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Truck Accidents and Car Accidents: They Differ in Ways You May Not Have Thought Of

When you think of an accident that involves only cars and an accident involving at least one commercial truck, you may assume that the only difference is the size of the vehicle. From a legal perspective, this simply isn’t true – there are actually a number of issues in commercial truck accidents that make them vastly different than car accidents.

The main difference involves strict regulations

While there are a few differences between truck and car accidents that could affect the legal issues around them, the biggest issue is one of regulation. Commercial truck owners and drivers have rules they must follow that dictate how large their rig can be and what they can do with it. Those with a commercial truck driving license are required to follow what’s set out in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

The limits within these regulations were established to keep roads safe from fatigued drivers, and to ensure that drivers are more accountable. The things limited include the number of hours a truck driver can work each day and how many hours they can work within one week. Every hour they work must be logged.

Required insurance coverage for commercial trucks is different

The cost of insurance for a commercial truck driver is much higher than the cost of insurance for a typical car. This is due to the fact that federal regulations require every truck company to have at least $750,000 worth of insurance for each truck. There are other instances that affect the amount of insurance needed as well. For example, a truck that’s towing hazardous materials must have at least $5 million in insurance coverage.

The most common causes of truck accidents

Many of the most common causes of accidents with commercial trucks are the fault of the driver. They include driving while tired, speeding, driving aggressively, not loading their trailers properly, not paying attention to the road, being distracted while driving, and using drugs or alcohol. One study showed that the top three causes of accidents for commercial trucks are:

  1. Trucks veering out of their line or off the road
  2. Not stopping, which leads to rear-end accidents
  3. Losing control of their truck

Many of these situations could be avoided by truck drivers taking extra care and precautions.

You may be eligible to significant compensation

All this still leaves the question: In what ways do accidents with trucks and with cars differ from a legal standpoint? First of all, the insurance coverage is much higher, which means that while an auto insurance policy may not be enough to cover catastrophic injuries, a commercial truck’s insurance most likely would be.

Second, when it comes to truck driving accidents, there are typically several parties that may be at fault. It could be the driver’s fault for driving while tired, but it could also be their employer’s fault for requiring them to work more than they’re legally allowed to. To learn more about your specific case and what your options are, reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today.