There is no doubt that accidents involving large commercial trucks like tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, big rigs, and 18-wheelers cause serious damage. By many standards of measurement, truck accidents are far worse than car accidents, despite occurring less frequently. The risks of being a truck driver are significant—as are the risks to the drivers of cars, small trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles that share the road with large commercial vehicles.

Accidents with commercial trucks are especially dangerous and deadly because the trucks are so much larger and heavier than regular sized vehicles. There are some solutions that could prevent these accidents from happening, like trucking regulations, attentive drivers, and thorough inspections from trucking companies. However, these have proven to only reduce so many crashes.

No matter how much we try to prevent accidents with large trucks, they still happen. When you’ve been in a wreck with a commercial truck, you could be facing debilitating injuries and damages. That’s where a lawyer from McMath Woods, P.A. comes in. One of our lawyers will help you through the legal process so we can recover the financial compensation you deserve.

McMath Woods P.A. monitors the changes in laws, regulations, and rules regarding the trucking industry. It’s important for all drivers to understand the impact that these changes could have on the safety of the public. Recently, changes were made to the rules governing 18-wheelers and commercial drivers.

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Trump Administration is seeking to loosen the regulations governing the time that 18-wheeler drivers can spend on the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued the proposed changes to the “hours of services” rules. Those are the rules that dictate required breaks on and off duty. The changes will allow drivers more flexibility on when they take breaks and allow for a pause in their 14-hour workday.

Commercial vehicle accidents are on the rise. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA), there was a 2 percent increase from 2015 to 2016 in the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks and buses. Approximately 4,440 large vehicles used to transport goods, services, or people were in accidents in 2016. The results are often devastating. Physical injuries, financial burdens, and fatalities affect thousands of families.

It’s important to be aware of how often commercial drivers cause accidents. This awareness can encourage the further pursuit of knowledge as to why these collisions happen and what can be done about stopping them. Let’s take a look at the number of annual tractor-trailer accidents in Arkansas.