According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 69 percent of victims in accidents involving passenger vehicles and large trucks were in the passenger vehicle. Only 16 percent of victims of accidents involving large trucks and passenger vehicles were in the truck when the collision occurred. There are many reasons why a truck accident could occur on a West Virginia road.

For instance, a driver could be drunk, tired or experiencing a medical condition while behind the wheel. Poor weather conditions or objects in the road itself could also increase the risk of a truck colliding with another vehicle or person. If the truck is experiencing mechanical issues, it may be harder to brake or steer in an effort to avoid a collision. Annually, there are over 500,000 truck accidents in the United States, and more than 4,300 trucks were involved in fatal accidents in 2015.

Overall, there are more than 3.5 million truck drivers, and an estimated $9.5 billion is spent on safety measures. However, there are scenarios in which an accident cannot be avoided despite a driver’s best efforts. Truck accidents have the ability to be more severe than those involving passenger vehicles because trucks are larger and heavier. Therefore, they create more force when they come into contact with smaller cars on the road.

When accidents are caused by drivers of commercial trucks, there may be many parties liable for compensating crash victims. For instance, if a driver’s employer knew that he or she had a history of impaired driving, it may be negligent in allowing that person to continue to operate its vehicle. If poor roads contributed to an accident, a government agency might be deemed liable for a person’s injuries in a crash.
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