Bad accidents with dump and concrete trucks on the rise

Ready-mix concrete delivery trucks and dump trucks travel the roads of Illinois every day and service many types of industrial and construction projects. From 2015 to 2016, dump truck accidents that required towing jumped by 9 percent for a total of 8,206 accidents. Although the growing problem has prompted insurers to raise their premiums, dump and concrete truck operators have yet to solve the problems linked to careless driving habits.

Dump truck accidents that resulted in injuries went up by 2.7 percent during the same time period with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recording 5,483 injury-causing crashes in 2016. As for accidents with concrete mixing trucks, the agency reported an increase of 9.6 percent for the same year. Concrete trucks also produced an elevated number of fatalities that year with the loss of 38 lives compared to 33 deaths in 2015.

The deteriorating safety record of dump and concrete trucks contributes to the overall trend of rising accident rates among large commercial trucks. The efforts of regulators and insurance companies to improve safety through technology and traffic safety campaigns had produced good results from 2000 until about 10 years ago when accident rates began rising.

Large commercial trucks pose significant dangers to people because of their size and weight. A person burdened by serious injuries after a collision with a big truck might encounter difficulty when making an insurance claim against a large trucking company with a defensive insurer. The representation of a personal injury attorney could empower an individual whose medical condition might interfere with organizing evidence about negligence. A lawyer could investigate the accident and be ready to counter claims by an insurer that might limit a settlement. A lawsuit filed by an attorney could aid a person who needs to collect a financial settlement.