Involvement in any accident involving a large commercial truck, semi or tractor-trailer, can result in devastating consequences for the occupants of the smaller vehicles involved in the accident. Truck occupants are also in danger of injuries or death, although their risk is much lower than the occupants of the smaller vehicles involved in the crash.
Truck Accident Statistics in the United States
Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) releases its annual report on trucking accident statistics. The most recent year for which such data is available is 2012. In that year, there were 333,0000 large trucks involved in traffic crashes around the country. There were 3,921 people were killed in large truck accidents and approximately 104,000 people suffered injuries. In fact, truck accident fatalities actually increased by four percent from 2011.
Fatalities among Truck Occupants, Other Vehicle Occupants
The fatalities included 697 occupants of the truck (18 percent) while 2,843 fatalities were the occupants of the other vehicles involved in the accident (73 percent). There were 381 non-occupants killed in large truck accidents (10 percent), this includes pedestrians and bicyclists.
Trucking Accident Statistics Washington State
In the state of Washington, there were a total of 602 vehicles involved in fatal traffic accidents. Out of these, 44 were large trucks. Large trucks accounted for approximately 7.3 percent of the total number of vehicles involved in fatal accidents. Large trucks involved in fatal accidents in Washington accounted for 1.2 percent of the trucks involved in fatal accidents in the United States.
The Washington State Department of Transportation released statistics for large truck accidents in 2013, revealing 38 fatal collisions involving commercial vehicles or heavy trucks. There were 62 serious injury collisions involving heavy trucks, and a total of 4,678 crashes involving heavy trucks.
Fault for Truck Accidents
Recovering compensation after injuries in a trucking accident can be complicated. There may be a number of parties to blame, like the driver, trucking company, and more. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute conducted a study finding that car drivers involved in truck crashes were to blame for 81 percent of accidents. Truck drivers were to blame for 27 percent of the accidents.
Securing evidence of a truck driver's negligence and liability is essential to file a truck accident claim and recover compensation. Speak with Max Meyers to discuss your case and potential to recover compensation after a truck accident. Call 425-399-7000 to set up a consultation, or fill out our contact form.