Motorists in Tennessee may be interested in understanding more about trends involving large trucks. Information about truck accidents has been collected and published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. During 2012, there were 1,379 vehicles involved in fatal crashes that occurred in Tennessee. Large trucks accounted for 7.8 percent of the state’s total deadly accidents, and the 107 fatal crashes involving large trucks in Tennessee accounted for less than 3 percent of the U.S. total.
There were nearly 105,000 injuries and more than 3,900 fatalities in crashes that involved large trucks during 2012. The number of fatalities represented a 4 percent increase from the previous year. Approximately 18 percent of the fatalities were occupants in large trucks, 73 percent of the deaths were people in other vehicles and 10 percent were not inside any vehicle. The total number of fatalities for occupants inside large trucks and occupants in other vehicles increased by 9 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
The number of injuries associated with large trucking accidents increased by 18 percent from the previous year. Among those injured in trucking accidents during 2012, 24 percent were occupants of large trucks and 73 percent were inside other vehicles. Approximately 3 percent of the injuries were attributed to occupants not riding in any vehicle. The NHTSA considers large trucks to be those with a gross weight that exceeds 10,000 pounds.
People who are injured in a large truck accident may benefit from confiding in legal counsel. A lawyer might be able to investigate the accident and help determine any party may be held culpable for ensuing damages. In order to collect restitution, legal counsel may have to prove that the defendant’s negligence was the cause of the damages.
Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, “Traffic Safety Facts – Large Trucks“, December 23, 2014