Personal Injury Lawsuit

Truck accidents involving big trucks and smaller vehicles or pedestrians often have very tragic consequences. A large truck can weigh more than 80,000 pounds and can be up to 75 feet in length. Considering the massive size and weight of trucks, it is not surprising that truck accidents result in more serious personal injuries and larger number of deaths than other traffic accidents.

According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) there are over 500,000 truck accidents annually in the United States. Of these truck accidents, a very large number end in fatalities, with statistics putting the number of deaths due to truck accidents at approximately 5,000 each year.

Startling Statistics

Tractor-trailer accidents are especially dangerous. According to the research, 12% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. are caused by truck accidents. In these truck accidents, a shocking 98% of the time, a passenger or driver in the other vehicle is killed, as opposed to people in the truck.

These statistics do not necessarily indicate that the truck driver is always at fault. Surprisingly, more than 75% of truck accidents are not caused by the truck driver but because of an error of the driver of the other smaller vehicle involved in the crash.

In 2003, Texas witnessed 5,040 fatal traffic accidents, of which 438 were fatal truck accidents. In the entire United States there were 58,512 fatal auto crashes in 2003, of which 4,669 were that of fatal big truck accidents.

Fatal truck accidents happen more often in rural areas than in urban regions, and the majority of all fatal truck accidents occur on the weekends.

Driver Fatigue and Substance Use

Driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs is seen as one of the leading causes of truck accidents. Truck driver fatigue also plays an important role in truck accidents, with more than 30% of all truck accidents caused due to truck drivers not taking enough rest breaks and not getting enough sleep. For this reason, something referred to as HOS (hours of service) regulations have been put in place.

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Los Angeles Dog bite accidents and the law may involve naturally calmed and not at all aggressive dogs, but since dogs are irrational beings, luck and sudden changing in their mood might be inexplicable. However, even they cannot be entirely prevented, there are many things you can know and learn in order to make them less harmful. Dog bite accidents can cause very serious injuries, especially when small children are involved. Long lasting or permanent injury to soft tissue, scarring, or even disfigurement can frequently result. There is also the worry that the dog may not be up on their shots and there is also a risk of infection that is a large medical concern and one that takes medical care.

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These days, depending on the type of daily driving activity you carry out, it is worth considering starting a personal injury protection plan. When you have other responsibilities, especially of a financial nature then this is no longer an option. Personal injury protection or PIP may be a part of a larger personal insurance plan or a specific plan in itself. These insurance plans are all worthwhile but the average American family cannot always justify the additional strain on their monthly budget.

It is important to remember the protection should cover everything that is required otherwise it is a waste of time and money. Personal injury and property insurance are usually required by law throughout most parts of the USA, though the required amount may differ considerably in each state. In Alaska for example a car driver will require ten times the amount of coverage that a driver in Florida will need. Although there are still some states that have not passed a law on personal injury protection at this time, there is no reason why you should wait until it has before you arrange it.

The cover will pay around 80 percent (depending on the plan) of the costs of the insured and passengers. As a no fault policy though, the plan pays for loss of earnings, medical expenses and various other costs for the policy holder and his passengers even if the insured was responsible for the situation. Before you purchase this type of cover, you would be advised to take a look at your current policies and see whether or not the areas covered by the proposed plan are not already duplicated in other insurance plans. Conditions like medical costs and even lost time form work can be part of your current health insurance plan which will save a considerable sum.

If this is the case, then you may need minimal amount of coverage or even none at all. An additional factor to consider is the driving ability and record of the policy holder because this will not only dictate the need for personal injury protection but can affect the overall cost. Fortunately most drivers will probably find themselves covered by their own health insurance policy which will also protect family members that happen to be passengers. If any of your regular passengers are inadequately covered or not covered at all, you will need personal injury protection in order to keep them covered.

Remember, the safety of a passenger in your car is always going to be your responsibility. Ensuring you have adequate personal injury protection if you are a driver should not just be about the legal requirement for you to have it, even if you are in a state that has not made it mandatory yet. This is one area where age and driving experience can be on the driver’s side and insurance policy costs can be lowered. Whatever your circumstances, you need to research it carefully so that you can rest easy knowing that you and your passengers are safely covered.

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