A loaded tractor trailer can take 20 to 40 percent longer to stop than a passenger car. If the driver of that truck is speeding, then there may be even less time to react to prevent a serious truck accident. Yet speeding remains a leading cause of accidents and resulting injuries and fatalities.
What Is Speeding?
As you might expect, speeding includes traveling over the posted speed limit. However, there are other ways that speeding may also occur. A trucker may be speeding, for example, if the trucker is driving too fast for traffic conditions or too fast for weather conditions. For example, if the highway is congested or the local roads are wet and slippery, then a driver could be speeding even if the driver is traveling below the posted speed limit.
Why Truckers Speed
It is no secret that speeding is dangerous and that it can be life-threatening. However, many truckers do it anyway. While each trucker may have his own reasons for speeding, some of the reasons why truckers speed include:
- Not understanding that speeding is dangerous. Many drivers believe that they can stay in control even when they are speeding.
- Being in a hurry. There may be incentives to getting to their destination earlier. These incentives may come from trucking companies or the incentive may be that work is done sooner than it otherwise would be if the trucker had traveled at the speed limit.
- Not paying attention. Some truckers may speed without realizing that they are doing it.
- Being confident that they won’t be caught. Some truckers may believe that they can get away with speeding.
Overall, truckers who speed may believe that the benefits of speeding outweigh the potential consequences.
How to Prove a Trucker Was Speeding
You may have a feeling that a trucker was traveling too fast; however, if you are going to claim that the trucker was negligent because he was speeding, then you are going to need proof that the trucker was speeding. Potential evidence could include:
- A police report. The police may investigate the accident and determine, based on skid marks and other data, that the trucker was speeding.
- Electronic data from the truck. Some trucks automatically record the truck’s speed, and this information may be available from the trucking company if you know how to request in a legally compelling way.
- Witnesses testimony. Eyewitnesses who saw the truck immediately before the crash may be able to testify about the truck’s speed.
- An accident reconstructionist. The expert opinion of an accident reconstructionist could help you prove that a trucker was speeding.
- The trucker’s own words. Properly worded interrogatories or deposition questions may require the trucker to admit that he was speeding.
If you’ve been injured or your loved one has been killed in a trucking accident, then it is important to make sure that a full investigation is done into the cause of the truck wreck. After this investigation is complete, then you will know which parties may be liable for your injuries and you can pursue a fair settlement or court verdict. You need to speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to help you with this. Contact us online or call us directly at 800.800.5678 to schedule your free consultation.
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