Commercial Truck Accidents Are Common and Deadly Tennessee Road Hazards

When we hear about a commercial truck accident in Tennessee, we cringe. Whether it involved an eighteen-wheeler or another large commercial truck, these road monsters can cause so much more damage than a passenger car.

And truck accidents, while the numbers are decreasing nationwide, are not rare. In October 2011, for example, a semi-tractor trailer drifted into a Nebraska median, overcorrected and overturned, blocking the roadway.

It was then clipped by a second semi and finally hit by a commercial bus, injuring dozens of passengers, including the driver. Some passengers claim the bus driver was talking on her cell phone at the time of the accident.

Car Versus Semi

An average passenger car weighs about 3,000 pounds. Pit that against a loaded 80,000-pound commercial truck, and disaster is certainly likely. Several factors determine how serious a commercial truck accident will be:

• Whether or not the truck is loaded
• Whether or not the freight is flammable or hazardous
• How fast either or both vehicles are traveling
• Whether or not the driver of either vehicle is distracted or impaired

In a 2006 US Department of Transportation study of police-reported crashes, almost 5,000 people were killed in large truck accidents (about 11% of all US roadway fatalities), and 106,000 were injured (about 4% of all accidents).

Know Your Rights

If you or a loved one was involved in a truck accident and think the driver of the truck or the trucking company was at fault, you should be aware of your rights. The first thing you must do is to prove that a person or a company was negligent.

What is negligence? One example might be the truck driver texting on his cell phone at the time he hit your vehicle. The driver could be named as a defendant because he did not "exercise a reasonable degree of care" to keep you from getting hurt.

Another example would be the trucking company refusing to replace worn tires, and a blowout on the truck caused your accident. In this case, the trucking company could be considered negligent.

And it is possible that others could be held responsible along with the driver and company. You could also receive damages for your injuries from contractors, employers, and insurance companies.

Know When to Get Help

Because, as we have said, Tennessee commercial truck accidents frequently result in severe injuries and even death, and because the law can be confusing, it is probably a good idea to contact an experienced Memphis personal injury attorney to help you sort through your options.
An attorney can:

• Help you deal with the aftermath of the accident, including medical costs, lost wages, and emotional suffering.
• Explain the steps in filing a lawsuit against those who caused your accident.
• Take action against those who were negligent.
• Take care of the many necessary parts of a legal action, including research, witness interviews, negotiations, and trial preparation.

If you want the best possible legal outcome for your commercial truck accident, please call Bailey & Greer in Memphis toll-free at 888-470-9143 today. We have the knowledge, experience, and integrity to help you win your case and recover your losses.


Bailey & Greer represents people with trucking accident claims in Tennessee and Mississippi, including Memphis, Germantown, Bartlett, Cordova, Collierville, Arlington, Lakeland, and all of Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton Counties. We have also handled cases in Arkansas, Georgia, and Missouri.