The trucking and transportation industry is a vital part of our economy, providing the ability to access the goods we need on a daily basis. And while we constantly see the benefits of these transportation companies, we don’t often hear about the significant and devastating cost lurking under the surface — an exceptionally high number of fatal truck crashes.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 5,936 people died in large truck crashes in 2022. And while that number is far lower than the overall total number of traffic fatalities, it is far too high given the number of trucks on the roads. Large trucks account for 9% of all vehicles involved in fatal traffic crashes despite accounting for 5% of all registered vehicles.
Despite their frequency, some in the trucking industry dismiss the issue, claiming these incidents are rare or even unavoidable. But the reality is these accidents are happening at disproportionately high rates and are almost always preventable.
Between 2009 and 2022, fatal incidents involving large trucks increased by 76%. If similar statistics were reported for planes or trains, even with low overall volumes, there would, undoubtedly, be public outcry.
Perhaps more troubling is the impact these crashes have on everyone living in the U.S. as well as our healthcare system, emergency response services, and infrastructure. The consequences of truck accidents extend far beyond those directly involved in the crashes, affecting our communities in both visible and invisible ways. Here are just a few of the ways trucking accidents in the U.S. affect you today.
Referrals & Co-Counsel
Involved in a Crash?
No other law firm knows trucks quite like us. Our trucking law expertise and trial experience allow us to win multi-million-dollar results year after year.
Our team of truck accident attorneys works tirelessly to help your family find justice in the wake of a catastrophic truck crash.
Referrals & Co-Counsel
No other law firm knows trucks quite like us. Our trucking law expertise and trial experience allow us to win multi-million-dollar results year after year.
Involved in a Crash?
Our team of truck accident attorneys works tirelessly to help your family find justice in the wake of a catastrophic truck crash.
The Immediate Effects of a Truck Accident
Truck accidents cause a ripple effect starting at the moment of impact. However, those directly involved will be affected the most. These groups include:
Victims and Their Families
Due to the large size of commercial trucks, victims of truck accidents often suffer serious physical injuries and emotional trauma. Treatment for these physical and psychological injuries typically results in large medical bills that can create long-term financial strain. This is compounded by the fact that victims may lose their job or need to take time off to recover, meaning they no longer have money coming in. Families of victims may face emotional trauma or burial costs if their loved one lost their life, or they may need to take a leave of absence from work to become a full-time caregiver.
Regardless of the circumstances of the accident, victims and their families often have their lives upended.
Emergency Services
Emergency responders, including EMS, fire, and police departments, experience significant strain in the aftermath of a truck accident. They are tasked with managing the safety of the accident scene, providing medical care to the injured, and securing the area to prevent further incidents. This not only challenges their resources but also places these responders at risk given that most truck accidents happen on highways and other roads where vehicles are traveling at high speeds.
Traffic and Infrastructure
In urban areas like Chicago, the impact of truck accidents on traffic and infrastructure can be particularly severe. Truck accidents cause major disruptions on roads, leading to extended traffic jams that affect thousands of commuters. In accidents where a truck collides with a structure like a bridge, overpass, or guard rails, the infrastructure damage further complicates things, especially in cities where construction budgets and teams can’t keep pace with the need for immediate repairs and traffic rerouting.
The Ripple Effects: Secondary Aftermath of a Truck Accident
Beyond those immediately involved in an accident or its clean-up efforts, various community and societal structures will experience the ripple effect of an accident. While not as immediately visible, these impacts can also have a long-term effect on our communities.
Your Community
The community response to a significant truck accident often includes the activation of support networks. Local schools and businesses may become centers for these efforts, hosting memorial activities or providing resources to affected families.
This shared experience of loss and recovery can strengthen community bonds, but it also places an emotional and economic strain on local institutions and businesses by disrupting their regular operations.
Hospitals and Healthcare System Pressure
Hospitals and emergency services in the vicinity of a truck accident typically experience an immediate surge in demand, stretching resources and potentially affecting the quality of care. The long-term psychological impact on victims and witnesses also necessitates ongoing mental health support, placing additional strain on healthcare systems. This regular increase in demand for both medical and psychological care can lead to lasting changes in how local healthcare systems allocate resources and manage emergency preparedness.
Economic Burden on Locals
Due to cleanup and infrastructure repairs, the financial impact of a truck accident frequently extends to local taxpayers, especially if the trucking company responsible is based out of state. This situation raises concerns about fairness and the allocation of public funds. The diversion of funds to manage the accident's aftermath might also detract from other vital community services and social programs, stretching local budgets and impacting the overall quality of public resources.
Crash. Not Accident.
The word “accident” is often used to describe devastating truck crashes. Many people in need of legal help will search for a “truck accident lawyer near me” or the “best truck accident attorney”. We even use "accident" in our site name.
