Truck driving requires sustained focus and skill. Truckers should always be properly trained and understand the risks before getting into the driver’s seat of a semi. The size and weight of a semi truck makes the vehicle more difficult to operate compared to other types of vehicles, and therefore, drivers have to use safe driving habits to keep themselves and others from harm. Dangerous truck driving can look very similar to what a reckless car driver does, but usually with more devastating consequences.

Most of us have driven next to a semi truck, and have noticed just how intimidating their presence can be. Most people are not comfortable driving alongside or near a semi truck at all, which is understandable. So do your best to steer clear of semi trucks and report them if you observe dangerous behavior. Even if you are not directly impacted by a truck collision, someone else on the roadway could suffer because the trucker continued to drive when they shouldn’t have been. 

Any trucker who fails to obey the rules of the road and risks the safety of others around them can be held liable for an accident that ensues. As a truck accident attorney explains, any risky maneuver can threaten the safety of others, but these actions in particular are most dangerous:

• Failing to use a signal when turning
• Running a stop sign or red light
• Failing to yield to another vehicle
• Driving too slow or speeding
• Swerving between or across lanes
• Tailgating another vehicle ahead

If you notice a truck driver is doing any of these behaviors or otherwise endangering the public, then you need to call the police as soon as it is safe to do so. Because of the size of the truck itself, which can weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds, whatever it is that the truck crashed into is likely to sustain the most damage. Anyone who is inside of a car upon impact is going to sustain severe injury, and is unlikely to walk away unscathed. Truck accidents can be tragic, where lives are lost. For this reason, if you see someone not driving safely, you have to call the authorities and stay as far away from the truck as possible. If you can do so safely, get the license plate number and a description of the truck driver. 

If you have been hit by a semi truck, there are actions you can take next. It is not uncommon for people who have been in truck accidents to get help from a legal team, for help getting compensation for how they have suffered. Your lawyer can walk you through the next steps if you want to pursue restitution. When consulting with your legal team, bring as much information and evidence as you can to the appointment so they can give you reliable insight on how to move forward. The truck driver, trucking company, part manufacturer, or other party may be liable for the injuries and damages that the innocent parties experienced.