Road, Truck, Car and Motorcycle Accidents

TRUCK ACCIDENTS

Per government statistics, every 16 minutes someone is killed or injured in a truck accident. Large truck accidents continue to increase.

Trucking is a huge business in the United States. Demand for trucking logistics services is expected to increase. In 2022, the industry’s estimated revenue was $277.1 billion. Transportation: Trucks in the U.S. 2022 – Industry Insights & Data Analysis | Statista. The more trucks on the road, the more collisions there will be.

Among the key findings in a 2024 report published by American Trucking Trends:

• Preliminary figures indicate that trucks moved 11.18 billion tons of freight in 2023, down from the 11.46 billion tons hauled the previous year.
• Preliminary figures indicate that the industry saw revenues grow to $987 billion, up from $940.8 billion in 2022.
• Trucking employed 8.5 million people in industry-related jobs, including 3.55 million professional drivers in 2023.
• The industry remains one made up of small businesses, with 95.5% of carriers operating 10 or fewer trucks and 99.6% operating fewer than 100 power units.

ATA American Trucking Trends 2024 | American Trucking Associations

TRUCK-RELATED ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES: THE STATISTICS

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) released its most recent statistics for commercial truck crashes and truck-related fatalities in 2020. FARS Encyclopedia: States – Crashes and All Victims

In the United States, a total of 4,714 people died in large truck crashes in 2021, a 17% increase compared to 2020. Sixteen percent of these fatalities were truck occupants, 68% were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 15% were pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. The number of people killed in large truck crashes was 50% higher in 2021 than in 2009, the lowest since fatal crash data collection began in 1975. The number of truck occupants killed was 68% higher than in 2009.

Most fatalities in large truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants. The main problem is the vulnerability of people traveling in smaller vehicles. Trucks often weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger cars and are taller and have greater ground clearance, which can cause smaller vehicles to pass under the trucks in crashes.

Despite these frightening scenarios and statistics, powerful trucking industry lobbyists continue to demand that safety rules and regulations be weakened, endangering the motoring public.

A Truck Accident Is Very Different Than a Car Crash.

When trucking collisions occur, they involve the truck driver and his/her employer, generally the trucking company, send an investigator to the accident scene. These investigators, photographers and experts work together to record and, sometimes, explain away, everything found at the scene, and other evidence. Naturally, they want to limit the exposure of the insurance company, which
requires all-out effort to reduce the liability of the driver and his/her employer.

The parties that may be considered liable defendants, the way these parties defend themselves, the rules and regulations that apply, and the fact that fast-moving and dangerous heavy trucks are involved, as contrasted with far lighter car, combine to make truck accident cases very different than car accidents.

Potential defendants include the driver, the driver’s employer, shippers, and the owners of the truck and trailer, which may be a third party.

Insurance is another example of the difference between car and truck cases. State law requires automobile drivers to have minimum liability insurance coverage, e.g., $25,000 in Colorado and Wyoming. With trucks, federal law requires most trucks traveling in interstate commerce to carry $750,000 in insurance for bodily injury and property damage. See 49 U.S.C. § 31139(b)(2). Most states impose minimum insurance requirements on trucks not covered under federal law. California’s minimum insurance for most intrastate trucks is $750,000, but some states have lower minimums.

Adding to the challenge, trucking cases are much more document-intensive. Navigating the truck company’s recordkeeping requirements provides critical information. However, there is a small trap for the unwary: one must request the information within the minimum document retention dates under federal regulations.  See 49 C.F.R. Part 379, Appendix A.

As if more challenges were needed, there is a very narrow window of time to take action after the accident, to preserve your rights. Letters should be sent to potential defendants, in order to preserve the evidence. Initial advising experts may be retained, such as an accident reconstructionist and others, (e.g., human factors). Then one must analyze the safety data maintained by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), camera footage, shipping and corporate documents, data from the “black boxes” from the vehicles, cell-phone records and data, shipping contracts, witness statements and telematics data. By this time a trucking expert may be retained, to sift and weigh the evidence.

TRUCK ACCIDENT FATALITIES IN COLORADO.

The state of Colorado had 100 fatal accidents involving large trucks in 2022, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Additionally, 514 fatal accidents involved light trucks, such as pickup trucks.

Here are year 2022 fatality statistics:

FARS Encyclopedia: Vehicles – All Vehicles

TRUCK ACCIDENT FATALITIES IN WYOMING

Wyoming experienced 34 fatal crashes involving large trucks and 77 fatal crashes involving light-duty trucks (such as pickup trucks) in 2023, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Truck crashes accounted for 69.5 percent of all fatal collisions in Wyoming in 2020.

Here are year 2022 numbers for truck accident deaths in in Wyoming:

FARS Encyclopedia: Vehicles – All Vehicles

All too often, victims and their families struggle with the effects of these accidents alone.

By working with experienced truck accident attorneys, victims can have control and participation in ensuring their rights and interests are protected.

Some people go it alone, but by working with experienced truck accident attorneys, victims can have control and participation in ensuring their rights and interests are protected.

Motorcycle Accidents

The rambling mountain roads and wide-open highways of Colorado and Wyoming, and the streets of the Front Range and Wyoming towns,  attract motorcyclists who both enjoy the open roads and zooming around in town. That’s the fun part.

The reality is, as every biker knows, many car and truck drivers don’t pay attention to motorcycles, which makes motorcycling twice as dangerous as piloting a small airplane. Is Flying Safer Than Driving? The Truth About General Aviation – Pilot Institute

Dangerous roadway construction projects, other drivers and hazards unique to motorcyclists, mean that motorcyclists are at risk for accidents, serious injuries, and worse. Here are the numbers. 

We know that motorcycle crashes typically result in severe injury,  massive medical and rehabilitation bills, wage losses, and, often permanent disability. We have the experience to take on careless drivers and other negligent parties when they cause your motorcycle accident.  If you or a loved one were hurt in a motorcycle wreck, get in touch with our team today for a free consultation.

In  Colorado

There were 138 fatal motorcycle accidents in Colorado in 2020. That is 15 percent of all fatal collisions in Colorado in 2020. In 2022, there were 147 fatalities:

FARS Encyclopedia: Vehicles – All Vehicles

As a sad example, here is a  story about a motor scooter driver death in Denver, Person on scooter killed in Denver crash | FOX31, near Regis University.

In Wyoming

There were 17 fatal accidents involving motorcycles in Wyoming in 2020, representing 10 percent of all fatal collisions in Wyoming in 2020. Here is the sad total for 2022 in Wyoming, with 21 fatalities:

FARS Encyclopedia: Vehicles – All Vehicles

We know that motorcycle crashes typically result in severe injury,  massive medical and rehabilitation bills, wage losses, and, often permanent disability. We have the experience to take on careless drivers and other negligent parties when they cause your motorcycle accident.  If you or a loved one were hurt in a motorcycle wreck, get in touch with our team today for a free consultation.