Tractor Trailer Accident Victims – These Numbers Matter
Pittsburgh residents share the road with numerous vehicles every day. There are pedestrians, motorcycles, cyclists and large tractor-trailers. Most of the time, we safely share the road, but occasionally, a serious accident occurs. According to iihs.org, Seventy-three percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2016 were in crashes involving tractor-trailers and 21 percent were in crashes involving single-unit trucks.
There are many causes of truck accidents, and knowing what they are can help explain the incidence of road crashes. One of the main causes is the weight and stopping distance of a big truck. The weight of your average motor vehicle is about 1.5 tons, while a tractor-trailer can weigh upwards of 45 tons.
It takes much longer to stop a tractor-trailer than it does for a motor vehicle. If a vehicle and a tractor-trailer are both driving at 45 mph and start braking at the same moment, the tractor-trailer will travel 55 feet further before coming to a complete stop.
While a passenger car needs about 320 feet to stop after braking, a tractor-trailer needs 550 feet. That’s nearly 2 football fields in length. Speed is also an important factor when applying the brakes. The faster a vehicle is traveling, the longer it takes to stop. Because of the size and weight of a big truck, fatalities and injuries are common.
Nobody expects that their loved one will be seriously injured or killed in a car accident. Unfortunately, hundreds of families in Pennsylvania face this reality every year. Sometimes, these accidents are caused by another driver’s negligence. Another driver may be distracted, drunk, or just plain negligent.
A family who has been affected by a serious accident should contact attorney Bernard M. Tully. He can investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident and help determine who is at fault. Compensation may be available for medical expenses, funeral expenses, lost wages, and other damages. It’s important to remember that victims of these types of terrible accidents are not alone. We are here for you. Contact our firm today!