A recent crash in St. Joseph shows that rollovers are a common cause of truck accidents, not just car accidents.
Semi-Truck Rolls Over, Shuts Down Highway
The accident happened early in the morning on October 13, in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 near Frederick Avenue. According to the initial reports, construction on the highway had already limited travel to one lane. The truck driver, however, ran through the traffic cones, hit a sign, and then went into the median. When the truck hit the cables that run alongside the highway, the semi tipped over.
At some point in the accident, the truck struck another vehicle. No injuries were reported.
The truck driver suffered minor injuries.
Common Causes of Truck Rollover Crashes
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were over 17,000 truck rollover accidents in 2017, alone. A disproportionate number of those crashes led to an injury or a fatality. Another study, published in the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, looked at the causes of 239 truck accidents that included a rollover. That study found that the leading causes of a rollover truck accident were:
- Speed
- Lack of attention
- Errors in controlling the truck
- Other drivers on the road
- Pre-operation causes or truck maintenance issues
Speed
Speed was easily the most common cause of a truck rollover accident, accounting for 45 percent of the crashes in the study. Most of these speed-related rollovers also involved a curve in the roadway, with most of these accidents occurring after the driver misjudged how sharp the turn would be.
Lack of Attention
Another 22 percent of the truck accidents in the study happened because the trucker was not paying attention. Their distraction prevented them from slowing down enough before taking a turn, leading to the truck tipping and overturning.
In a little under half of these cases, the inattention was caused by a lack of sleep.
Control Errors
Driver errors in controlling the truck were a factor in 19 percent of the crashes. This included problems in over- or under-steering the truck, or overcorrecting after a different driver error. These issues often combined with excessive speed to produce a rollover accident.
Other Drivers
13 percent of the rollovers were caused by other drivers on the roadway. Nearly all of these rollovers happened because another vehicle hit the truck, first.
Pre-Operation Problems
In 8 percent of the accidents in the study, the rollover accident was attributable to something that happened before the trucker even got in the vehicle. Most of the time, it was a problem with the load in the trailer that allowed the cargo to shift.
Car Accident Lawyers at the Smith Law Office Serve St. Joseph
Truck accidents are some of the most severe crashes that can happen on the roadways. If you or a loved one was hurt, the personal injury and car accident lawyers at the Smith Law Office can help you recover the compensation you need and deserve. Contact us online or call our law office at (816) 875-9373.