Speeding Truck Accident

Loaded commercial trucks often weigh more than 80,000 pounds, and a truck traveling at 65 miles per hour typically needs 525 feet, or the length of two football fields, to come to a complete stop.

When large trucks travel over the posted speed limit, their stopping distance increases and the driver’s ability to operate their vehicles safely decreases, often causing fatal accidents. In 2020, speed contributed to 29% of all traffic fatalities, killing 11,258, or an average of over 30 people daily.

Causes of Speeding Truck Accidents

Most speeding truck accidents are caused by negligent truck drivers, violating the speed limits and resulting in dangerous and excessive speed. However, there can be other mitigating circumstances, such as the road conditions, weather patterns and traffic density, apparent when the accident occurred.

Truck Driver Negligence

A negligent truck driver is a driver that has failed to exercise the duty of care owed to the accident victim, resulting in the victim’s injury, damage, loss or death. All road users are at risk when a truck driver drives over the posted speed limit or at excessive speed.

Truck driver negligence may involve other factors such as:

Fatigued driving
Distracted driving due to cell phone usage or other activities behind the wheel
Improper lane changes
Failing to signal when turning or merging onto a road
Ignoring traffic control signs or signals such as stop lights and signs indicating that passing is prohibited in certain areas
Failing to follow the rules of safe operation for commercial motor vehicles

Who Could Be at Risk in a Speeding Truck Accident?

When a truck is speeding it can be hazardous for everyone involved, both those inside the commercial truck and other passenger vehicles that happen to be nearby.

The most obvious people who are at risk when there’s an accident involving a speeding truck are:

Commercial truck drivers – if a driver is not paying attention while driving or pushing their speed limits too far past what is safe, they could easily cause an accident which would put them directly in danger due to the size of their vehicle.
Passengers – people traveling with the driver of the truck also have a high chance of getting hurt if something goes wrong during their journey. It means that passengers should always practice caution when riding in a commercial vehicle.
Other vehicles – even if the commercial truck drivers took all precautions, other passenger vehicles on the same stretch of road still face significant risks from being so close to such a large moving object traveling at high speeds. There are incidents where the passenger cars became stuck between two semi-trucks with devastating results.

Common Injuries

Speed kills, resulting in debilitating consequences after speeding truck crashes. The risk of serious injuries, temporary and permanent, increases significantly with speeding commercial vehicles.

When an accident occurs between a large rig and one or more passenger vehicles, the other drivers and occupants of the smaller vehicle usually sustain far more severe injuries than the truck driver.

Common injuries that may result from such a type of collision include:

Traumatic brain injury
Head trauma
Concussions
Spinal cord injury
Internal injuries
Burn injuries
Internal bleeding
Broken bones
Scars and disfigurement
Paralysis
Nerve damage
Whiplash
Neck injuries
Dislocated or amputated limbs
Cuts, bruises, and abrasions

In most cases involving trucks driving over the speed limit, victims experience multiple traumatic injuries due to the tremendous force generated by such an impact. Victims can also sustain psychological distress and physical pain for years after a high-speed accident.

Possible Defendants in Speeding Truck Accident Claims

Many truck drivers operate their vehicles recklessly; they put other road users in danger and often cause devastating damage to property or physical harm.

A speeding truck crash can result in serious injuries and damage to victims. Many truck accident attorneys offer a free case evaluation to discuss holding the truck driver, trucking company, and its insurance company financially accountable.

Multiple Defendants in Accident Claims

In big rig speeding accident claims, more than one party can be held liable, including the following –

Drivers involved, either employees or independent contractors
Owner, who leased the semi-truck to the trucking company or the commercial drivers
Trucking companies
A truck rental company, like U-Haul, who must ensure that drivers can safely operate the vehicles
Cargo loading personnel, who are responsible for cargo loads shifting and overweight trucks
Truck manufacturer, with malfunctioning vehicle systems
A parts manufacturer with defective parts
A third-party truck maintenance service with negligent repairs

Truck accident attorneys are trained to help victims of these incidents receive compensation from trucking companies for the medical bills, lost wages, future loss of income, pain and suffering, and other damages incurred.

Steps a Speeding Truck Driver Can Take to Prevent Accidents

What steps can be taken by truck drivers to prevent speeding truck crashes? A truck driver needs to remain alert and attentive the entire time they are behind the steering wheel.

All drivers are responsible for ensuring the safe operation of their vehicles; however, large commercial trucks need to adhere to the speed limit as they are more likely to cause serious damage or injury in an accident.

There are several measures that other drivers on the road can take to help reduce speeding commercial truck accidents –

All drivers should maintain a safe distance between them and any large commercial trucks traveling near them. It will give the driver extra time to react if braking may be necessary.
Drivers need to pay close attention to traffic signs and signals, including stopping at complete stops even if no one else is around.
Allowing plenty of space between vehicles when merging onto highways will ensure everyone has enough room for maneuvering into different lanes without risking excessive speeds or dangerous overtaking behavior.

Hiring Experienced Truck Accident Lawyers Specializing in Truck Accident Cases

With their immense size and weight, speeding trucks often result in more accidents with severe personal injury or wrongful death. If you were involved in an accident, one of the first steps to take is to retain the legal services of a personal injury lawyer specializing in truck crashes and car accidents.

A Chicago truck accident attorney can offer you a free consultation to evaluate your case and discuss your legal options.

Victims should not hesitate to engage qualified truck accident lawyers after being injured in a speeding truck accident; doing so could mean receiving full compensation for damages such as medical bills and lost wages.