Nearly 13% of Fatal Accidents Involve Semi Trucks
Every year, throughout the country, there are a thousands of motor vehicle crashes that result in fatalities. Many of these involve semi trucks, such as the fracking trucks found heavily in areas where new oil wells are being drilled. If you have been in an accident that involved a semi truck (whether it was an oil fracking truck or not) you need to hire a truck accident attorney to help you get the compensation that you deserve. Contact a highly trained attorney from Arentz Law Group P.C today by calling 1-800-305-6000, or by filling out the contact form on this page, to schedule your free initial consultation.
Fatal Truck Accident Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) keeps track of motor vehicle accidents. Their data help to identify areas of the country that are of special concern and that need closer scrutiny to make them safer.
The latest statistics stem from 2012. During that year there were 30,800 deaths that resulted from motor vehicle accidents. Included in this number are 3,921 deaths that resulted as a result of a semi truck accident. Those deaths are disproportionately the drivers and passengers of smaller vehicles.
Whenever a truck gets into an accident with a car, the car is going to take the brunt of the damage. The laws of physics are at play here, and the vehicle with less mass will lose. This results in the fact that 82% of the deaths are those who are driving, or riding as passengers in smaller cars. 18% of the deaths are those in the semi truck itself.
Congested Areas Lead to More Truck Accidents
Whenever traffic increases, the likelihood of an accident increases. So when areas like the Bakken formation (in the Williston Basin of North Dakota) are heavily developed to drill oil, traffic is bound to increase. The result is that a disproportionate number of fracking trucks are on roads that are not suited to handle that kind of traffic.
Before the oil boom in the Williston area, there were about 1,400 vehicles that traveled through the area each day; most of these were related to the farming and ranching industry that made up the area. Now there are 14,000 vehicles that travel through the same area ever day. Many of those vehicles are fracking trucks. In fact it is estimated that between 40 and 60% of the traffic in the area consists of large trucks.
That many trucks on the road are dangerous for everyone. But on top of those dangers are the facts that many of the truck drivers are not properly trained, and they are often fatigued. This is a recipe for disaster, especially for those in a smaller vehicle nearby.
Filing your Truck Accident Lawsuit
If you, or a loved one, have been involved in an accident that involved a fracking truck, you need an attorney. Without legal help you will likely be rushed into a settlement that does not fully compensate you for your losses. A highly trained truck accident attorney from Arentz Law knows the law and knows how to get you what you deserve. Schedule your free case review today by calling 1-800-305-6000, or fill out the contact form on this page.
A truck accident attorney from Arentz Law can handle your claim no matter what state your accident took place in.