Recently a semi tractor-trailer caused a multi-car accident on I-465, killing an Indianapolis woman and her two toddlers. The driver of semi tractor-trailer worked for Weston Transportation, which according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, has 20 violations including unsafe driving infractions, following too close, lane restriction violations, unlawful parking or leaving a vehicle in a roadway, and speeding 6 to 10 miles over the speed limit. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute has reported that there were 219,112 roadway crashes in 2017, with 911 fatalities, and of that number 16,910 involved commercial vehicles (large trucks, pickup trucks over 10,000 pounds, combination vehicles, buses with more than 15 passengers and school buses) which resulted in 152 fatalities and 3,297.00 injuries. Of those collisions, 14,877 involved a large truck, which includes 125 fatal accidents. And of the all the collisions involving a commercial vehicle, only 18 of the persons operating commercial vehicle were among the fatalities, while the rest of the 134 deaths were of other motorists and non-motorists. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute has found that since 2013, collisions involving commercial vehicles increased by 5 percent, and 87 percent of those collisions occurred on Indiana state roads, interstates, and U.S. routes. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institutes notes that driver-related actions for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles account for 94 percent of the collisions involving commercial vehicles. The primary factors that cause the collisions include unsafe lane movement, improper passing and turning, following too closely, unsafe backing, failing to yield, and speeding over safe limits for certain weather conditions. In work zone collisions in 2017, large trucks were involved in 11 of the 24 fatal crashes for that year as reported by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, and that of the 28 fatalities of those collisions, large trucks were responsible for 13 of the fatalities. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that for 2017, 4,889 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes, a 9 percent increase from 2016, and a 40 percent increase from 2009 to 2017. Ultimately of the 710 fatal crashes in work zones for 2017, 216 involved large trucks and were responsible for 265 out of 799 fatalities.
Driving on any road that a commercial vehicle is on can be challenging and dangerous. For the drivers that must drive adjacent to these vehicles, any journey can be nerve-racking. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence or reckless actions of another individual operating a commercial vehicle, please contact the experienced legal team at Schiller Law Offices at 888-578-3100 or at IndyInjured.com to learn more about your potential right to compensation.
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