Large semi-trucks provide ground transportation for goods and raw materials in the United States and they play a major role in the modern economy. They provide well-compensated jobs for many blue-collar workers and keep transportation costs affordable, even when companies need to move perishable or refrigerated items.
Yet, despite their obvious value, they are also inherently dangerous. Semi-trucks can cause crashes anywhere they have a presence on the road, as their weight and overall size make them much more difficult to operate than smaller vehicles. They have big blind spots and take longer to stop. As a result, these vehicles too frequently cause severe injuries and death.
Unfortunately for people on the road in Tennessee, the state is one of the most dangerous in the entire country in terms of the number of fatal semi-truck crashes that occur every year, even though drivers in the state aren’t compelled to navigate the kinds of harsh winters that fuel high truck crash rates in some northern states.
What do local drivers need to know about their truck crash risk?
Commercial vehicles cause many deaths annually in Tennessee. When researchers look at the total number of traffic fatalities caused by semi-trucks, some states are far more dangerous than others.
Tennessee currently places in the top ten on the list of states with the highest number of fatal truck crashes. A handful of other states, including Wyoming, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi have higher truck crash fatalities. Kentucky has the same rate of 2.6 annual deaths per 100,000 people in the state.
Despite the lack of winter weather that plagues much of the country, Tennessee seems to have other conditions that make fatal truck wrecks a bigger concern.
Who is to blame for a semi-truck crash?
Every collision in Tennessee has unique contributing factors, and reviewing the situation is the only way to determine who is actually at fault. In many cases, either the semi-truck driver or the trucking company that employs them may be at fault for the crash. Delayed maintenance, poor training and driver fatigue are leading contributing factors to semi-truck wrecks.
Those who have suffered physical harm as a result of truck collisions can potentially file an insurance claim and/or lawsuit to seek compensation from responsible parties. When crashes result in the tragic outcome of costing someone’s life, as is frequently the case here in Tennessee, surviving family members may have the right to request compensation from insurance or through the courts as well. Requesting appropriate compensation after a semi-truck crash isn’t easy but seasoned legal professionals can help.