However, most truck “accidents” are not accidents at all.
Truck crashes are often caused by distracted, fatigued, poorly trained, or downright dangerous truck drivers and/or the unsafe business practices of the trucking companies and brokers that hired them. Every semi-truck accident lawyer at The Law Firm for Truck Safety is committed to helping those who have been irreparably harmed in commercial vehicle crashes and providing education to the public that crashes are not accidents.
Societal Impacts and Beyond: The Long-Term and Effects of Truck Accidents
The long-term impact and larger trends of truck accidents extend to the economy, environment, and trucking industry.
Here are some of the long-term impacts of a trucking accident:
Economy
The economic repercussions of truck accidents can extend far beyond covering immediate losses. They affect the national economy by disrupting supply chains and causing fluctuations in transportation costs, which can ripple through various sectors that depend on timely deliveries.
Additionally, significant accidents might lead to increased regulatory costs for trucking companies, which could be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services.
Environment
Incidents involving hazardous materialsAny item or agent (biological, chemical, physical) that has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors. Can be referred to as HAZMAT. can lead to long-term environmental damage, affecting water sources, soil quality, and local ecosystems. The cleanup from such accidents not only requires substantial financial outlay but also considerable time, during which the environmental degradation can continue to affect local communities and wildlife.
National Taxpayer Increases
Due to the grossly inadequate insurance limits for commercial motor vehicles, smaller trucking companies, which make up most of the industry, will often claim bankruptcy if sued for an accident that was caused by their negligence. They then start a new business under another name buying the minimum insurance policy because, as a new business, their record is clean.
When this occurs, it forces the victims of accidents to turn to Medicare, Medicaid, or Tricare for their crash-related medical expenses, both of which are publicly subsidized.
These costs are eventually pushed on to taxpayers and the cycle repeats.
Explore how The Law Firm for Truck Safety advocates for safer roads by championing initiatives to reduce truck crashes and enhance overall safety on our roads.
Breaking the Cycle with Proactive Change
Personal InjuryLegal term for an injury to the body, mind, or psyche, as opposed to an injury to property. lawsuits play a crucial role in enhancing road safety by holding negligent parties accountable. Successful legal actions against trucking companies or drivers not only provide justice and compensation for victims but also remove dangerous drivers from the roads and force companies to adhere more strictly to safety regulations. But while lawsuits can hold dangerous individuals and companies accountable, legislature is the best way to create real change.
Significant truck accidents can catalyze community efforts to change local and state traffic laws, reflecting a broader push toward enhancing road safety and preventing future incidents. Too often, safety regulations emerge not proactively, but rather as a response to tragic incidents. One notable example is the implementation of rear underride guards, commonly referred to as "Mansfield bars," named after actress Jayne Mansfield. Her tragic death in a 1967 accident, which involved her vehicle sliding under the rear of a tractor-trailer, highlighted a critical safety oversight and led to significant changes in truck safety standards.
While such measures have enhanced truck safety, a more proactive approach can transform industry standards and societal expectations, fostering safer roads. Preventing accidents before they occur requires continuous updates to safety equipment and more rigorous enforcement of safety standards.
Recently, there has been a push for the adoption of advanced safety technologies, such as automated braking systems, electronic logging devices, and improved vehicle designs that enhance driver visibility and response times. Many are also calling for trucking companies to invest in advanced driver training programs and implement stricter compliance checks for vehicle maintenance. Such initiatives not only aim to prevent accidents but also foster a culture of safety within the trucking industry, ultimately reducing the likelihood of accidents and their extensive repercussions.
Persistent issues with truck safety not only influence regulations but also alter public perceptions and behaviors. Over time, these changes can lead to significant modifications in urban planning and community safety initiatives, as cities and towns work to accommodate safer interactions between trucks and other road users. This shift may also encourage more community-based efforts to promote road safety, including public awareness campaigns and local advocacy for better road infrastructures.
Truck Accidents Affect Everyone
Truck crashes touch all our lives, even if we weren’t the person in the wreck. Ignoring the impact of truck-related accidents until we are personally affected is dangerously shortsighted, as the consequences ripple out far beyond the immediate scene of an accident. It’s a vicious cycle of negligence that affects us all and puts everyone at risk.
To break this cycle, proactive safety measures are essential. When we commit to preventing truck accidents, we do more than just improve the safety of those directly on the road; we cultivate a culture of caution and collective responsibility. We share the roads, and thus, we share in the responsibility to keep them safe.
If you or a loved one has been affected by a truck accident, reaching out to a legal team that focuses solely on large truck cases can provide guidance and advocacy. Please contact The Law Firm for Truck Safety today so that we can help you build a path to justice.
