According to data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10.7 percent of accidents in Louisiana involved a semi-truck in 2012. Nationally, approximately 333,000 semi-trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds were involved in wrecks that same year.
In 2012, accidents involving large trucks resulted in 3,921 fatalities and roughly 104,000 people injured. The same data from 2012 shows that just 73 percent of these traffic deaths were the occupants of other vehicles, which is a 5 percent increase since 2011. Pedestrian or non-occupant fatalities represented another 10 percent of those killed in accidents involving large trucks in 2012.
Furthermore, the number of people injured in big truck accidents in 2012 rose 18 percent from 88,000 in 2011 to 104,000 in 2012. The data also shows that 76 percent of those injured were either occupants of other vehicles or non-occupant pedestrians. Moreover, the data showed 81 percent of truck wrecks involved multiple vehicles.
As these statistics indicate, the occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians may be more likely to be killed or injured in a truck accident. Those crash victims injured in an accident involving a semi-truck may suffer permanent disability or a serious head injury, which could lead to lost wages and high medical expenses as well as substantial pain and suffering. However, if the subsequent police investigation finds that a distracted or fatigued truck driver was the cause of the accident, an attorney may be able to assist victims in obtaining compensation from the truck owner or the truck company.
Source: US Department of Transportation , “Large Trucks“, November 05, 2014
