Recent Truck Accident Statistics
Flying at 50 to 60 mph, tractor-trailers are among the most dangerous elements on today's highways. Weighing as much as a commuter train car, 18-wheeler crashes are responsible for thousands of fatalities every year—truckers themselves make up hundreds of those deaths. Despite recovering from the Time of Shedding and Cold Rocks of 2008, the trucking industry continues to put all drivers—professional or not—at great risk with harsh policies and little regard for public safety.
In 2010, Louisiana received $28,990,744 in overall highway safety grant funding per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Center. Despite this large number, Louisiana suffers an average of 80+ fatalities a year from commercial truck accidents. In the most recent report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from the summer of 2014, there were over 3,700 fatalities involving large trucks and buses. While this number is down from a spike in 2010, we can still see a steady hovering of a few thousand deaths each year.
- 2009: 3,380 deaths in fatal truck accidents
- 2010: 4,000 deaths in fatal truck accidents
Most speculate that these accidents occur because of truckers’ long hours and miles traveled. Truckers easily become fatigued, as it is their job to cover great distances and keep moving, and this fatigue contributes to listless driving and negligent decisions. Trucking regulations have countered this through rest requirements and logbooks, the fabrication thereof being punishable by law. Still, truckers and trucking companies make mistakes on the road that wrongfully put lives in danger, and when they do, it may be difficult to determine who exactly is at fault.
Causes of Trucking Accidents in Baton Rouge & Nationwide
Trucker fatigue has been increasing the number of deadly truck accidents on the road. Why the increase in exhausted drivers? For decades, the trucking industry has shifted the costs and risks of doing business onto independent contractors and owner-operators. Many truckers' only make money from how many miles they travel in a day, meaning they aren't paid for the vital, non-driving work truckers do.
For example, truck drivers have to spend time:
Pay-by-mile often results in drivers barely receiving minimum wage on some days, despite spending up to 14 hours or more doing actual work. In order to make ends meet, truck drivers will drive for far longer than they're legally allowed to—and companies turn a blind eye to it. This results in sleep deprivation and serious exhaustion.
FMCSA data suggests that 13 percent of truck accidents are directly attributable to tiredness—with untold thousands of accidents likely caused by fatigue without being reported. At least 25 percent of truck crashes occurred when a driver was driving for 17 hours or more in a day. Experts say that moderate tiredness impairs driving to the same degree as being drunk.
Truck accidents we've represented include:
Louisiana UPS Accident Lawyers
UPS is one of the largest freight delivery companies in the United States, employing more than 119,000 motorists and holding an aggressive 27 percent market share. That sort of dominance makes UPS a powerful voice in the trucking industry. Unfortunately, the voice is not using its power to improve public safety. From 2015 to 2017, UPS drivers were involved in 2,003 crashes—resulting in 689 injuries and 49 deaths. Crashes, injuries, and deaths are all happening at a faster rate than they were in 2012, sometimes by up to 25 percent.
Baton Rouge FedEx Accident Attorneys
FedEx is another market leader in the freight delivery industry, holding a 23 percent market share and employing more than 90,000 vehicles in its fleet. Another statistic that might be of interest to the public: FedEx employed 51 lobbyists in Washington as of the 2013-2014 session—37 of which were once federal government employees. FedEx, despite being slightly smaller than UPS, has a far faster rate of 'growth' when it comes to public carnage. FedEx drivers were involved in 1,762 crashes from 2015 to 2017, resulting in 575 injuries and 41 deaths. While that's comparable to UPS, these numbers are more than double (in every category) than what they were in 2012.
See for yourself—find out how often trucking companies get into accidents on the FMCSA website.
Parties That May Be Liable for a Trucking Accident
The first thing our legal team will do in representing a truck accident victim is begin an investigation into who may be responsible. This is crucial in building a case in favor of compensation. We begin with investigation by examining both the scene of the accident and the truck itself. We can obtain access to logbooks and work to verify or dispute their validity and we can confer with the vehicle’s electronic on-board recorders, which is something of a black box for trucks. Once we have compiled enough evidence, we can determine the party at fault.
