Injured In A Colorado Truck Accident?
Get the help you need today.
Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer
Serving Denver & the Greater Colorado Area for Three Decades
Trucking accidents are on the rise nationally, and their effects can be devastating to both truck drivers and other motorists. Besides causing serious personal injuries and fatalities, accidents often lead to lost time at work, emotional anxiety, lower quality of life, and more.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident or any other type of auto accident in Colorado, you can contact me for a free consultation at (303) 454-8000 or toll-free at (800) ROSEN-911, or by filling out the form on the right.
I’ve handled thousands of truck accident and personal injury cases. I’ve seen a case just like yours, and I can help you through it!
Whether you’re a commercial truck driver or a fellow motorist on the road, it’s important to be aware of the leading causes of truck accidents and what all drivers can do to prevent them.
Injured in a truck accident in Colorado?
Get the facts you need to know…
If you have survived an accident with a large commercial truck, now you need to survive the legal aftermath to recover damages. Here are answers to some of the important questions you probably have.
What Should Do If I Am Involved in an Accident with a Commercial Truck?
- Call the police and seek medical attention.
- Take photos of the damage from multiple angles, including pictures of your vehicle, the truck, and your injuries.
- Obtain insurance information from other involved parties.
- Check for witnesses to the crash.
- Don’t admit blame for the accident.
- Contact an experienced truck accident attorney.
Who Might Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?
Several parties could be considered liable for an accident involving a commercial truck, including the truck driver, the trucking company, and the manufacturer of the truck and/or its parts (if you can prove that the accident was caused by some type of mechanical defect). If you were operating your vehicle irresponsibly or negligently, you could also be held responsible for the collision.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents happen for a large number of reasons, such as:
- Driver fatigue, inattention, and impairment
- Speeding to meet an unrealistic deadline
- Unfamiliarity with the roadway
- An improperly loaded truck
- Inclement weather conditions
- Equipment failure
- Overdriving the road conditions
- Following too closely
- Inadequate driver training
But not all truck accidents are caused by the truck driver. Some collisions are caused by errors on the part of those who drive smaller vehicles.
Smaller vehicle errors include:
- Driving in the blind spots or “no-zones” of a truck
- Cutting into a lane directly in front of a truck
- Following a truck too closely
- Trying to pass a truck on the wrong side of the road
- Abandoning a stalled car in the middle of a traffic lane instead of the shoulder of the road
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence.
How Is an Accident Involving a Truck Different From a Typical Automobile Accident?
Because of the size and weight of these rigs, the injuries sustained in tractor-trailer accidents are often more severe. Such accidents also tend to involve several insurance companies; the trucking company may be insured by one carrier and the goods being transported by another. And many federal laws apply specifically to truck drivers but not to other drivers.
Disturbing Truck Accident Statistics
Approximately 500,000 truck accidents occur every year in the U.S., and one in eight of those accidents involve at least one fatality. Here are some other national truck accident statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS):
- 96% of those killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a commercial truck were occupants of the passenger vehicles.
- 31% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in collisions with a commercial truck in 2018 were struck head-on by the truck, 24% were side-struck by the truck, and 23% involved a passenger vehicle striking the rear of a truck.
- Approximately 65% of all truck accidents that result in fatalities happen on long-haul trips, likely due to fatigue on the part of truckers, who average less than five hours of sleep per night while on the road.
- Most fatal truck accidents happen during the week.
- Drivers of large trucks rarely have high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs), likely due to strict regulations concerning drinking and driving a commercial truck.
New Laws Impacting the Trucking Industry
Some new regulations took effect in early 2020 that will likely have a tremendous impact on the trucking industry. These include:
- A new online database was established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to identify commercial truck drivers in every state with drug and alcohol violations, preventing violators from crossing state lines to avoid detection. Under the regulation, trucking companies are required to provide information on employee drug and alcohol violations to the database and verify that these drivers completed return-to-duty requirements.
- In 2020, the FMCSA began to require higher standards for entry-level truck drivers. To qualify for a Class A or Class B commercial driver’s license, aspiring drivers must now complete a comprehensive training program. Training providers are also required to report their behind-the-wheel hours to the U.S. Department of Transportation and must register and self-certify students. Instructors are now required to have a minimum of two years of driving experience, a clean driving record, and medical certification.
- And while this final law was enacted before 2020, it’s important to note that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules prohibit truck drivers from texting, dialing, or holding a cell phone while driving. They may use hands-free devices that require just one press of a button to ring a number.
What Damages Will I Be Entitled To?
Personal injury damages are generally quantified, or calculated, based on the severity of the injuries sustained. Compensatory damages are intended to compensate the plaintiff for economic or intangible losses or injuries, while punitive damages are designed to punish a wrongdoing defendant for especially egregious conduct. Learn more about putting a value on injuries sustained in a truck accident.
Why Should I Hire a Truck Accident Attorney?
Commercial truck accidents are often much more complicated than accidents involving passenger vehicles for the following reasons:
- Truck accidents are more likely to result in catastrophic injuries that require long-term treatment than crashes involving smaller vehicles.
- Drivers often work for large trucking companies that are represented by truck insurance companies that routinely order extensive investigations of accidents involving commercial trucks.
- Truck accidents usually involve multiple vehicles because the initial impact often results in a chain reaction of collisions.
- Trucks often carry hazardous or flammable cargo with the potential to cause serious injuries and damage.
Due to these and other complexities associated with crashes involving large commercial trucks, trying to handle all this without the help of an experienced truck accident attorney is usually not a good idea.
If you’ve been injured in a crash involving a large truck, contact the Law Offices of Daniel R. Rosen online or call (303) 454-8000 today.
Colorado Truck Accident Resources
Overcoming from a truck accident injury is overwhelming enough. Navigating the legal process doesn’t have to be. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.
What’s My Truck Accident Case Worth?
Learn the key factors that go into calculating damages in an auto accident case — a critical process that can greatly impact your settlement.
How to Share the Road With 18-Wheelers
As a mere car driver, can you deal with the intimidating 18-wheelers looming in your rearview mirror? Avoid an accident by following a few crucial rules.
Colorado Commercial Truck Accidents Have Many Causes
Drivers, their employers, and truck and truck part manufacturers all may hold some responsibility for commercial truck accidents.
7 Facts About Commercial Trucking Logging Changes
The final deadline for the ELD mandate is fast approaching for truckers and trucking companies, and evidence already shows a drop in hours-of-service violations.
Determining Liability in Truck Accidents
Truck accidents, unlike passenger vehicle crashes, involve multiple parties so assigning blame is not as easy as it may seem.
Big Rig Accidents on the Rise
Accidents involving heavy-duty trucks are increasing, but safety advocates say the problem could be significantly alleviated through the use of a simple device already installed on most big rigs: speed limiters.