Atlantic County Truck Accident Lawyers

FIGHTING FOR ATLANTIC COUNTY TRUCK ACCIDENT VICTIMS

The number of trucks on U.S. roadways are greatly outnumbered by cars. But that’s about the only thing that cars have over trucks.

Trucks are much heavier than cars, ride much higher, and need much more stopping distance. All of these elements come together to create a deadly asymmetry. Other drivers and passengers are often on the losing end.

Highway truck safety is a growing crisis. In 2009, 3,211 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes. In 2019, over 5,000 trucks were involved in highway fatalities. These numbers have skyrocketed while overall highway deaths dropped to their lowest rate since 2014.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident, you deserve justice. The skilled personal injury lawyers at Richard Hollawell can help you make your case.

Contact our Atlantic County lawyers today at 1-800-681-3550 or using the form below for a free consultation.

Traffic Speeds Are Faster Than Ever

Traffic police issued more speeding tickets in 2020 than 2019, even with less cars on the road. As less cars plied the road, speeds went up.

Traffic research company Inrix looked at crash data from 25 metro areas, including Philadelphia. As Atlantic County borders on the Philadelphia metro area, this is directly relevant.

Between April and July 2020, Philadelphia saw travel speeds on interstates and highways increase by more than 60 percent. 

Trucks are routinely pressed for time, needing to meet tight deadlines just to make an adequate living. During the pandemic, with work scarce and traffic speeds on the rise everywhere, it would be very surprising if truck drivers weren’t similarly affected by this deadly phenomenon.

Speeding was a problem even before the pandemic. In a two-year study of almost 1,000 large truck crashes, “traveling too fast for conditions” was cited as the reason behind 23 percent of cases.

Fatal Accidents in Atlantic County Have Been on the Rise

Our roads have gotten much deadlier during the pandemic. Preliminary 2020 data suggests that American roadways were 23 percent deadlier than the year before.

For communities like Atlantic County, crossed by major highways like the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway, these numbers can be even higher.

Atlantic County more than kept pace with 2020’s road dangers. The 43 deaths registered in 2020 exceeded the 32 deaths of 2019 by a whopping 34 percent!

There are other disturbing parallels in national and local trends. One of the most telling statistics is that 14 crashes involved the use of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two. 

Results are still pending in a number of other cases. 

How Trucks Affect Other Traffic

Trucks and cars share most roads in Atlantic County. Here are some important differences between them:

• A passenger car needs about 306 feet to come to a full stop at highway speeds — a tractor-trailer needs 525 feet. That’s almost two football fields! 
• When trucks and cars collide, 86 percent of fatalities and 77 percent of injuries happen to the drivers and passengers of the smaller vehicles
• Trucks are often 20 to 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles
• Trucks often have a significant height advantage. This makes them both more prone to rolling over and a danger to “override” a smaller vehicle in a collision. When this happens, the truck will crush the car it collides with, increasing the risk of severe injury

Common Injuries Sustained in Truck Accidents

When two or more heavy vehicles collide, the result is often disastrous. With road conditions, obstacles, and the vehicles involved acting as variables, truck crash injuries can come in many forms.

Some of the most common injuries we see include the following:  

• Brain and Head Injuries
• Car Rollover Injuries
• Chest and Abdominal Injuries
• Knee and Leg Injuries
• Neck Injuries
• Tire Blowout Injuries
• Snow Plow Injuries
• Whiplash

Source: Wikipedia, shared under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license

What Should I Do if I Was Involved in a Truck Accident?

If you or a loved one were involved in a car or truck accident, time is of the essence. Pursuing legal action and compensation is a complex task that you’ll need an expert accident lawyer to help you navigate.

Contact us today at 1-800-681-3550, or fill out our contact form. We will start looking into your case immediately.