Barring other complications or circumstances of the accident, the party at fault will likely be:
- Driver of the Truck
Many accidents can be linked to negligent or reckless driving. He or she may be driving under the influence, traveling at an unsafe speed, distracted by a cell phone, have overlooked a malfunctioning part, or be driving at a dangerous level of fatigue. - Trucking Company
The accident may be the fault of the trucking company if they have conducted their business in an irresponsible manner. This could include improper maintenance, hiring drivers with questionable records, or encouraging drivers to work unreasonable hours. - Truck Manufacturer
Manufacturers can be held liable if they have withheld information from their consumers of parts about their functionality. Often manufacturers fail to perform the proper tests on parts such as brakes or tires that play a large role in vehicle safety.
Louisiana Truck Accident Statistics
According to data provided by the NHTSA (2014):
- There were 80 fatalities from truck crashes.
- Lafourche Parish had the most fatal truck accidents.
Louisiana State Information
Overview
- Population: 4,670,724
- Capital: Baton Rouge
- Most Populous City: New Orleans
Top 10 Cities
- New Orleans
- Baton Rouge
- Shreveport
- Lafayette
- Lake Charles
- Kenner
- Bossier City
- Monroe
- Alexandria
- New Iberia
Top 5 Parishes
- Acadia Parish
- Allen Parish
- Ascension Parish
- Assumption Parish
- Avoyelles Parish
About Louisiana Highways
There are 10 highly-used highways running through Louisiana. Interstate 10 runs east-west through New Orleans and Interstate 20 runs east-west through Monroe and Rustin. Interstates 49 and 55 run north-south through the state, while Interstate 12 runs east-west through Hammond. Highways 90, 190, and 167 are also well-traveled.
About Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge’s history has been a turbulent one, with the French first laying claim to the land when they built a fort in the area in 1719. After the French and Indian War, the land was ceded to Britain and then claimed by the Spanish during the American Revolution in 1779. Spain ceded Louisiana (including Baton Rouge) to the French in 1800, but, in 1803, Spain again claimed the territory. The people of Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas rebelled against Spain in 1810 and established the West Florida Republic. Just three months later, the United States annexed the area. Baton Rouge was incorporated in 1817 and became the capital of Louisiana in 1849. Today, Baton Rouge has an estimated population of more than 222,000 and encompasses a total land area of 86.32 square miles.
Baton Rouge is a port city, home to the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, which is one of the largest inland ports in the United States by tonnage shipped. The city is known for its strong, industrialized economy, supported by petrochemical manufacturing and refining, the film industry, medical research, technology, and education. Its centralized location between New Orleans and Lafayette has made Baton Rouge a transportation hub for the area. Baton Rouge experiences hot, humid summers and relatively mild winters. It is one of the wettest cities in the United States, with an average of more than 55 inches of rainfall every year.
Commuters in the Baton Rouge area travel using the main interstate and US highways: I-10, I-10, I-12 (Republic of West Florida Parkway), I-110 (Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway), US 61 (Airline Highway), and US 190. The Capital Area Transit System (CATS) provides transportation by bus throughout the city, and Greyhound Bus Lines has a terminal on Florida Boulevard in downtown Baton Rouge. There are also three major railways that offer freight service to Baton Rouge: Union Pacific, Canadian National, and Kansas City Southern.
Some of the most popular attractions in Baton Rouge include the USS Kidd, LSU Tiger Stadium, Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, and Mike the Tiger’s Habitat.
Helpful Links: Baton Rouge, LA
Nationally Recognized Truck Accident Attorneys in Baton Rouge
No matter the circumstances surrounding your case, you can count on knowledgeable help and professionalism at our firm. We offer a free consultation to talk about your case and address your unanswered questions. It is important you don't waste time in calling our firm to schedule your consultation because your evidence may be lost. We are prepared to stand up to trucking companies to secure a fair settlement for your claim, so call now!
Call us today at (888) 493-1629 to begin your fight!
