Norwalk Truck Accident Law

Truck accidents are devastating, catastrophic events that can lead to severe injuries, fatalities, and expensive property damage. A tractor-trailer is dozens of times heavier than a passenger car when fully loaded, and that makes it far more dangerous than anything else on the road. While accidents can occur anywhere, they are most common on the many highways zigzagging across Norwalk. They include U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 7, and I-95.

If you or someone you love is injured in a truck accident, don’t wait to find out if you’re entitled to consultation. Call The Dodd Law Firm at 203-272-1883 to schedule a consultation now.

Truck Collisions in Connecticut

Truck collisions represent a significant and often devastating aspect of road safety in Connecticut. While less frequent than accidents involving only passenger vehicles, their sheer size and weight make them disproportionately dangerous, leading to higher rates of injuries and fatalities. Understanding the statistics, common causes, and crucial evidence in these incidents is vital for improving road safety and ensuring justice for victims.

The Alarming Statistics of Truck Accidents in Connecticut

The Connecticut Crash Data Repository serves as an indispensable resource for state officials, legislators, and the public, providing comprehensive data on all types of vehicle collisions, including those involving commercial vehicles. This data is critical for identifying trends, formulating policies, and implementing strategies to enhance road safety.

In 2022, Connecticut experienced over 2,100 crashes involving commercial trucks. This figure, while not as high as the total number of passenger vehicle accidents, is still substantial and highlights the ongoing presence of these large vehicles on our roads. 

What is particularly concerning is the severity of these incidents. Injuries or fatalities occurred in just over 40% of these truck collisions, a stark reminder of the immense destructive power of commercial trucks. Tragically, a total of 30 fatalities were recorded for the year as a direct result of truck accidents. This number underscores the catastrophic potential of these crashes and the immense human cost involved.

Analyzing the temporal patterns of these accidents reveals interesting insights. The data indicates that work hours, particularly those in the very early morning, are the most common times for truck accidents to occur. 

This suggests a potential link to driver fatigue, stringent delivery schedules, or reduced visibility during these hours. Regardless of the specific contributing factors, this information is invaluable for law enforcement and transportation authorities to target their enforcement and safety campaigns effectively.

Why Truck Accidents Are So Much More Dangerous

It is a well-established fact that truck accidents are significantly more dangerous than collisions solely involving passenger cars. This disparity in danger is primarily attributable to the fundamental differences in size, weight, and momentum between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle.

A fully loaded commercial truck, such as an 18-wheeler, can weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds, whereas an average passenger car weighs around 4,000 pounds. 

This colossal difference in mass means that in a collision, the forces exerted by the truck are exponentially greater. The smaller vehicle and its occupants bear the brunt of this impact, often leading to severe injuries, catastrophic damage to the passenger vehicle, and a much higher likelihood of fatalities.

Furthermore, the braking distance required for a commercial truck is significantly longer than that for a passenger car, especially at higher speeds or in adverse weather conditions. This extended stopping distance reduces the truck driver’s ability to avoid sudden obstacles or react to unexpected situations, increasing the risk of a high-impact collision. 

The elevated height of a truck also poses a unique danger, as smaller vehicles can underride a truck in a collision, leading to devastating consequences for the occupants of the car. These inherent characteristics of commercial trucks make any accident involving them inherently more perilous than those involving only smaller vehicles.

Unpacking the Causes of Truck Accidents in Cheshire, CT

When a truck collision occurs, a critical step in the aftermath is to determine the underlying causes. This investigation is paramount, especially when pursuing a truck accident claim, as it directly informs the identification of liability and who is responsible for providing compensation to victims. Several factors commonly contribute to truck accidents, some of which are unfortunately prevalent in the commercial trucking industry.

One common cause is following too closely, where a truck driver fails to maintain a safe following distance, leaving insufficient time and space to react to sudden stops or slowdowns by vehicles ahead. Another frequent issue is drifting out of one’s own lane into another, which can be indicative of distracted driving, fatigue, or even impairment. Failing to yield the right of way at intersections or when merging is another dangerous oversight that can lead to severe collisions.

