Common Causes of Truck Accidents

An accident with a semi or tractor-trailer truck can be disastrous for everyone involved. Walking away from an accident of this magnitude is nothing short of a miracle. The majority of the time, trucking accidents cause severe injuries that completely alter a person’s quality of life.

Victims of trucking accidents need experienced representation to get the compensation they need for their medical expenses, pain, and suffering. While many attorneys handle auto accident cases, crashes involving large trucks require a different level of investigation. Attorneys must understand the nuances of trucking laws to hold all guilty parties involved liable, so the maximum compensation can be secured for victims.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with a large truck, the attorneys at Pierce Skrabanek have the knowledge and experience to build a strong case that may secure compensation for your injuries. To learn more about your legal rights, contact us at 832-690-7000 or fill out our online form.

Real Results and Support When You Need It Most

When an 18-wheeler rear-ended one of our clients on her way to school, the impact resulted in 11 surgeries, severe physical injuries, and an unexpected road to recovery. Watch the video below to hear how our team stepped in to handle the heavy legal lifting, guide her family through every step, and treat them like family while securing the justice they deserved.

Causes of Truck Accidents

After horrific accidents like these, the question often is: how did this happen? The unfortunate truth is that despite minor differences, the common causes of truck accidents are surprisingly similar across the country.

According to safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council, over 5,300 people die each year in crashes involving large commercial trucks, which is a 30% increase over the past decade. 

Roughly 70% of those killed are passengers in smaller cars, making it clear who bears the brunt of these collisions. On top of that, more than 160,000 people suffer injuries in truck-related crashes every single year.

Large commercial vehicles weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. When something goes wrong with a vehicle of that size, the outcome is almost always severe. Understanding truck accident causes is the first step toward proving who was at fault and holding them accountable.

1. Driver Inattention

Back in 2011, an inattentive driver of a heavy truck collided with an Amtrak train in Nevada. Besides driver inattention, another factor contributing to this accident was the truck’s poorly maintained brakes. 

The collision completely annihilated the tractor-trailer, destroyed several passenger railcars, and ignited a fire that destroyed two more. It took the lives of the truck driver, the conductor, and four passengers while injuring 15 others. All this destruction was caused by a mere 5-second glance away from the road.

According to federal safety studies, driver distraction is a factor in 71% of large-truck crashes, with nearly 80% involving some form of inattention in the three seconds before impact. Common distractions inside the cab carry severe risks:

• Text messaging while driving increases a trucker's crash risk by 23 times. At 55 mph, taking eyes off the road for five seconds to check a text is like driving the entire length of a football field blindfolded.
• Using dispatching devices or mobile terminals while driving raises crash risk by 9 times.
• Reading maps or writing while driving increases crash risk by 7 to 8 times.
• Dialing a handheld phone triples the risk of a crash or near-miss.

The lesson to be learned here is the importance of focusing on your drive, especially if you operate large vehicles.

2. Driver Fatigue

In 2024, drowsy-driving-related crashes resulted in 644 deaths.

Synthesizing findings across 61 unique studies shows that getting less than four to five hours of sleep in a 24-hour period roughly doubles a person's risk of a vehicle crash. That increase in crash risk is the same as driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. For commercial truckers operating massive rigs, driving while severely sleep-deprived creates the exact same hazards as operating a vehicle while impaired.

Federal law specifies how many hours a truck driver can drive in a 24-hour period. If the driver exceeds this and causes a crash, the driver can be held accountable by law. Additionally, the trucking company may be at fault, especially if the company was aware that drivers were exceeding their allowed driving hours.

3. Unsafe Cargo and Rollover Hazards

Driver attentiveness and vehicle maintenance are critical to avoid unsafe cargo crashes. If a truck is driving too fast for road and weather conditions, the result can be a frightening and potentially deadly rollover crash. Because trucks have a high center of gravity, they are less stable than passenger vehicles.

Industry training programs specifically teach drivers how to manage load effects, navigate highway ramps, and prevent tank truck rollovers. In fact, safety studies show that over 78% of truck rollovers involve direct driver error, such as speeding into turns, making sudden steering adjustments, or failing to maintain proper speed cushions. Commercial drivers are explicitly trained to monitor these risks, meaning most rollover accidents are entirely preventable.

