A Look at Semi-Truck Accident Statistics: What You Need to Know

If you spend any time on the streets and highways of the United States, you will come into contact with semi-trucks. The reality is that virtually ever person young and old is either behind the wheel of a car or a passenger in an automobile multiple times during any given week. As a consequence, you need to have an awareness of the statistics associated with semi-truck accidents.

Most Frequent Causes of U.S. Semi-Truck Accidents

You enhance your roadway safety by having at least a basic understanding of the most frequent causes of semi-truck accidents in the United States. The source of this data is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This is the federal governmental agency that regulates the trucking industry in the U.S.A.

The most commonplace underlying reasons for commercial truck accidents in the United States are:

• Effects of prescription drug use – 26 percent of accidents
• Big rig traveling at an excessive speed – 24 percent of accidents
• Effects of over-the-counter drugs – 17 percent of accidents
• Semi operator fatigue – 13 percent of accidents
• Alcohol impairment – 8 percent of accidents
• Illegal drug impairment – 3 percent of accidents

Inattentive or distracted driving represents a major contributing factor when it comes to big-rig accidents across the United States. Oftentimes, distracted driving is one of the underlying causes of semi accidents in the country, accompanying one of the other causes enumerated a moment ago.

Total of Semi-Truck Accidents in the United States Annually

The number of semi accidents in the country does vary at least somewhat from one year to the next. With that said, in the past five years, there has been at least some consistency when it comes to the rate of semi-truck accidents in the United States annually. The basic data associated with commercial truck accidents include:

• Approximately 400,000 accidents involving commercial trucks are reported to the police each year in the U.S.A.
• About 4,000 of these crashes result in fatalities
• Approximately 87,000 semi wrecks resulted in injuries, oftentimes serious injuries
• Over 342,000 big-rig accidents caused property damage, usually significant damage

Overview of Who is Likely to Die in a Semi Truck Accidents

Available data underscores who is most likely to be the victim of a fatal semi-truck accident in the United States:

• 16 percent of semi-truck accident fatalities are big-rig operators and other passengers in a semi at the time of a wreck
• 69 percent of semi accident fatalities were occupants of cars and other motor vehicles carrying passengers
• 15 percent of commercial truck accident fatalities involved motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians

When and Where Semi Accidents are Most Likely to Occur

There are certain times when and certain locations where semi-truck accidents are most likely to occur in the U.S.A. These include:

• 83 percent of all fatal semi-truck accidents occur on weekdays
• 89 percent of all nonfatal semi accident happen on weekdays
• 60 percent of fatal semi crashes occur on more rural roadways
• 25 percent of fatal semi-truck wrecks occurred on highways

Specific Types of Semi Wreck Events

The breakdown of the number of fatal semi-truck accidents by crash event is also an illustrative set of data:

• Collision with another vehicle while in transport – 3,033 accidents
• Collision with pedestrian – 296 accidents
• Rollover – 272 accidents
• Collision with a fixed object – 162 accidents
• Explosion or fire – 110 accidents
• Collision with train – 4 accidents

Your Legal Rights After a Semi-Truck Accident

If you’ve been injured in a semi-truck accident, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. The same holds true if you’ve lost a member of your family in a fatal semi-truck accident. You can connect with a semi-truck accident lawyer from The Doan Law Firm any time of the day or night by calling us at (800) 349-0000.

A nationwide law firm, we can schedule an initial consultation with an experienced, committed semi-truck accident lawyer at any one of our 40 offices located across the United States. We can also schedule an initial consultation at your home, the hospital, or any other location that works for you. We can also arrange a virtual case evaluation with a semi-truck accident attorney online as well.

The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee guarantee for you. Our firm will never charge a fee unless we win your case for you.