Even though Missouri’s annual truck accident totals may be low as compared to the state’s annual car accident totals, crashes involving commercial tractor-trailers are frequently much more fatal and destructive.
According to data from the Missouri Department of Transportation, 11 to 15 percent of all road fatalities in Missouri during the previous ten years have been caused by truck accidents.
These accidents are more dangerous because of the big size of the tractor and its heavy weight
which causes a lot of force during collision impacts.
Following are a few of the most typical reasons for truck accidents in Missouri:
- Driver Exhaustion
- Negligently maintained machinery
- Overweight or Oversize Loads
- reckless driving while speeding
Maintaining your safety should be your priority while driving. As soon as you go inside a car, make sure to fasten your seatbelt and put any other distractions away before putting the car in drive. Additionally, strive to drive defensively and adhere to all stated speed restrictions.
The Missouri Department of Transportation reports that from 2019 to 2020, there was a 12 percent rise in traffic deaths. In total, there were 989 traffic fatalities in 2020, up from 881 in 2019. The Missouri State Highway Patrol estimates that driver error played a role in around 90% of these collisions.
Due to the potential for numerous parties to be at fault, truck accidents are more difficult to examine than car accidents.
While the recklessness of the truck driver is frequently to blame for truck accidents, other parties, including the trucking business, the cargo loading firm, part manufacturers, independent maintenance providers, the owner of the truck, and others, may also be at fault.
Types of Truck Accidents
Numerous truck accident types take place on the roadways, some of which are covered below:
- rear-end accidents
- Blind-spot collisions
- Jackknife mishaps
- Frontal collisions
- Underride mishaps
Attorneys who specialize in rollover accidents have the knowledge and resources to determine what caused a truck accident and can assist you in pursuing compensation for your losses.
What Sort of Damages Are Available to Truck Accident Victims?
If you were hurt in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for both monetary and non-monetary losses that you sustained as a result of the accident, such as:
- Medical expenses
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation services
- Reduced earning potential if you become handicapped as a result of the accident
- Lost wages from missed work
- Mental health support
- Distress and suffering
- Loss of life quality
- Punitive damages, under some circumstances.
The most deadly day of the week for the trucking industry
Anywhere in Missouri, on any day of the week, there is a chance of a serious collision involving a semi or tractor-trailer. However, a study of federal truck accident statistics reveals that weekdays are when massive truck accidents are most likely to occur. In Missouri, Tuesdays are among the riskiest days for 18-wheeler accidents that’s why Tuesdays are called fatal Tuesdays.
In Missouri, Tuesday saw the greatest daily total of truck accidents and the highest daily total of fatal truck accidents.
In Missouri, there were more heavy truck accidents on Tuesdays between 2011 and 2020 than on any other day.
One out of every five fatal truck accidents in Missouri occurred on a Tuesday in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available. The highest number of any day of the week, Tuesdays saw a total of 195 fatal heavy truck crashes occurring throughout the ten years.
Another risky day of the week for truck accidents is Friday. By the end of the week, interstate truck drivers may have traveled tens of thousands of miles, and they may be struggling with weariness to make it home on Fridays. According to an examination of 10 years’ worth of Missouri crash data by day of the week, from 2011 to 2020, Fridays had the second-highest number of fatal truck crashes and total truck accidents.
Krishan Jangir