Located right in the heart of Jackson and in the middle of three of Mississippi’s biggest thoroughfares, I-55, I-20, and Highway 49, we at 'MAGGIO LAW see trucking accidents come through our doors on a weekly basis. When we ask our clients what it was that caused their accidents, we hear it all: “18-Wheelers,” “Big Rigs,” “Tractor Trailers,” “Semis,” and even the occasional “Commercial Motor Vehicle.” These giant trucks are everywhere on our roads and have become a necessary evil for sustaining life as we have come to know it; they deliver our food to grocery stores, building materials to construction sites, gas for our cars, and even the cars we drive.
But for all the good these big rigs bring to us, there is a dangerous and potentially deadly side of the coin we must all be made aware of. These road giants take up 3x the amount of road as a normal passenger vehicle and can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds (40 tons)—the average passenger car, well that weighs around 2 tons. These numbers help illustrate the sheer enormity of one of these 18 wheelers. All that extra size usually means greater force and energy coupled with less maneuverability—a recipe for big wrecks. And when these trucks get in wrecks, there’s often serious injuries and fatalities.
Causes of Big Rig Wrecks
There’s an infinite number of things that can cause a motor vehicle accident on the road, but some of the following reasons are negligent acts that frequently occur in 18-wheeler wrecks:
- Intoxicated driver (whether it be alcohol, substance, or prescription abuse)
- Drowsy driver (CMV drivers have federally-regulated amount of time they can continually drive without taking a break, but that doesn’t mean that they always get the necessary rest they need before getting behind the wheel of their giant trucks)
- Improperly maintained truck and/or trailer (independent drivers might not take the necessary care of their vehicles like large fleet companies)
- Driver inexperience or under-training (drivers of semis are required to obtain accreditation and special licensure, otherwise they are not allowed to operate these large trucks)
- Unsecured cargo or improperly loaded trailers (if a truck’s cargo is not properly loaded or secured it could either fall off the trailer and hit a vehicle or may contribute to the truck and trailer flipping over)
Contact the Personal Injury Attorneys at ’MAGGIO LAW Today!
If you or a loved one have been involved in a motor vehicle accident with an 18-wheeler and sustained injuries while travelling in Mississippi, contact the experienced and serious 18-wheeler personal injury attorneys at ’MAGGIO LAW.