The most common ways truck drivers cause accidents almost always trace back to some form of human error, such as distracted driving, fatigue, or excessive speed. When a vehicle weighing up to 80,000 pounds is involved, these seemingly small mistakes can have devastating consequences for others on the road. If you or a loved one was involved in a trucking accident, exploring the common factors behind these incidents can highlight why holding negligent parties accountable is so important for your future and the safety of our communities.
While we share our Pennsylvania roads with commercial trucks every day, from the heavy traffic around State College to the long stretches of I-80 near DuBois, we trust that the operators are professional and careful. Unfortunately, the immense pressure of tight deadlines and long hours can lead to poor decisions behind the wheel. Many of the most common ways truck drivers cause accidents are directly tied to preventable human errors.
One of the most significant dangers in the trucking industry is driver fatigue. A tired driver can have reaction times as slow as someone who is impaired by alcohol. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established strict Hours of Service regulations to combat this, limiting how long a driver can be on the road without a rest break. However, pressure from employers or a desire to earn more can lead some drivers to push these limits or falsify their logbooks.
The warning signs of a dangerously tired driver are often clear and include:
When a driver ignores these signs and continues to operate a massive vehicle, they are putting everyone around them at grave risk.
When people think of distracted driving, they usually picture someone texting. While using a cell phone is a major issue, distractions for a commercial truck driver can come in many other forms. The cab of a tractor-trailer is a driver’s office, and they may be tempted to multitask while moving at highway speeds.
Common distractions for truck drivers include:
Any activity that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving is a dangerous distraction that can lead to a catastrophic accident.
A fully loaded tractor-trailer can take the length of a football field to come to a complete stop. When a driver is speeding, that distance increases dramatically. Speeding is especially dangerous on the winding roads and steep grades we see around Altoona and Johnstown. Drivers who are behind schedule may exceed the speed limit or drive too fast for conditions, such as in rain, fog, or snow.
Aggressive driving behaviors compound this danger and can include:
These actions are not just poor etiquette; they are negligent behaviors that frequently result in serious personal injury and wrongful death.
Beyond poor judgment calls, some of the common ways truck drivers cause accidents involve clear and direct violations of the law. These actions demonstrate a reckless disregard for the safety of others and often form the basis of a strong personal injury claim. When a professional driver breaks the rules, the consequences can be life-altering for innocent victims.
Operating any vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal and dangerous, but the stakes are exponentially higher for a commercial truck driver. Federal law holds commercial drivers to a much stricter standard, with a lower legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit than for other drivers. Unfortunately, substance abuse remains a persistent problem in the industry. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), even some prescription and over-the-counter medications can dangerously impair a driver’s abilities.
Impairment can lead to many critical driving errors, such as:
There is no excuse for a professional driver to get behind the wheel while impaired, and holding them accountable is essential for justice.
Truck drivers are required to obey all traffic laws, just like any other motorist. However, due to the size and handling limitations of their vehicles, certain violations are more likely to cause a devastating crash. For example, a truck making a wide right turn without checking its blind spot can easily crush a smaller vehicle.
Common traffic violations committed by truck drivers include:
These fundamental driving errors are a frequent cause of collisions and often indicate a lack of proper training or a pattern of careless behavior.
Sometimes, an accident is caused not by a driver’s action in the moment, but by a failure that occurred weeks or months earlier in a maintenance garage. Both the driver and the trucking company have a legal duty to ensure their vehicles are in safe, working order before heading out on the road. When they cut corners on maintenance to save time or money, they put unsafe equipment on our highways.
The braking system on a large truck is complex and requires regular, thorough inspections. If brakes are worn or poorly maintained, they can fail, especially on long downhill stretches. Similarly, tires must be properly inflated and have adequate tread. A sudden tire blowout at high speed can cause a driver to lose control completely, leading to a multi-vehicle pileup.
Key maintenance responsibilities include:
A failure in any of these basic checks can be traced back to the negligence of the driver, the trucking company, or a third-party maintenance crew.
The cargo inside a trailer must be loaded and secured correctly to prevent it from shifting during transit. If a load is unbalanced or not tied down properly, it can drastically alter the truck’s center of gravity, making a rollover more likely. In other cases, cargo can fall from an open-bed truck, creating a deadly hazard for any vehicle behind it. The FMCSA has specific cargo securement rules that all carriers must follow.
Consequences of improperly secured loads can include:
Investigating how cargo was loaded and by whom is a critical part of determining who is responsible for an accident.
After a devastating truck accident, one of the most important questions is, “Who is responsible?” The answer is often more complicated than it seems. While the driver’s actions may have been the direct cause, other parties could share legal responsibility, or what is known as liability. This is a legal term that simply means someone is responsible for the harm that was caused.
In many cases, the legal doctrine of respondeat superior applies. This is a Latin phrase that means “let the master answer,” and it holds an employer responsible for the negligent actions of its employees while they are on the job. This means the trucking company itself can often be held accountable.
Several different parties could be found liable after a truck crash, including:
Identifying all potentially responsible parties is a crucial step in ensuring that an injured person or their family can seek the full and fair compensation they need to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the causes of commercial truck accidents.
Bad weather does not excuse a truck driver from their responsibility to drive safely. In fact, professional drivers are held to a higher standard and are expected to adjust their driving for conditions like snow, ice, or heavy rain. This means they must slow down, increase their following distance, or even pull over if conditions become too dangerous. An accident caused by driving too fast for the weather conditions can still be the driver’s fault.
Yes, this is known as “negligent hiring.” Trucking companies have a duty to perform thorough background checks on their drivers to look for past traffic violations, a history of substance abuse, or other red flags. If they hire a driver they knew or should have known was unqualified or unsafe, the company can be held directly liable for any harm that driver causes.
Pennsylvania follows a “modified comparative negligence” rule. This means you can still recover damages as long as you are found to be 50% or less at fault for the accident. However, your total compensation award would be reduced by your percentage of fault. For instance, if you were found 10% at fault, your final award would be reduced by 10%.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, the road to recovery can feel long and uncertain. You are likely facing mounting medical bills, lost income, and significant pain while trying to figure out what to do next. Having an experienced and compassionate legal team on your side can make all the difference.
At Marcus & Mack, our mission is to seek justice for the injured. We are unified by a common passion to help our clients during one of the most difficult times of their lives. We know how to investigate complex truck accident cases, stand up to large trucking companies and their insurers, and fight for the resources you need to rebuild your life. We are part of your community, and we are here for you.
Because we work on a contingency fee basis, you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover financial compensation for you. Don’t wait to get the answers and support you need. Contact Marcus & Mack anytime (724) 349-5602 or through our online form—24 hours a day, 365 days a year—to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
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