Dump and concrete delivery truck crashes continue to rise

Truck drivers in California may be aware of the rising number of accidents in their industry. Too many truckers are engaging in bad driving habits, including speeding, driving drowsy and talking on the phone while behind the wheel. Some even feel urged to be negligent because of the incentives they receive with every load delivered.

It comes as no surprise that ready-mix concrete and dump trucks have experienced a rise in serious accidents, which is defined as anything requiring the vehicle to be towed away. A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration report shows a 9 and 9.6 percent jump in serious accidents involving dump and concrete delivery trucks, respectively, in the year 2016. This is the latest year for which statistics are available.

The total number of these serious accidents were 8,206 for dump trucks and 838 for ready-mix concrete delivery trucks. Of those numbers, 5,483 dump truck accidents resulted in injuries, which represents a 2.7 percent increase from 2015. The ready-mix concrete trucks saw a 3.8 percent increase in this area. The number of fatal concrete delivery truck crashes rose from 33 to 38 while the number for dump trucks decreased from 369 to 367.

Experts say that over the last decade, efforts to prevent truck accidents have stalled. Federal regulators and industry safety experts are working, however, to cut down on drowsy driving and improve in-cab monitoring technology.

Driver fatigue can impair judgment and slow down reaction times. If a fatigued truck driver causes an accident and injures those in the passenger vehicles, the victims may be able to file an injury claim. Truck accidents often leave victims with catastrophic injuries, but a successful claim could cover past and future medical expenses among other losses. Victims will want a lawyer to assist them with the claim and negotiate on their behalf with the trucking company's own legal team.