According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, crashes requiring the towing away of dump trucks and ready-mix concrete delivery trucks are on the rise. Truckers in Colorado should know that this is part of a multi-industry problem involving, above all, poor driving habits. Many truckers speed, violate hours-of-service rules and act in other negligent ways to meet deadlines, enticed as they often are by employers’ incentives.
The FMCSA found that there were 8,206 serious dump truck crashes and 838 serious concrete delivery truck crashes in 2016 (the latest year for which complete data exists). These numbers constitute a 9 and 9.6 percent increase, respectively, from the previous year.
Furthermore, 5,483 dump truck accidents in 2016 resulted in injuries (a 2.7 percent rise). Concrete delivery trucks were in 3.8 percent more injury crashes. As for fatal accidents, there were 38 involving ready-mix delivery trucks compared to 33 in 2015. Dump trucks saw a slight decline from 369 to 367 fatal crashes.
The multi-industry problem is growing despite efforts by federal regulators and industry safety experts to cut down on fatigued driving and improve ways of monitoring truckers’ activities. Some experts say that efforts to prevent truck accidents have more or less stalled over the past decade. In the early 2000s, improved technology and effective driver safety campaigns had helped lower accident rates.
In the event that a negligent trucker injures the occupants of a passenger vehicle, the latter could file an auto accident claim. They could strive for a settlement that covers injuries, short- or long-term disabilities, vehicle damage, lost wages and whatever else applies. With a lawyer, victims have access to a network of professionals, including crash investigators and medical experts. Their lawyer can speak on their behalf at the negotiation table or in court if a settlement cannot be reached.
