Nitro Legal Blog

West Virginia residents should know that large truck crash deaths continue to be a nationwide issue. Federal data shows that 35,882 people died in such crashes between the years 2009 and 2017. All but six states saw an increase in these deaths. According to the highway safety non-profit Road Safe America, many of these deaths could have been avoided through the use of vehicle technology.

Specifically, it recommends the use of automatic emergency braking, which can alert truck drivers to slow-moving or stationary objects and apply the brakes for the drivers if they fail to react in time. It also urges truck fleet owners to limit the speeds on their heavy-duty vehicles to 65 mph.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends seven hours of sleep every night. Going with less will only make one drowsy throughout the day, affecting behavior behind the wheel of a car. Yet in a AAA survey, nearly a third of the respondents said that they had been so tired behind the wheel at least one in the preceding 30 days that they were at the point of having drooping eyelids.

For some, the use of prescription sleep aids contributes to their drowsiness. One in five Americans who take them say that they drive within seven hours of taking them, according to a 2018 Consumer Reports survey. Most of these drugs come with the instruction that users sleep at least seven to eight hours afterwards.

The statistics about commercial truck accidents paint a clear picture of heightened risk. Due to the size and weight of large trucks and 18-wheelers in West Virginia, the consequences of a crash can be immense. A collision with a commercial truck typically leaves a car unusable, and the crash victims often experience injuries that require long recovery times and sometimes result in permanent disability.

These facts leave accident victims facing high medical bills. Death is also a distinct possibility. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration calculates that approximately 3,000 to 5,000 people die in trucking accidents each year. Sometimes, these fatalities prompt survivors to file wrongful death lawsuits.

Car accidents have been increasing over the past several years in West Virginia and across the country. Since 2011, there has been a 30 percent increase in motor vehicle accidents. Analysts attribute the rise in vehicular crashes to the increased use of phones while driving, an increase in employment rates, the legalization of marijuana in many states and an increase in the average number of miles driven by drivers.

According to a survey done by State Farm Insurance, in 2011, only 52 percent of drivers owned smartphones. By 2016, an estimated 91 percent of drivers used the devices. An estimated 29 percent of these drivers access the internet while driving their vehicles. Experts believe that approximately 20 percent of the rise in accidents is due to this increased use of smartphones, which distracts drivers. Another contributing factor, marijuana use, is estimated to play a role in 5 percent of accidents in the states with legalized marijuana, according to a survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).