Trucks, buses still cause many accidents every year

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has an incredible amount of data on motor vehicle accidents that involve large trucks and buses. Their database is recent as of the year 2014. According to that year of data, safety has improved, in general, when it comes to large trucks and buses being involved in motor vehicle accidents.

The 2014 data shows that 3,978 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents in the U.S., marking a 5 percent decline in the figure compared to 2013. This is great news and it marks a tremendous stride in truck and bus safety. Of course, more needs to be done, but improving numbers are obviously the goal.

However, there are still far too many of these wrecks that leave people with injuries, especially with large trucks. According to the data, roughly 20 percent of the 411,000 police-reported crashes that large trucks were involved in resulted in nonfatal injuries. Trucks are incredibly powerful, and they carry a lot of momentum with them when they travel down a road or a highway. So when they collide with another vehicle, it is likely that the other vehicle will suffer heavy damage and that the people inside could suffer serious injuries.

Given these facts, it is important for victims of truck accidents and bus accidents to understand what their next legal move is. If it can be proven that a truck or bus driver was texting while driving or lacked the necessary sleep to drive, then you should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney.

Source: FMCSA, “Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2014,” Accessed June 2, 2016