by a truck. From paralysis to broken bones to head injuries, there is no limit to how much one of these accidents can alter your life forever. That’s why it’s so important to be represented by the right group of injury attorneys. Together, we can help your voice be heard and properly and financially compensated for your pain and suffering.

With So Many Unique Factors, You Need An Experienced Team Of Attorneys To Fight For Your Case

Even though your first instinct may be to call up the first regular attorney you hear of, this is not always the best course of action. Truck accidents are different than other auto and personal injury cases because these individuals are usually under contract with a much larger employer. As opposed to getting injured in a car accident with an everyday person, you will likely be dealing with large insurance companies and corporations if you are injured in a truck-related crash. This can bring you into a whole different world of trouble. As a result, these insurance companies will do everything in their power to cover your case up from the public eye, put your story into question, and not pay out the amount of money you rightfully deserve.

Here at Blase Inzina Injury Attorneys, we have handled countless cases dealing with exactly what you’re going through. An average attorney can’t say that. We’ve been dutifully handling truck accident cases for the last 15 years, and in that time we have seen all the strategies that trucking insurance companies use to try to pay as little as possible for the devastating damage their insured drivers cause. With all the money they’re bringing in, they have no excuse for not exercising extreme caution with their potentially deadly vehicles. Together, we will fight to get you the justice you deserve for your heartache. To find out more about what we can do to help you get back on track, give us a call today at (337) 347-7177 to speak to an experienced trucking accident attorney.