When you’re out driving on Interstate 10 or I-17 in the Phoenix area, there is probably little doubt in your mind that some of the most dangerous things on wheels are large commercial trucks. Weighing up to 80,000 pounds, they are 13 times heavier than big SUVs and are 20 times (or more) heavier than passenger cars. They are difficult to maneuver and hard to stop quickly.
Worst of all, the injuries to motorists in the much lighter passenger vehicles can be devastating. Far too often, the injuries result in loss of life. That puts a grieving family into the difficult position of filing a wrongful death lawsuit in order to be compensated for the inestimable loss of a loved one.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012 nearly 4,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 injured in crashes involving trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds. Almost three-quarters of those fatalities were occupants of other vehicles; that is, they were not in the large trucks.
Seventy-two percent of the injuries were sustained by people who were not in large trucks.
These figures show how the odds are in favor of the truckers inside the enormous commercial vehicles. The laws of physics dictate that they are in a much better position to walk away from a crash with a passenger vehicle.
Of course, some people involved in these crashes have little chance of survival. Ten percent of the fatalities weren’t in any vehicle, meaning they were pedestrians or bicyclists who were struck by an 18-wheeler or other large truck.
At The Law Offices of John Phebus Glendale Criminal and Personal Injury Lawyer, we have experience in guiding grieving families through the difficult legal process of seeking compensation for your loss. Please contact our Glendale wrongful death lawyer for more information about the help we provide.