Among vehicle accidents, Truck accident injuries are frequently fatal. Contact Monheit Law if a family member has been involved in a fatal traffic accident. Fatal traffic accidents kill thousands of people each year.

Every year thousands of trucking fatalities occur -- people are killed and hundreds of thousands more are injured as the result of truck accidents.

In 2003, 457,000 large trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds were involved in traffic crashes in the United States; 4,669 trucks were involved in fatal traffic accidents.

The costs for fatal traffic accidents exceed $20 billion, including $8.7 billion in productivity losses, $2.5 billion in resource costs, and quality of life losses valued at $13.1 billion. A truck is considered large if its gross vehicle weight rating exceeds 10,000 pounds.

The most common causes for fatal traffic accidents are:

Lack of training or experience on the part of the truck driver Overloaded or oversized trucks Poorly maintained truck brakes Fatigued or tired driver; driving too long and too many hours without rest Failure to yield the right of way Truck drivers driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol Unsafe safety systems, reflectors, lights, and other warning devices

Running off the road Speeding over the limit or driving at high speeds beyond the road and weather conditions Driving in conditions of poor visibility due to fog, snow, rain, or smoke (e.g. Truck rain accident) Dangerous or reckless truck driver with a long record of wrecks and fatal traffic accidents Aggressive driving behavior Failure of truck to install an under-ride protection under-guard.

One out of every nine traffic fatalities involves a trucking accident. Truck driver fatalities are all too common. In 2002, large trucks accounted for 4 percent of all registered vehicles and 8 percent of total vehicle miles traveled. In 2003, large trucks accounted for 8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal truck crashes and 4 percent of all vehicles involved in injury and property damage only crashes.

Of the fatalities that resulted from truck accidents involving large trucks, 78 percent were occupants in another vehicle, 8 percent were non-occupants, and only 15 percent were occupants of a large truck. Consequently, the majority who suffers as a result of fatal traffic accidents is innocent drivers and passengers just like you. However, truck driver fatalities are also a great concern.

Innocent people suffer the most from truck accidents.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a truck accident injury or fatality, contact an expert truck accident injuries lawyer, for a NO-OBLIGATION, free consultation. (Area's in Pennsylvania that we cover.)