Negligence & the Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents often occur when a driver behaves negligently but is that the most common cause of road accidents in Denver, Colorado? Decisions like driving while under the influence or while fatigued could easily contribute to similar negligent behavior, with disastrous consequences. The Bell & Pollock accident attorneys unpack the issues below.

Five Causes of Truck Accidents and What to Do Afterward

#1 Distracted Driving

It is true that distracted driving plays a major role in large truck crashes across Colorado. Truck driver distractions might include:

● Texting or using a mobile device

● Changing radio stations

● Eating or drinking

● Communicating over radio

Any activity that requires a driver to take their hands off the wheel or their minds off the road can lead to head-on, rear-end, or side-impact collisions.

#2 Alcohol or Drug Usage

Driving under the influence (DUI) is illegal in Colorado, regardless of whether it is operating a passenger vehicle or commercial truck. When truckers ignore this regulation and climb behind the wheel after drinking or using illegal drugs, traffic safety is at risk; a fatal crash could be around the corner.

Any person who was hurt by an impaired driver in this manner should reach out to truck accident lawyers like Bell & Pollock as soon as possible after receiving medical attention. Everyone has the right to safety on the roads.

#3 Fatigue

A surprising number of truck accidents involve driver fatigue, which impacts the mind in much the same way as alcohol. Intoxicated behavior closely resembles that which follows going without sleep for an extended period, and negligence is inevitable if these fatigued drivers take the wheel. These drivers may swerve across lanes, tailgate other drivers, or reverse without checking mirrors; they may even fall asleep.

Unfortunately, operating trucks involved in fatal accidents is much more likely when the truck driver is exhausted and unable to focus. Other drivers should always report large trucks driving dangerously—a life may depend on it.

#4 Reckless Driving

Of course, irresponsible truck drivers may operate their vehicles in a reckless or unsafe way when in a rush or pressed for time on a big job. Sometimes, it is tempting to speed home for the night, running red lights or ignoring stop signs to put other road users at risk. Any act of reckless driving could endanger other people on the road, especially when a driver operates a large commercial vehicle.

#5 Improper Maintenance

There are times when truck accidents occur due to negligence on the part of the vehicle’s owner or the trucking company. These responsible parties have a duty to perform proper maintenance on the vehicles so that trucks operate efficiently. Trucks that break down or wear out lead to accidents, and liability where these circumstances lead to injury or death.

Consult Legal Help After a Truck Accident Caused by Negligence

Call Bell & Pollock at 720-613-6687 to learn more about how to handle truck accidents or the personal liability claims that follow.

Now a Word from Bradley Pollock

By Bradley Pollock of Bell & Pollock Injury Attorneys

In Colorado, a DUI (driving under the influence) or DWAI (driving while ability impaired) is a felony after 3 or more prior convictions. But even with harsher penalties for drunk driving, people in Colorado continue to get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol.

As with any automobile accident with a known at-fault driver, people injured due to another’s drunk driving can pursue a negligence claim against the at-fault driver. When a drunk person gets behind the wheel he or she is already breaking the law, but when that person causes injury to another person, the injured party can seek compensation from that person and his or her insurance company in litigation under negligence and negligence per se causes of action. There are others as well.

But negligence may not be your only option. One cause of action that many people do not think about when involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver is called dram shop liability. Dram shop liability means that if the drunk driver got drunk at a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol, and it was or should have been clear to the bar or restaurant that they were serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person, that bar or restaurant may be held liable to the injured parties. This law creates a separate defendant in your legal action resulting from an auto accident with a drunk driver, and it means another party besides the at-fault driver may be liable for your injuries and may be responsible for compensating you.

The most important fact to know about dram shop liability is how long you have to pursue it. Under Colorado law, you only have ONE YEAR from the date the alcohol was served to claim against the bar or restaurant responsible for the at-fault driver’s drunkenness.

Bottom line: it’s never too early to call a personal injury attorney after your auto accident, especially when it involves a drunk driver, and the attorneys at Bell & Pollock, P.C. would be happy to discuss your case with you.

If you have questions about these issues, simply contact the skilled Accident Lawyers at Bell & Pollock, P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation to find out more about how we can help you. We are here to help you get justice, and we know how to devise the right Legal Game Plans™ to get victims full, fair compensation so they can recover and move on with their lives.™

To Learn Even More . . .

Visit our website to listen to the show on this subject and all of our other radio shows on various legal topics.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in today’s newsletter, or questions on other legal issues, give our office a call and one of our attorneys would be happy to talk with you.

More Information

Get more information about your rights and options following an accident by checking out one of our helpful BOOKS: THEY ARE FREE.

• Don’t Get Hurt Twice in the Same Accident – This enlightening guide dispels some of the most common (and harmful) myths about car crashes, insurance companies, attorneys, and financial recoveries.
• The Essential Guide to Car Insurance in Colorado – This guide helps all drivers better understand car insurance. If you’ve ever had a question about a claim, dispute or car insurance in general, this is a must-read.
• Cowards of the Street: Hit & Run – This book uncovers the facts about hit and runs and how to financially recover from these crashes. It also shares about what you can do to protect yourself before and after a hit and run accident occurs.
• Colorado’s Workers’ Compensation: The Ultimate Guide – This insightful book reveals everything you need to know in order to protect your rights as a worker – and to position a Colorado workers’ compensation claim for success.
• Legal Game Plan – This educational book helps you better understand insurance company’s hidden game plan…and come up with one on your own!
• Motorcycle Accidents (or How to Go Full Throttle Against the Insurance Companies) – This informative read will help motorcyclists come up with a plan of action to combat the insurance agencies. If you ride a motorcycle, you need this book.
• 18 Mistakes You Could Make to Destroy Your Injury Claim – Found within is a precise guide regarding a trove of detailed mistakes one should avoid when pursuing a successful resolution to ones case. This work helps answer questions and details advice to protect oneself from common pitfalls and perils associated with a compensation claim.
• Distracted Driving and Your Injury Claim – This comprehensive work assists all drivers in understanding the dangers of distracted driving and its relationship to your injury claim.
• Premises Liability (Landowner Responsibility and Injury Recovery) – This definitive piece renders the details behind the history of the Premises Liability Law in Colorado and highlights examples of responsibility which further offers a practical guide for injured victims.

Call our office to request copies of our books. THEY ARE FREE. You can also request a copy of any (or all) of these books on our website. You can download a free electronic copy anytime. And be sure to tune in to our weekly radio show to learn more about a variety of legal topics.