Tennessee Truck Accident Statistics
Traffic accidents are an unfortunate fact of life and they occur at a startling rate. Although some accidents cannot be avoided, most happen because of drivers’ negligence or carelessness. When tractor trailers carrying thousands of pounds worth of cargo share Tennessee’s roads with cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs and other passenger vehicles, any collision can have serious results.
The term “tractor trailer” can refer to a variety of large vehicles such as 18-wheeler, big rig, semi, commercial truck, and tanker truck. Anyone who has experienced a tractor trailer accident should get legal advice as soon as possible because trucking companies are experts in dealing with these matters -- and that expertise can cost you the legal right to compensation for your injuries.
If you need help with a truck accident, please call the Morristown accident attorneys of Terry, Terry and Stapleton today at 1-800-518-3779 or contact us via our online form. We serve clients throughout East Tennessee including Gatlinburg, Greeneville, Jefferson City, Johnson City, Kingsport, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, and Seymour.
Truck accidents represent a serious problem to all drivers. The facts speak for themselves. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publishes annual statistics on truck accidents by compiling information from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). The “Summary of Large Trucks and Buses Involved in Crashes” report identifies the number of large trucks and buses reported in fatal, non-fatal, injury, towaway, and hazardous materials placard crashes.
Nationwide, there were 147,533 large trucks involved in crashes in 2007, with more than 4,500 of them involved in fatal crashes. In Tennessee alone, there were 146 large trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2007.
The TN Dept of Safety, Office of Research, Statistics, and Analysis in January 2009 released this table of actions by the drivers of large trucks (those weighing over 10,000 pounds under gross vehicle weight rating) in Tennessee traffic crashes.
- Inattentive 202
- Interfered with by Passenger 3
- Driving Left of Center 86
- Driving Wrong Way on One-Way Roadway 6
- Failure to Comply with License Restrictions 9
- Failure to Keep in Proper Lane or Running Off Road 1,048
- Failure to Yield Right of Way 623
- Failure to Obey Traffic Controls 122
- Failure to Observe Warnings or Instructions 55
- Failure to Signal Intentions 19
- Failure to Use Lights 4
- Following Improperly 829
- Improper Backing 354
- Improper Lane Changing 501
- Improper Passing 57
- Improper Turn 352
- Improperly Towing or Pushing Vehicle 11
- Improperly Carrying Hazardous Cargo 2
- Improper Loading of Vehicle Cargo or Passengers 55
- Operator Inexperience 60
- Operating without Required Equipment 6
- Over Correcting 88
- Careless or Erratic Driving 215
- Reckless or Negligent Driving 91
- Speed Too Fast 170
- Speed Too Slow 5
- Vision Obstructed 120
- Using Telephone or Two-Way Radio 7
The truck accident attorneys at the Morristown law firm of Terry, Terry, and Stapleton understand that in addition to the increased likelihood of serious injury and fatality, the unique dangers posed by truck accidents can be made worse depending on the nature of the truck itself and of the freight that the truck is carrying. We have truck collision experience and know how laws unique to the trucking industry will affect your case.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury as the result of a truck accident, the Morristown, Tennessee truck accident attorneys at Terry, Terry & Stapleton can help. If you need legal assistance with a truck accident claim or to schedule an evaluation of your case, contact us by calling 1-800-518-3779. We have helped our clients recover some of the largest legal settlements or courtroom verdicts in East Tennessee and the Southeast, including Hamblen, Hawkins, Greene, Sevier, Knox, Washington, Sullivan and Cocke counties.
