Common Causes of Holiday Truck Accidents

Summary:

• Holiday traffic patterns and the demands placed on truck drivers can increase the risk of truck accidents.
• Drivers and truckers are vulnerable to multiple types of distractions during the holiday season.
• Truck driver fatigue is already a common cause of collisions, and it is exacerbated during the holiday season due to truckers’ increased workload.
• Higher rates of drunk driving during holidays pose a risk to the safety of all road users, although truck drivers are less likely to be at fault in drunk driving accidents.
• Other factors, such as mechanical failures, winter weather, and inexperienced truck drivers contribute to holiday truck accidents in New York.

The holiday season is often synonymous with heavy traffic congestion as New Yorkers venture out to attend parties, families travel to celebrate with loved ones, and shoppers scramble to pick up last-minute gifts or meal ingredients. During this time, New Yorkers are at a greater risk of being injured or killed in holiday truck accidents.

Truck drivers are subject to stressful conditions that can impact their performance, and in general, motorists tend to engage in higher rates of reckless behavior during the holiday season. This dangerous combination can result in truck accidents with catastrophic injuries and fatalities. New Yorkers may be entitled to compensation if another party’s negligence caused their truck accident injuries.

At Cellino Law, we offer free consultations to prospective clients where a truck accident attorney can provide your case with the individualized attention it deserves. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the personal injury claims process and receive a preview of how you would be treated as a client. Give us a call at (888) 888-8888 or complete our online contact form.

Distractions Contribute to Tragic Holiday Truck Accidents

For drivers and truckers alike, cognitive and visual distractions abound during the holiday season. Motorists may let their minds wander to travel plans, their shopping lists, and memories from past holidays. Mentally disconnecting from surrounding traffic is a common but dangerous driving habit that can lead to truck collisions if a distracted motorist fails to yield, stop, or follow the speed limit.

Bright decorations, heavy pedestrian traffic, and other accident scenes can also lure a motorist’s attention away from the road. This is a particularly risky form of distracted driving for truckers to engage in because they need as much time as possible to anticipate a motorcyclist turning into their path, a driver switching lanes, or a pedestrian crossing the street so they can react accordingly.

Holiday Truck Accidents Can Result From Truck Driver Fatigue

Truck driver fatigue is already a concern, but during the holiday season, truckers are often under additional stress to meet deadlines. Online ordering has skyrocketed in recent years, exponentially increasing the volume of goods to be transported and placing further pressure on truckers. 

Truck drivers who are exhausted from holiday shifts may exhibit delayed reaction times and run red lights, fail to recognize that they are speeding or drift out of their lanes, or make lane changes without carefully checking their blindspots. Studies have shown that drowsy driving can be comparable to drunk driving.

Higher Rates of Drunk Driving During the Holidays Increase the Risk of Truck Accidents

Data from the NHTSA shows that drunk driving during the holidays is responsible for hundreds of deaths each year. Alcohol can affect the brain within minutes, and you don’t have to be over the legal limit to show signs of impairment. Unfortunately, increased incidents of drunk driving coincide with a greater volume of trucks on the road during the holiday season.

Motorists who drive drunk endanger everyone around them because they are less capable of perceiving speed or distance, physically maneuvering their vehicles, and making sound decisions. According to the FMCSA, drunk driving is much less common among truck drivers than it is among drivers of cars, but the results are often catastrophic for other road users.

Postponed Maintenance Interferes With Truck Drivers’ Ability to Operate Safely

Hectic holiday schedules can lead trucking companies to temporarily neglect routine maintenance practices in favor of quicker turnaround times. However, tasks like replacing worn tires and brake pads, conducting oil changes, and inspecting the truck’s steering are essential. The trucking company may be liable if a mechanical failure occurs and leads to a holiday truck accident with injuries.

Winter Weather Coincides With Busy Season For Truck Drivers

In places like New York, truck drivers have to take extra precautions in the winter to avoid collisions. Roads covered in snow and ice can be particularly treacherous for trucks that lose their traction, as their massive size means they gather momentum quickly. Truckers may lose control of their rig and be unable to prevent their truck from sliding into other vehicles.

Another issue truckers encounter in winter weather is low visibility conditions. If a truck driver is unable to see clearly due to snow, they may inadvertently tailgate another vehicle, run a red light or stop sign, miss a yield sign or a changing speed limit, or drift out of their lane and crash into another vehicle or road user.

Holiday Truck Accidents Can Be Attributed to Inexperienced Truck Drivers 

Employers are responsible for ensuring their truck drivers are properly vetted and trained, but they may be tempted to relax standards during the holiday season in order to acquire and deploy the number of drivers they need to meet their deadlines. As a result, the trucking company may be liable if their untrained driver is responsible for a crash.

Holiday truck accidents may be caused by truck drivers who have limited prior experience operating massive vehicles like big rigs before being thrust onto the roads during one of the busiest times of the year. Newer truck drivers may fail to recognize dangerous situations or panic under pressure and overcorrect.

Why You Should Choose Cellino Law to Negotiate Your Truck Accident Claim

Holiday truck accidents can range from a serious inconvenience to a life-threatening tragedy. At Cellino Law, our truck accident attorneys will treat your case with the same degree of importance regardless of size. As our client testimonials will confirm, we place your needs at the center of the personal injury claims process. 

In addition to our high client satisfaction rates, we have a history of outstanding case results that makes our team the clear choice for injured New Yorkers. Our truck accident attorneys will utilize the resources at our disposal and apply our considerable expertise to maximize your compensation for your damages in a truck accident settlement.

Contact Cellino Law About Your New York Holiday Truck Accident Lawsuit

No one wants to deal with the fallout of a truck accident during the holiday season, which is why you need an experienced personal injury attorney to make the process of recovering compensation as smooth as possible. At Cellino Law, we will relentlessly negotiate for a settlement that reflects not just the financial toll of your truck accident, but the emotional consequences as well.

If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a New York holiday truck accident, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with one of our qualified personal injury attorneys to discuss your options for pursuing compensation. You can get in touch with our team by calling (888) 888-8888 or completing our online contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the types of New York truck accidents?

The size discrepancy between a large truck and other vehicles often means that the occupants of the smaller motor vehicle sustain more severe injuries. The way in which the vehicles collide can also influence the level of injuries that result. The most common types of truck accidents include:

• Jackknife accidents
• Head-on collisions
• Side-swipe collisions
• Rear-end collisions
• Rollover accidents
• Lost load accidents
• Underride accidents
• Override accidents

How many truck accidents happen in New York each year?

Based on the latest truck accident statistics available from 2021, there were 16,467 large truck accidents in New York. That means large truck accidents in New York accounted for approximately 10% of large truck accidents nationwide. New York ranks in the top ten states for the highest number of large truck accidents.

How long does it take to settle a truck accident claim?

On average, personal injury claims are settled in 6 to 18 months. Truck accident claims involving third-party liability or multiple negligent parties often take longer. On the off chance that your New York truck accident case goes to trial, you should expect that the process will exceed the typical timeline for a personal injury claim.