3,921 people died, 104,000 injured in truck accidents in 2012
On behalf of Eisenmenger, Robinson & Peters, P.A. posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.
There’s a scary trend going on with trucks and truck accidents, and the trend seems to be going largely unnoticed. From 2009 to 2012, fatal truck accidents increased 18 percent. Even though that’s a significant jump in its own right, the statistic is even scary with a little context. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during that same time period:
- Fatal car accidents dropped 1.74 percent
- The average distance that trucks traveled on highways dropped 2.67 percent
- The number of trucks (presumably out on the road, but the statistic is unclear) dropped 2.86 percent
These are some amazing figures, made only more amazing by the 2012 totals for fatal truck accidents. 3,921 people died that year as a result of a crash involving a truck, and another 104,000 suffered injuries. All told, these statistics demonstrate that the trucking industry, which already has a reputation for being dangerous and unsafe, is only getting worse.
Trucks, by their very nature, are going to inflict more damage and cause more serious injuries to people who are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident with one. They are big, powerful and somewhat-unstable vehicles, and when operated negligently by a dangerous driver — or when the truck is let out on the road in poor condition — they can cause an accident.
When this occurs, innocent people can suffer terrible injuries, lose loved ones or lose their own life. These are nightmare scenarios that no one should have to deal with. But, sadly, these stats show that truck accidents are happening all the time and all around us. The parties liable for these accidents need to be held responsible.
Source: NBC News, “Truck Accidents Surge, But There’s No National Outcry,” Eamon Javers and Jennifer Schlesinger, July 30, 2014
