Truck accidents occur all over New York City’s five boroughs, and that includes Staten Island. These kinds of accidents can result in catastrophic injuries that could result in wrongful death. In 2020, there were approximately 8,115 accidents related to large trucks, semis, or large commercial vehicles which accounted for 7% of the total accidents in New York City. However, even though 7% may seem minuscule in the grand scheme of things, at least 8,115 lives were affected by trucking accidents in 2020 alone.
Large commercial trucks, semis, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers all refer to the same kind of vehicle. They are considered to be a large vehicle that is meant to transport cargo from one location to another. These vehicles are massive, significantly heavy, and have difficulty seeing others around them on the road due to their large blindspots. It’s not necessarily hard or uncommon for truck accidents to happen in Staten Island, as these large, heavy vehicles have to navigate the narrow and busy streets with passenger vehicles and motorcycles zipping around them. The massive weight of large commercial vehicles can pose a significant threat to any passenger vehicles around them. In instances where a truck driver cannot stop in time, or loses control of their vehicle, they are creating a situation that could result in catastrophic injuries that will seriously alter an individual’s life or even wrongful death.
If you’ve been injured in any type of motor vehicle accident, call Cohen & Cohen Personal Injury Lawyers, P.C. in Staten Island today for a free case evaluation. Along with truck accidents, we represent victims of car accidents, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall accidents, paralysis injuries, bicycle accidents, and any type of motor vehicle accident case.
MAIN CAUSES OF TRUCK ACCIDENTS IN STATEN ISLAND
There are many factors that can cause a truck accident, and each truck accident in Staten Island is different. However, there are several causes of truck accidents that tend to happen more often than others.
It’s important to know what the main causes of a Staten Island trucking accident are. This will help drivers identify and prepare themselves for the situation so that they can be as safe as possible and also try to avoid the crash altogether. Here are the main causes of truck accidents in Staten Island:
DRIVER FATIGUE
Heavy commercial vehicles such as 18-wheelers, semi-trailers, and box trucks are inherently dangerous, regardless of how well rested or experienced the driver is. However, it is nearly impossible for an inexperienced or fatigued driver to operate a large truck safely. AAA conducted a study that found missing just two or three hours of sleep can increase a truck driver’s risk of crashing to the same level of driving while drunk.
When a truck driver falls asleep at the wheel, their vehicle turns into an uncontrollable missile on the roadway. This puts every other person on the road in immediate danger. However, the trucking industry is an interstate business, meaning they travel through many states across the country to deliver all types of cargo. When a truck driver delivers their cargo, they and their company are compensated. Therefore, the more deliveries that occur, the more money is made. It’s easy to see why a truck driver would think that skipping necessary sleep to make more money is a good idea.
To deter truck driver’s from driving while fatigued the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has set guidelines on how long a truck driver can operate their commercial motor vehicle. These guidelines are strict and apply to every driver with a commercial motor vehicle license. Truck drivers are allowed to operate a commercial motor vehicle for:
- Maximum 14 consecutive hours on shift and a minimum of 10 consecutive hours off shift.
- Maximum of eight consecutive hours driving during a shift before taking at least a 30-minute break.
- Maximum of 10 hours total spent driving during a 14-hour shift.
- Maximum 60 hours on shift in seven consecutive days.
- Maximum of 70 hours on shift in eight consecutive days
TRUCK TIRE BLOWOUTS
Unfortunately, truck tire blowouts are one of the scariest types of trucking accidents. Tire blowouts can be caused by a myriad of things, however, each causing factor is just as serious as the next.
If a tire blowout occurs under the trailer bed portion of the truck, it could send shrapnel and debris rocketing into other vehicles that are beside or behind the commercial vehicle. This is due tot he significant explosion a truck tire blowout creates. The back end of the tractor trailer can also begin to swing rapidly and uncontrollably across the width of the road, which is also extremely dangerous to any other drivers on the road.
If a tire blowout occurs int he front end of the vehicle, a large commercial vehicle essentially becomes an unguided missile on the roadway. Many times, when a tire blowout occurs under the cabin of the truck, it causes the vehicle to lose control and can cross over into oncoming traffic. These types of head on collisions can be catastrophic.
Often times truck tire blowouts can be prevented with proper maintenance and care. However, like previously mentioned, truck drivers want to deliver as many cargo loads as possible to reap the maximum profit. This means they more often than not will skip tire maintenance or fail to check if their tires are acceptable for hauling cargo. To prevent this from happening, the FMCSA has set regulations pertaining to truck tires to encourage truck drivers to properly maintain and inspect their tires. These regulations are meant to prohibit a driver from operating a commercial vehicle with a defective wheel or tire that has any of the following traits:
- Tire has any tread or sidewall separation
- Tire has body ply or belt material exposed through the tread or sidewall
- Tire is flat or has an audible leak
- Tire has a cut to the extent that the ply or belt material is exposed
- Tire has a tread depth of less than 4/32 of an inch.
UNSECURED CARGO LOADS
Large commercial vehicles and their drivers are tasked with transporting cargo across the entire United States. From household goods to food to hazardous materials, a vast array of necessities are transported all over the country. The FMCSA has set regulations and guidelines on how much cargo large commercial vehicles can carry as well as securing cargo. These safety regulations are especially important to follow, because if they aren’t it could cost anyone on the road around them their life. It can also cause severe injuries to innocent individuals on the road such as spinal cord injuries and back injuries.
FMCSA regulations state that truck drivers must inspect their cargo:
- Before starting a delivery.
- Within the first 50 miles of beginning a trip or delivery.
- At any reexamination event including:
- If the truck has been driven for more than 3 hours or the truck has been driven for 150 miles, whichever comes first.
- When the truck drivers goes from off duty to on duty or vice versa.
Even when truck drivers have complied with all FMCSA cargo regulations, when cargo falls off a truck and causes injuries to another individual on the road, it is likely that it was due to some sort of negligence on the truck driver or their employers part. If the driver or trucking company is making money from a delivery, it is manifestly unfair for them not to pay for any injuries resulting from it.
CONTACT A STATEN ISLAND TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEY NEAR YOU
Looking for the best Staten Island truck accident injury lawyer? If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, call the truck accident attorneys at Cohen & Cohen Personal Injury Lawyers, P.C. now for a FREE consultation at (718) 971-2107. Our Staten Island truck accident lawyers provide a free, no-obligation case evaluation and handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. If you need help obtaining your Staten Island accident report, we can help with that, also. In the event that we do not succeed in recovering monetary compensation for your claim, you will not have to pay lawyers’ fees. Call (718) 971-2107 to arrange an initial consultation. You may also use our convenient email contact form to request a return phone call about your case.