The trucking industry is growing every year and, unfortunately, so is the number of accidents involving semis or tractor-trailers. The figures for 2020 show a 52% increase in the number of truck accidents on US roads as compared to 2009. Each year, approximately 130,000 people are injured in crashes involving trucks, and most of them are occupants of passenger cars. Ordinary people, whose lives are turned upside down in one instant. People who will need help. First of all, medical help and then, inevitably, financial help.If you live in Utah and were recently injured in such an accident, you need to get in touch with the best truck accident lawyers in St.George. Seeking legal counsel right away is essential because truck accidents are more complex than regular crashes between two family cars. It’s not about the weight of a large vehicle. That plays a part in explaining the large number of fatalities and severe injuries caused by such crashes.It’s about liability. When you’re the victim of a truck accident you will need experienced lawyers to study the dynamics of the crash in order to understand who bears responsibility for what happened and who should be held accountable for the damages. Here is why.Mechanical defects are one of the most common causes of truck accidents. In most cases it’s about tires, brakes or wheel issues. When the brakes fail, there’s little that the driver of a 50,000 pound vehicle can do to avoid a tragedy. They’re not to blame for mechanical defects. Trucking companies are. They are responsible for the maintenance of their vehicles. Failure to perform regular maintenance is a violation of federal road safety regulations. Your truck accident lawyers will pour over the documents concerning the accident and call in independent experts if need be. If there was a mechanical failure, they will take up the issue with the trucking company’s insurer. Your St.George truck accident lawyers will also have a look at the truck driver involved. Did he have a commercial driving license? Did he have adequate training? What about his criminal record? Any traffic-related offenses? Once again, the company is responsible for vetting and training its employees and they can be held accountable if they failed in their duties.

Upclose shot of semi-truck tires; image by Milan DeGraeve, via Unsplash.com.

Another common cause of truck accidents is driver fatigue. If the driver spent the night drinking and didn’t get enough rest, that’s on him. However, if the guy was on a tight schedule and his bosses were putting pressure on him to get to the destination as fast as possible, that’s a clear violation of road safety regulations. According to federal regulations, a commercial driver cannot work for more than 11 hours in one shift. Your lawyers will examine the driver’s log to see how many hours he’d been driving for at the time of the accident and how many hours he had put in over the past 7 days. If the trucking company had anything to do with it, they deserve to pay. When they push a driver to the limits, they’re motivated by greed. If they ruined your life to make more money, it’s only fair to hit them where it hurts. Your lawyer will make sure they pay for all the damages they caused you, including damages for your pain and suffering.