The most recent on-the-job injury figures from the federal government show that work-related injuries and deaths are on the rise in the U.S., with semi-truck accidents and other transportation-related accidents accounting for a staggering share of on-the-job deaths.
More Deaths than Construction and Heavy Industries Combined
According to federal labor data, in 2019, one worker suffered a fatal on-the-job injury every 99 minutes in the U.S. That averages out to more than 15 worker deaths per day and more than 100 per week. Of the 5,333 on-the-job fatalities that occurred in 2019, nearly 40% involved semi-truck accidents and other work-related vehicular accidents. That’s more worker deaths than the construction and heavy industries combined.
Driver fatigue and distraction remain two of the most common causes of semi-truck accidents. However, other frequent causes involve issues beyond the driver’s control. For instance, Lawyers in Beasley Allen’s Personal Injury and Product Liability Sections have had the honor and privilege of representing scores of truck drivers who were injured on the job through no fault of their own.
Defective Designs
Several of the truck accident injury cases we have handled throughout the years involved defectively designed trucks, trailers, tires, and other components critical to the safety of drivers and the other motorists with whom they share the road.
Our truck accident injury lawyers, for instance, have seen shifting loads seriously injure or kill countless truck drivers. An improperly secured load shifting forward can crush the truck driver when the cab guard is inadequate.
Loads shifting to the side frequently cause semi-truck rollovers. Product liability issues arise when the occupant compartment of the cab crushes in a rollover. In these cases, our product liability lawyers will investigate the truck cab for crash-worthiness, analyzing its structure for design and build defects that might spell the difference between life and death for truckers.
Negligence
Negligence in the maintenance and repair of heavy trucks is another problem we often see. A young man who suffered catastrophic injuries on the job recently hired Beasley Allen to represent him. The man was operating a dump truck and raised the dump bed to offload the material he was hauling. The lift caused the dump truck to roll over, rendering severe injuries.
The young man’s injuries will likely leave him quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Our truck accident injury lawyers are investigating the accident, and it appears negligent maintenance and repair issues are to blame. Knowing that someone else’s negligence has robbed a young man of his physical abilities and the chance for a normal life is what motivates us to help — especially if that case leads to improvements that could spare others from a similar fate.
Other heavy truck accidents our on-the-job injury attorneys see stem from dangerous premises or procedures. Another recent case our truck accident injury lawyers handled concerned a dump truck that had rolled over onto its side on a weigh scale, severely injuring the driver. The weigh scale was elevated and required the drivers to traverse a very narrow on- and off-ramp. The elevated ramps had unmarked and unprotected edges. As soon as one tire left the edge of the scale, the truck rolled over.
Truck Accident Injury Lawyers
Given all the potential causes and circumstances in which truck accidents occur, we investigate every angle when assessing these cases. On the surface, a truck accident might seem to be an on-the-job injury claim for workers’ compensation, but a deeper look may show that it is actually much more involved.
If you have any questions or would like our firm to look at an on-the-job trucking injury case, contact us today.
