Many commercial trucks are large and heavy, and accidents involving them can cause serious injuries or even fatalities. If your gut tells you that trucking accidents happen more frequently in the winter, you’re absolutely right.
While some of the causes of increased truck accidents in winter are obvious, such as inclement weather and holiday traffic, others involve driver behavior. This is important not only for truck drivers to understand, but also for anyone getting in a vehicle in the winter months, as truck accident victims aren’t limited to truck occupants. Let our team of truck accident lawyers help you with your accident claim today.
Truck Accidents Increase in Winter
It’s not just a good bet that truck accidents happen more frequently in winter—it’s a fact. If you live in Ohio or other parts of the North, you know that winter driving carries heightened risks. Snow, rain, sleet, and black ice are real hazards, especially when semi-trucks are on the road.
In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, around 1,300 people are killed annually, and more than 116,800 are injured in winter weather accidents on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement. Keep in mind that most roads in the U.S. experience snow and ice during the winter months.
The Impact of Truck Accidents in Winter
While a truck driver is impacted if their vehicle is involved in an accident in winter, so too are many others. If a semi-truck skidding on ice strikes another vehicle, anyone in that vehicle can be injured or killed. Furthermore, this can cause a chain reaction involving even more vehicles.
10 Causes of Increased Truck Accidents in Winter
While accidents happen for several reasons, here are 10 common reasons they may occur during winter:
- Falling snow
- Ground ice
- Reduced visibility
- Longer stopping distances
- Freezing rain
- Reduced daylight hours
- Loss of traction
- Mechanical failure from ice and cold
- Increased holiday traffic
- Driver fatigue from extra holiday delivery work
Driver Errors Can Cause Winter Pile-Ups
The leading cause of winter driving accidents is driving too fast for the weather conditions. This applies to both truck and passenger vehicle drivers. Even the posted speed limit may be too fast to allow a driver to remain in control of their vehicle in winter weather.
Speeding is particularly dangerous for larger trucks because of their weight. Heavy speeding vehicles may not be able to stop quickly enough when traffic is stalled ahead or slow down in time to navigate a sharp curve safely.
Other driver errors can also cause accidents in winter. Both drunk driving and driving while under the influence of drugs can cause serious accidents. Distracted driving—such as texting or eating while driving—can also cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle in winter.
Other Possible Causes of Truck Accidents in Winter
Another possible cause of winter truck accidents is inadequate maintenance. It’s critical for safe winter driving that a vehicle’s brakes work, its headlights and taillights function properly, its batteries are well-charged, and its tires have proper tread.
While this is the responsibility of the owners in driver-owned trucks, a company can be liable if employee-driven trucks are not properly maintained. In fact, several parties may be liable for injuries in a winter truck accident, and two or more may be legally responsible at the same time.
These include:
- The driver of the truck or passenger vehicle if they drove under the influence of alcohol or drugs, drove distracted, drove too fast, or were otherwise negligent and caused the accident
- The trucking company if it failed to maintain the vehicle appropriately, or if supervisors pushed drivers to work too many hours or otherwise insisted on unsafe schedules
- Workers who loaded the truck incorrectly if imbalance contributed to the crash
- Manufacturers of defective truck components
Steps to Take After a Winter Truck Accident
There are several steps to take after a truck accident has occurred in the winter:
- Call 911 and report the accident. Reporting the accident not only dispatches emergency responders to the scene, but it also creates an official record of the crash, which can serve as valuable evidence if you decide to pursue compensation.
- If you aren’t seriously injured, gather all readily available evidence. Get the name of every other driver involved in the accident, their driver’s license numbers, and their insurance information. Take photos of the damage to your vehicle and other vehicles involved, ideally at the scene of the accident. Write down contact information for witnesses.
- See a doctor. You may think that your injuries are slight, but you should still seek medical care. Serious injuries can appear minor initially.
Contact a Cleveland Truck Accident Lawyer
Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy has represented victims of truck accidents for decades and understands how devastating a winter crash can be. We are familiar with truck accident claims involving winter road conditions, and we will fight for full compensation, including medical bills, lost wages, pain, and long-term care, as well as property damage.
Contact our team of truck accident lawyers today for a free consultation. We’re here to help.
