People around the United States depend on commercial trucks to provide their products, foods, and other goods. Therefore, big rigs and 18-wheelers are an essential part of American life. These trucks are in charge of transporting necessities across various states and cities to ensure that businesses and individuals receive their daily items.

However, with more trucks on the roads in Knoxville and other cities, we are seeing more and more traumatic, devastating, and deadly truck accidents, a trend which is causing people to develop a growing curiosity as to why this is happening.

How many fatal truck accidents occur in the United States each year?

According to the National Safety Council, there were 5,700 fatal accidents involving large trucks in the United States in 2021, which was about an 18 percent increase compared to the 4,821 fatal truck accidents that occurred in 2020. In 2009, the number of fatal truck accidents was 3,211, meaning that the number of truck accidents has almost doubled in only 12 years.

What are the reasons for these increasing fatalities?

Every truck accident has its own facts and circumstances. There could be different reasons why more and more truck fatalities are occurring. However, there are a few patterns that people who research and study truck and car safety are noticing when it comes to the increasing deaths from truck collisions.

A recent article published by FreightWaves highlights an important conversation between Timothy Dooner, a podcaster for FreightWaves’ “What The Truck?!?” podcast, and Brian Runnels, the Vice President of safety at Reliance Partners, about the rise in truck accident fatalities. Runnels stated that he thinks that one of the reasons for the increase in these deaths is due to “the operational shift in where freight volumes are centralized.” To back up his claim, there was a report released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) that shows a pattern over the past 10 years of operations moving toward shorter length trips.

As a result of this new trend, there is an increasing number of large commercial trucks driving and transporting items in congested city areas than ever before. Runnels pointed out that there are more and more large companies, warehouses, and distribution facilities being built and springing up around and near cities in the United States. However, large trucks are no longer hauling freight for long distances. Instead, more trucks are being used to transport items regionally, which changes things significantly in the industry’s operations. For example, more trucks need to be unloaded and reloaded more often, and truck drivers are stressed about getting more miles.

Truckers typically earn money based on how many miles they drive. Therefore, the more miles they can drive, the better their income will be. However, the data shows that there have been decreases in the number of miles truckers drove in recent years. In 2019, the number of miles large trucks drove was 91,509, but that number decreased to 78,863 in 2022. Runnels concluded the conversation with the fact that when truck drivers’ income is mileage-based, they begin to stress and feel like they need to push as hard as they can to get as many miles as possible, which often causes more fatalities involving large trucks across the country.

Collisions involving large trucks often lead to catastrophic injuries

It is no secret that large trucks weigh more than passenger vehicles. As a matter of fact, semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which is massive compared to the 3,800 pounds that an average full-size car weighs. It’s obvious that most individuals who are severely injured or killed in truck collisions are usually not the truck drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 71 percent of the individuals killed in truck collisions in 2018 were the drivers and passengers in the other vehicles. The reason for this is because large trucks bring great force, weight, and impact to a collision, making it difficult for individuals in smaller passenger vehicles to survive. Here are some of the catastrophic injuries that large truck accidents can cause:

• Head and skull injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Amputations or loss of limbs
• Paralysis
• Coma
• Internal organ damage
• Soft tissue injuries
• Severe lacerations, cuts, and punctures
• Severe and permanent disfigurement and scarring
• Burn injuries
• Broken, fractured, and crushed bones
• Chest and abdominal injuries
• Neck and shoulder injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries

Individuals who are involved in truck collisions often succumb to their injuries and pass away. However, if they are able to survive these accidents, they typically experience a diminished quality of life and must undergo years of medical treatments, counseling, physical therapy, and more.

How a Knoxville truck accident attorney will help with your case

Truck accidents are one of the most complex legal cases that a person can go through. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you never go through this process alone. Instead, you need an experienced and skilled truck accident lawyer from Banks & Jones who will do whatever it takes to stand up and fight for your rights. Our team of Knoxville truck accident attorneys know that you are dealing with enough right now with healing and recovering, so hiring a lawyer from our office will ensure that you receive the best possible compensation as well as allow you to focus on recuperating from your injuries. The following are a few of the ways we will help you with your case:

• Listen to your experience and provide legal advice on what you should do
• Communicate with insurance companies and ensure that they do not give you a low-ball offer
• Investigate your truck accident and determine who is liable
• Gather evidence to back up our arguments
• Aggressively represent you and demand fair compensation for your injuries
• Find and hire eyewitnesses and expert witnesses who can provide testimonies
• Prepare a strong case and get ready to go to court if needed

If you suffer injuries from a truck collision in Knoxville, TN, please let the truck accident lawyers from Banks & Jones handle this case for you. We understand that you are going through a difficult time and need money to help you get your life back on track as quickly as possible. That is why we will do all that we can to secure the compensation you are owed and ensure that your side of the story is taken seriously. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation with a team that is ready to Fight 2 Win.