Truck Accidents in Colorado

Unfortunately, truck accidents are all too prevalent here in Colorado, with thousands of crashes every year, and dozens of fatalities. If you end up involved in a truck accident in Colorado, it’s important you hire a Denver truck accident attorney sooner rather than later. With trucking companies involved, and the cause needing to be determined without a doubt, it’s a process that requires expert assistance.

Below, we cover what causes truck accidents in Colorado, how serious the problem is, and what you need to do if you find yourself involved in one.

What Causes Truck Accidents in Colorado?

Unlike a car or motorcycle, the reasoning behind truck accidents in Colorado can differ significantly. In fact, the reason behind the crash may be entirely different to what would cause a motorcycle or car accident.

Some of the most common causes of a truck accident include a tire blowout or another serious disabling failure such as an engine failure or a hood blowing up. If you find yourself with a blown-out tire, you can lose control and run off the road. If your hood blows up while you’re driving, you’re unable to see where you’re going and may cause an accident before you’ve had a chance to stop.

Another common cause is when another vehicle encroaches into the truck’s lane or even dangerous driving by others who don’t want to be stuck going slowly behind them. Poor road maintenance, weather, objects on the road, speeding, and shifting cargo have also shown up in many statistics for the leading causes of truck accidents. Whatever the reason, you are going to need the expert help of an accident lawyer in Denver to help represent your case.

How Do the Numbers Stack Up?

If you are involved in a truck accident, be it your fault or someone else’s, you will immediately learn that the sheer size of the truck can make the crash much more severe than it would be if it were a car. There are over 1.7 million big rigs and 18-wheelers in the United States, equating to around 13 percent of the entire truck population.

Ninety-eight percent of accidents involving these vehicles will include a fatality. What’s more, for every 100 million miles on United States roads, there are 2.3 deaths caused by big rigs – 75 percent of which are caused by smaller passenger vehicles as opposed to the truck drivers, and 90 percent by human error in general.

What Should You Do When You Are Involved in a Truck Accident in Colorado?

Truck accidents are more challenging than car accidents, with more people involved – including truck companies. The first thing you need to do upon making sure the scene is secure, is call an attorney.

While at the scene, do not admit fault or talk to insurance companies. Instead, talk to witnesses, get driver information and contact numbers, and take plenty of photos. You then need to call your personal injury attorney to take the lead.

Because there are several reasons why a truck accident can occur, you also need to be careful about assuming any facts. Once you hand over your case to an attorney, they can then work with scene investigators to get to the bottom of what happened, and how the case can proceed. In many cases, your lawyer will also be in contact with the trucking company and their insurance company to work through the more delicate details.

Rather than go through the daunting process of a truck accident in Colorado on your own, make sure you have an experienced attorney behind you. They can take all the stress off your shoulders, help to establish a case, and settle the matter once and for all.