When truck drivers get into accidents on the road, the results tend to be even more disastrous than normal car accidents. The large size of the vehicles, the difficulty of driving them and the issues with keeping them balanced can lead to accidents that are much more likely to be serious. But how do these accidents tend to happen in the first place?

Here are the two most common causes of trucking accidents:

• Driver error. This is the most common cause of all vehicle accidents, including trucking accidents. Truck drivers are ten times more likely to be the cause of an accident that they are in than any other potential cause, such as weather, vehicle defects or road conditions. While distracted driving and driving under the influence are always issues that need to be prevented, the biggest percentage of crashes caused by driver error is related to driver fatigue and sleep deprivation.

Truck drivers are much more likely to be fatigued than other drivers on the road because they often force themselves to drive long hours to meet the strict deadlines imposed on them by their companies or customers. However, truck companies are required to limit the amount of hours that drivers are on the road within a given 24 hour period, and to log those hours religiously. When drivers fail to abide by those requirements, either they or their company could be liable for any accidents that occur.

• Equipment problems. These types of problems can include defective parts, such as tires or other manufactured parts in the vehicle, or design errors. However, the majority of mechanical failures in trucks are usually the result of poor maintenance by the trucking company rather than poor manufacturing or design of the vehicle itself. Tires might be worn down and more susceptible to blowouts, trailers might be improperly attached, cargo might be improperly loaded, etc. Any of these issues or others could increase the likelihood of an accident.

If you have been injured in an accident and believe that a truck driver or company was responsible, speak to the New Jersey attorneys at Gaylord Popp for more information about how you can hold them accountable.