Truck accident injuries are more common than you'd expect. About 104,000 people were injured in truck crashes in the year 2012, which shows that there was an 18 percent increase from injuries in the year 2011 to the year 2012. As well, comparing statistics from 2011 and 2012, the NHTSA discovered that 4% more people died in truck crashes in 2012. In fact, totals show that 3,912 people lost their lives in truck accidents that year.
This is disappointing for the NHTSA, which is trying hard to reduce the amount of injuries and deaths on the highways each year. Most often, it is drivers in cars or the passengers in small vehicles that are injured in a truck accident. According to statistical information from 2012, 73% of all injured people were occupants in other vehicles, not in the truck that hit them. About 24% of all injured individuals were occupants of large trucks and only about 3% of the injured individuals last year were not occupants of vehicles, but bystanders or pedestrians.
As well, NHTSA research shows that 73% of those who died during 2012 in a truck accident were occupants of other vehicle, and 18% of all deaths involved the occupant of a large truck. 381 people, or 10% of all those who died, were not occupants of a vehicle. With all the information calculated and examined, these statistics show that drivers and passengers in other vehicles are three times more likely to be injured in a truck accident than a truck driver is. Also, those who are in other vehicles are four times more lilkely to die as a result of the crash.
Some states have higher rates for truck crashes than others. In fact, the vast majority of trucking accident fatalities took place in Texas, where at least 543 trucks were involved in fatal crashes. Texas is responsible for 14.3 percent of all fatal truck accidents nationwide. California is the next most common place for a truck accident, with 244 large trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2012. Next is Florida, followed by Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Illinois and Indiana.
If you are injured in a serious truck accident, you need to hire an automobile accident attorney and seek compensation. Recently, a New York City woman suffered brain damage in a hit-and-run truck accident crash, and she has recently settled with the truck driver and his employer for $22 million. In this case, the victim was left brain damaged and blind with very limited communication skills after she was hit by a truck. The woman and her family sought a lawsuit, and were able to settle the case for $22 million. This was considered the largest truck accident settlement in New York state history.
Even though the 37-year-old woman was the only one injured in the accident, her parents are also benefitting from the settlement of the lawsuit. Part of the reason that these plaintiffs received such a large settlement was because of their desire to seek compensation based on vicarious liability. This theory allows individuals to hold an employer accountable if an injury occurred while the employee was on the clock or while the employee was performing an action he or she was hired to complete.
Whenever you or a loved one is injured by a truck accident, you shouldn't hesitate to seek compensation. With the right lawyer on your side, you may be able to prove that you deserve significant compensation for your injuries or losses. Use this directory to find a nearby car accident attorney who can help you with your case!