Over the weekend, there was a semi-truck crash on I-26 in Buncombe County. According to WLOS ABC News Channel 13, the incident happened on Saturday morning near Glenn Bridge Road. Very few details about this truck crash have been released, but we do know that an eastbound semi-truck veered off of the roadway. Initial reports indicate that the truck driver may have swerved to avoid hitting debris in the roadway. At least one person was injured in this crash. The cause of this tractor-trailer wreck is likely still under investigation with local law enforcement officials.
The NHTSA on Large Truck Crashes
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines large trucks as any medium or heavy truck, excluding buses and motor homes, with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) greater than 10,000 lbs. In 2016, 80 percent of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes were heavy large trucks (GVWR> 26,000 lbs.).
Semi Truck Crashes by The Numbers
- Between 2015 and 2016, there was a 5.4 percent increase in crash fatalities involving large trucks.
- In 2015, there were 4,094 fatalities in crashes involving large trucks.
- In 2016, there were 4,317 fatalities in crashes involving large trucks.
- 79 percent of fatal crashes involving large trucks happened on weekdays in 2016.
- In 2016, 72 percent of people killed in crashes involving large trucks were occupants in other vehicles.
- Two percent of the large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2016 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .08 g/dL or higher.
Asheville Truck Accident Lawyer
After any kind of tractor-trailer accident, it’s important to speak with a lawyer about your claim. Due to additional federal safety regulations, accident investigations involving commercial trucks can take longer than accident investigations involving only smaller passenger occupant vehicles. It’s important to determine if a trucking company or truck driver was in compliance with all roadway safety laws and federal safety regulations during a crash investigation. These rules and regulations help to keep roadways safe, so it’s critical that commercial trucking companies are in compliance at all times. A lawyer can be your advocate as you recover from your injuries.
If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a truck accident in Asheville or in any of the nearby Western North Carolina communities, contact the skilled and proven team at Davis Law Group, P.A. at 828-303-2842 for a free case consultation today.