Were you injured in a Big Rig Truck Accident and need a Truck Accident Attorney to legally represent you?
Ever since Nov. 8, 2000, someone has been killed in a Texas motor vehicle accident each day. The state’s transportation department is spending $600 million annually on safety, trying to end all roadway deaths by 2050.
Texas has long been above the national average in number of traffic deaths per capita. Among the six most populated states, Texas is second only to Florida in the number of deaths per 100,000 residents.
Between 2010 and 2018, more people died on roads in Texas than in any other state. There were more deaths here than in California, which has more people and is also a car-centric state. When factoring in population size, 12.7 people per 100,000 residents died in Texas wrecks in 2018. That puts the state in the middle of the pack for per capita road deaths but is still above the national average of 11.2.
When a large truck is involved in a collision with another vehicle, the occupants of the other vehicle are most likely to be injured or killed. Truck operators are at a much lower risk of injury. This is documented in NHTSA statistics.
According to nationwide truck accident statistics from 2017, only 7% of people who lost their lives in multi-vehicle truck accidents were occupants of the truck. Only 15% of people injured in multi-vehicle truck accidents were truck occupants. In comparison, 72% of those killed in truck accidents in the U.S. in 2017 were occupants of other vehicles. 73% of those injured in 2015 were occupants of other vehicles.
As is evident, your chances of being injured in an accident with a large truck are significantly greater than the truck driver being injured. Smaller vehicles stand little to no chance against commercial trucks that may weigh up to 80,000 pounds.
Tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles are often the largest vehicles on the road. Any accident involving one could potentially be catastrophic for the occupants of the smaller vehicle. Unfortunately, a high number of commercial vehicle accidents happen every year in Texas. Here, to help you gain perspective about a crash that may have affected your life, we present this review of Texas truck accident statistics.
Other trucking related statistics show the extent of this problem:
- Of those who died as a result of a large truck accident, 72 percent (3,127 people) occupied other vehicles, and 11% (468) were not in a vehicle, like bicyclists and pedestrians.
- There was a 13% increase in the fatalities of pedestrians, cyclists, and those who were outside of the truck or a car when they were hit—the highest fatality figure in the last decade.
- There was a 4% overall increase in the number of people in cars who were killed – the highest rise in car occupant deaths since 2008.
- More than 20% of large truck operators who were involved in a fatal crash had previous crashes on their record.
- Each year, thousands of people get in their car to go to work, or to run an errand, and are injured or killed in a large truck crash. Like the airplanes and trains that connect this country, large trucks are essential to the economy, moving manufactured and other goods to market. But they have to be driven safely.
If you suffered serious injuries, or if your loved one was killed in a truck accident in Texas, you should immediately seek legal representation. Contact Parker & Associates today. We will review your case in a free consultation.