The U.S. trucking industry is huge. It employs over 9 million Americans and generates approximately $255.5 billion in revenue. It is a necessary and viable part of the economy, since many businesses—from grocery stores to office suppliers—rely on tractor trailers to transport their goods from warehouses to stores and across the country. In 2005, there were 8,481,999 large trucks on the roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 136,568,000 passenger cars and 6,227,000 motorcycles simultaneously occupied the highways (Bureau of Transportation Statistics).

This vital transportation comes with a significant cost: accidents, accidents, and more accidents. Finding room for tractor trailers and passenger vehicles to share the road is difficult and often dangerous. In 2005, there were 4,533 fatal crashes involving large trucks, not to mention 78,000 nonfatal crashes. Although all vehicles on the road must obey the same rules, truck drivers face several significant disadvantages: wider turn radiuses, larger blind spots and slower acceleration times. Drivers also face problems with fatigue, grueling delivery schedules, overloaded shipments, the potential for a heavy load to become unbalanced, and other drivers’ impatience with tractor trailers on highways.

Because of a tractor trailer’s size and weight, the potential for causing damage to everyone involved in an accident—especially those in a much-smaller car—is great. Injuries can be relatively common (bruising, lacerations, sprains, or fractures) or very severe (internal bleeding, damage to organs, whiplash, brain injury, spinal cord injury, loss of limb, or death). These injuries can certainly cause some long-lasting mental and physical trauma. Just as importantly, however, they can affect your relationships with your family and friends, especially as you face the added burden of financial concerns, insurance claims, lost pay, and potentially life-long medical problems.

Tractor trailer drivers recommend that, when cars have to share the road with big trucks, the car drivers follow a few simple rules: don’t cut off the tractor trailer, since big trucks require a lot more room than cars to stop; be courteous and don’t try to race past a truck with its blinkers on; don’t drive alongside the truck, especially if you run the risk of disappearing in the truck driver’s blind spot. Although most accidents are caused by the commercial driver, a significant number of these accidents occur because driving a truck makes it difficult to fully see the surroundings and because many passenger vehicle drivers fail to respect the truck’s right to drive on the roads. Remember being courteous is a two-way street.

According to a report issued by the Pacific Institute in December 2006, “Unit Costs of Medium and Heavy Truck Crashes,” the estimated cost of a crash with a tractor trailer weighing more than 10,000 pounds averaged $91,112; costs (assessed for the duration of the victim’s life) included medical bills, emergency service costs, property damage costs, and a monetary assessment of pain, suffering, and quality of life for the family due to a death or injury. Chances are very good that your insurance company will fall short of helping you recover everything owed to you because insurance companies don’t represent you and when they are talking to you they are thinking of how to get out of paying you or how to pay you what you deserve to be paid.

That’s why it’s important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after a crash or wreck. If you are injured in an accident involving a tractor trailer along the highways of central Iowa, Steve Lombardi of the Lombardi Law Firm in Des Moines can help you handle these troubling times. With 26 years of experience behind him, he is well-equipped to navigate the court system and fight the insurance companies that want to pay as little as possible on your claim. With Steve Lombardi on your side, you will be well cared for and will recoup as much of your losses as possible. Call 515.222.1110 for a free consultation.

Frequent Questions for Car and Tractor Trailer Accidents:

Videos about Car and Tractor Trailer Accidents:

Web Resources for Car and Tractor Trailer Accidents:

Injuryboard Help Center - Tractor-Trailer Accidents
Description: A help center with a regional and national approach to educating the public about the law that applies to these types of personal injury claims.
Iowa car accidents
Description: Discussions about most anything of a personal injury nature including cars, trucks and mass transit wrecks or accidents.
Iowa truck and trailer accidents
Description: Iowa truck and trailer accident news and discussion.
Miami Injury Lawyer
Description: The Law Office of Robert Dixon,personal injury cases involving car accidents,
wrongful death, slip and falls and any type of injury claims.
NHTSA - Nathional Highway Safety
Description: The National Highway Safety Administration site provides safety information having to do with riding on the blacktop. An essential ingredient for any client or trial lawyer toolbox.

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Lombardi Law Firm
Three Fountains Office Park
4200 Corporate Drive, Suite 112
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Toll Free: 800-383-0331
Phone: 515-222-1110