More egregious causes include reckless or aggressive driving, where truck drivers operate their vehicles with blatant disregard for safety regulations and the well-being of others on the road. Driving while impaired, whether by alcohol or drugs, is an incredibly dangerous and illegal act that tragically continues to contribute to accidents across all vehicle types, including trucks. Similarly, driving while distracted, such as using a cell phone or engaging in other non-driving activities, diverts a driver’s attention from the road and significantly increases the risk of a crash.

However, a particularly concerning and growing problem in the trucking industry is driving while fatigued. The commercial trucking sector is constantly expanding, driven by increasing consumer demand for goods and services. Unfortunately, the growth in the number of truck drivers has not kept pace with this demand. 

This imbalance often leads to trucking companies attempting to maximize profits by pressuring drivers to complete more miles and take on additional hauls with fewer personnel. This intense pressure can result in companies coercing drivers to disregard the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours-of-service regulations. 

These regulations are specifically designed to prevent driver fatigue by limiting the number of hours a driver can be on duty and drive, and mandating regular rest periods. When companies push drivers to ignore these crucial safety measures, or encourage them to take on hauls even when it’s clearly unsafe due to fatigue, they are directly putting countless lives at risk on the roads.

The Power of Evidence in Connecticut Truck Accident Claims

While no one ever wishes to be involved in a truck accident, a silver lining, if one can call it that, is the substantial amount of evidence often available in these collisions. The more robust and comprehensive the evidence gathered, the easier it becomes to build a strong personal injury claim and hold the negligent party or parties accountable for the damages incurred.

The trucking industry is one of the most tightly regulated industries, a necessity given the enormous potential for damage a commercial truck can inflict when operated negligently. The FMCSA establishes and enforces a wide array of regulations governing various aspects of truck operation. 

These regulations cover everything from the maximum weight a truck can carry, the stringent hours-of-service limitations for drivers, to the mandated frequency of vehicle maintenance and inspections. 

Crucially, any violation of these regulations can serve as powerful evidence in a truck accident claim. For instance, if a driver was found to be in violation of hours-of-service rules at the time of the crash, or if the trucking company had failed to conduct required inspections for an extended period, such lapses can strongly indicate negligence and contribute significantly to establishing liability.

A significant technological advancement that aids in truck accident investigations is the mandatory use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) in most commercial trucks, another requirement stipulated by FMCSA regulations. While ELDs vary in the specific data they track and the duration for which they store it, they consistently collect information that is incredibly valuable to accident victims. 

An ELD can provide insights into how long it has been since the driver took a mandatory break, the truck’s speed at the time of the crash, and even detect unusual or erratic driving actions that might have occurred prior to the collision. This objective data can corroborate or contradict driver statements and provide a clear picture of the truck’s operation leading up to the accident.

Beyond the truck itself, a thorough investigation will also delve into the trucking company that employs the driver. 

The company’s hiring practices and protocols can become critical evidence in a claim. Trucking companies are legally obligated to take reasonable steps to ensure that they only hire safe, qualified, and properly licensed drivers. 

If an attorney can demonstrate that the company neglected its own hiring protocols, failed to conduct proper background checks, or has a documented history of regularly hiring unsafe drivers, this can establish the company’s direct negligence and its role in contributing to the accident. This is often referred to as negligent entrustment or negligent hiring.

What The Dodd Law Firm Can Do For You

Truck accident claims can be incredibly complicated. There are far more parties involved than there are in other types of vehicle collisions, which means more hurdles to navigate as you fight for compensation. These accidents tend to be much more costly than other types of crashes, which means you can expect the insurance company to work even harder to deny liability and limit their financial losses.

What can you do to protect your best interests after an accident? You can talk to the Norwalk truck accident lawyers at The Dodd Law Firm. We know that truck companies circle the wagons after an accident in an effort to protect themselves from liability and huge payouts. It’s nearly impossible for a victim to fight against large companies on their own. 

That’s where we come in—we know how to hold negligent drivers and companies accountable for their mistakes. From investigating your accident and injuries to negotiating with the trucking company or taking your case to court, you can rely on us to represent your needs every step of the way.

Get the Advocacy You Deserve and Call the Dodd Law Firm Now

The quicker you reach out to our team after a truck accident, the more time we have to build your case. Let’s talk about your injuries, how the accident happened, and what we recommend for your next steps. Call us at 203-272-1883 or fill out our online contact form.