Not only does physics play a part in unsafe cargo conditions, but the cargo itself may also be unsafe – especially when the cargo contains hazardous materials. If you are hit by a truck with unsafe cargo, you may be able to hold the shipper responsible, in addition to the truck driver and the trucking company.

4. Driving Under the Influence

No matter the contents of a semi, driving a commercial truck carries a much higher risk for devastation than your family sedan. This is especially true when it comes to drinking and driving. In fact, the FMCSA regulations limit the BAC to half the legal limit – 0.04. Regulations also state that a driver may not drive within four hours of consuming any alcoholic beverage.

Commercial drivers are required to submit to random drug and alcohol testing after an accident or if there is reason to suspect them of drinking on the job. Still, truck accidents involving inebriated drivers happen often. The Texas Department of Transportation reported that 1,041 people lost their lives to drunk driving accidents in 2014.

If you’ve been in an accident with a suspected drunk truck driver, please do not hesitate to contact the authorities immediately.

5. Improper Training

Handling a vehicle with a high center of gravity that weighs over 80,000 pounds, especially around tight corners and long stretches of road, takes considerable skill. Experienced truckers often advise their peers on the dangers of becoming complacent behind the wheel after decades of being on the road – and these are career drivers. An inexperienced driver behind the wheel may unintentionally wreak havoc on those they share the road with should they make even the slightest miscalculation.

Unfortunately, the only way to truly tell if an accident was due to driver inexperience is by investigating the driver’s qualification file (DQF). Trucking companies are very reluctant to hand these files over and may flat-out deny turning them over should you make the request yourself. However, a skilled truck accident attorney can use the power of the law to unearth the facts about the driver involved in your accident.

6. Equipment Failure and Lack of Routine Maintenance

Commercial trucks can travel roughly 2,000 miles each week, adding up to about 100,000 miles over the course of a year. That constant wear and tear requires strict, routine maintenance. When trucking companies or independent owner-operators skip required inspections to save time or money, vital parts fail.

Brake failure, tire blowouts, steering malfunctions, and broken trailer hitches are direct consequences of poor maintenance. If a semi truck cannot stop in time because its brakes were worn past safety limits, the resulting collision is entirely preventable.

7. Blind Spots and Rushed Lane Changes

Tractor-trailers have massive blind spots on all four sides: directly in front, directly behind, and along both sides of the trailer. The right-side blind spot is especially large, extending across multiple lanes.

When drivers are running on little sleep, dealing with fatigue, or feeling the pressure of a tight delivery deadline, they often grow restless and impatient behind the wheel. That anxiety can lead to sudden lane changes without properly checking their mirrors or signaling, they can easily side-swipe smaller passenger cars or force them off the road. 

8. Violations of FMCSA Safety Regulations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enforces strict rules designed to keep the public safe. Federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations require commercial truck drivers to:

• Observe the 11-Hour Driving Limit: Drivers cannot drive more than 11 total hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• Respect the 14-Hour Driving Window: Drivers cannot operate a rig past the 14th consecutive hour of coming on duty, regardless of breaks taken during their shift.
• Take Mandatory Rest Breaks: Drivers must take a 30-minute break after accumulating 8 hours of driving time.
• Obey Weekly Work Caps: Drivers are capped at working 60 hours over 7 consecutive days or 70 hours over 8 consecutive days before taking a 34-hour rest reset.

Unfortunately, high demand and tight delivery deadlines push some drivers and companies to break these rules. They might forge logbooks, bypass weigh stations, or ignore safety checks. When a company chooses profits over public safety by violating safety regulations, they create dangerous driving conditions for everyone else on the road.

9. Unsafe Weather or Road Conditions

Rain, fog, ice, slick asphalt, and high winds make driving difficult for anyone, but they are especially hazardous for 18-wheelers. Because a fully loaded truck requires significantly more distance to stop than a standard car, truck drivers must adjust their speed during bad weather.

Driving at full highway speeds on wet or icy roads frequently leads to jackknifing or complete loss of vehicle control. While drivers cannot control the weather, they are legally required to drive safely for the current conditions.

