San Antonio’s roadways grow more congested with each passing day and with all of the construction taking place in our city, those roadways are shared by passenger vehicles and large commercial trucks, like 18-wheelers. As this becomes more commonplace, so does the likelihood of an accident involving your car and an 18-wheeler. A San Antonio 18-wheeler accident lawyer can help.
Many of the accidents that take place in San Antonio are avoidable. Sometimes they’re the result of improper vehicle maintenance. Other instances involve negligent driving on the part of the truck operator. But there are other times when the accident has a much simpler explanation: driver distraction.
Driver distraction causing San Antonio truck accident injuries is a serious problem. Driver distraction takes place when the attention of the truck operator is diverted from safe driving to a competing activity. This could be from inside or outside of the truck cab – anything that draws the attention and takes the driver’s eyes away from the road ahead. Maybe he’s on his cell phone or glancing down at his GPS. Something has taken place that has caused the truck driver to take his eyes off the road. When this happens, it increases your risk of getting into a crash.
External DistractionsWith the size of a truck, it is crucial that the driver focuses on the road. Billboards, buildings and people outside of the truck are a few examples of things outside the truck that could take the driver’s eyes of the road for too long, which can be dangerous. A study found that nearly 80% of crashes involved some form of driver inattention in the three seconds leading up to the collision.
But, as you’ll soon find out, external distractions aren’t the only culprits for crashes between passenger automobiles and 18-wheelers.
Internal DistractionsThings from inside the truck cab can be just as distracting and deadly. Texting and driving has been banned by the federal government for commercial drivers across the nation. It takes the driver’s eyes, hands, and mind off the job and the road. The same is true for eating and driving, and the use of a dispatching device while driving.
Truckers might also be distracted by exhaustion if they have been on the road too long without appropriate rest breaks. Without rest, the potential for distraction increases and so does the risk of serious collisions.
However, just because the drivers should be avoiding distractions, does not mean that they actually are avoiding these distractions. Frequently, truck drivers are out on the road and distracted by any number of events during their haul. When driver distraction causing San Antonio truck accident injuries occurs and the accident involves you, our attorneys are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Don’t Face the Trucking Industry AloneAfter an accident with an 18-wheeler in San Antonio, you don’t have to work through recovering your losses alone. Let an experienced lawyer with the resources and insight to protect your rights help you. The big insurance companies representing commercial vehicles have lawyers protecting them. You deserve the same level of protection from a lawyer who is on your side.
Call our San Antonio distracted truck driver crash lawyers at the Carabin Shaw if you or someone you know has been hurt in an accident caused by a distracted truck driver. In 2009, 71% of truck collisions happened because the driver was doing something besides driving the truck. A lapse of concentration while driving a heavy vehicle like a truck could have catastrophic results.
If you or a loved one has been victimized by driver distraction causing San Antonio truck accident injuries, call the San Antonio distracted truck driver crash lawyers of the Carabin Shaw law firm. Our dedicated team of attorneys knows how to win your case and won’t give up until all of the compensation to which you’re entitled has been recovered.
Call our San Antonio offices today at 210-222-2288 or toll-free at 800-862-1260 to schedule your free consultation.