How Do You Determine What Causes Truck Accidents?

When an 18-wheeler hits a car, the physical evidence is only part of what we look at. Unlike a standard car accident where you mostly deal with police reports and driver statements, commercial trucks contain data that our team can review.

That means there is almost always an electronic footprint showing what the driver and the company were doing right before the collision. But here is the catch: trucking companies control that data, and they can legally wipe or overwrite it after a short period unless someone takes legal action to preserve it.

We move quickly to secure critical records before they vanish, including:

• The Truck’s "Black Box" (Event Data Recorder): Modern commercial trucks carry digital recorders that capture crucial data right before an impact, including driving speed, brake application, engine RPM, and steering inputs.
• Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs): ELDs track the exact hours a driver was on duty, helping reveal whether the driver violated federal limit rules or was likely driving while fatigued.
• Dashcam Footage: Many commercial fleets use forward-facing and cab-facing cameras that record visual evidence of the moments leading up to the crash.
• Maintenance and Inspection Records: These documents show whether the truck was properly serviced or if known mechanical problems were ignored.
• Driver Qualification Files: These records reveal the driver's training history, safety record, past violations, and background checks.
• Physical Scene Evidence: Skid marks, vehicle crush patterns, fluid spills, and debris distribution help accident reconstruction experts recreate how the collision occurred.

Serious truck accidents require serious investigation. From pulling electronic black box data to holding negligent trucking fleets accountable, we know what it takes to build a winning case. If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a commercial truck crash, don't settle for less than the full recovery you need.

Call (832) 690-7000 or fill out our online form to speak directly with our team today.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for My Truck Accident?

In a standard auto crash, liability usually rests with one of the drivers. In a commercial vehicle crash, however, multiple individuals and corporations may share financial responsibility.

The causes of truck accidents often play a large role in determining liability. Responsible parties may include:

• The Truck Driver: For negligent actions like speeding, driving while distracted, or operating under the influence.
• The Trucking Company: For pressuring drivers to break safety rules, failing to inspect vehicles, or hiring unqualified drivers.
• Cargo Loaders and Shippers: For improperly securing cargo or exceeding legal weight limits.
• Maintenance and Repair Facilities: For failing to properly service brakes, tires, or steering systems.
• Equipment Manufacturers: For designing or selling defective vehicle parts, such as faulty tires or malfunctioning brake lines.

What Compensation Is Available After a Truck Crash?

A collision with an 18-wheeler can disrupt your life, your health, and your family's finances. A legal claim allows you to recover financial losses caused by the crash so you are not left paying out of pocket for someone else's mistake.

Depending on the facts of your case, your lawyer may be able to pursue the following on your behalf:

• Medical Bills: Emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, prescription medication, and estimated future medical care.
• Lost Income: Wages missed while away from work recovering from your injuries.
• Reduced Earning Capacity: Financial support if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous career or working full-time.
• Property Damage: The cost to repair or replace your vehicle and any personal belongings inside it.
• Physical Pain and Suffering: Financial recovery for severe physical pain and ongoing discomfort.
• Emotional Distress: Coverage for anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, or PTSD resulting from the trauma of the crash.

What to Do After a Truck Accident

Should you have the misfortune of being in or even witnessing a crash with a large truck, the very first thing to do is call 911 to get the police and medics on the scene right away. If you can safely do so, there are several steps you can take following a truck accident, such as:

• Take photos of the scene, including the location, damage to all vehicles involved, and any injuries sustained.
• Exchange insurance information with all parties involved.
• Cooperate with police, but do not discuss details and definitely do not admit fault.
• Seek medical attention to treat and document injuries.
• Get a copy of the police report.
• Do not give a statement or sign any documents from insurance companies without speaking to an attorney.

Remember that truck accidents are more complex than car accidents, in part because there are more players involved when it comes to liability. Insurance adjusters often work in the interest of saving their company money, as opposed to awarding the victim what is truly needed to cover the multitude of expensive injuries that a truck accident can cause.

Often, individual insurance policies have award limits that are difficult to negotiate on your own, especially if you are in pain or grieving.