Common Causes of Truck Accidents in San Mateo

Large commercial trucks pose serious risks on San Mateo roadways. Collisions with passenger vehicle drivers often cause catastrophic injuries, high medical bills, and uncertain futures. Many truck accidents share common causes, including driver fatigue, distracted driving, disregard for speed limits, inadequate driver training, equipment failures, and company practices that prioritize profits over safety.

For over four decades, the injury attorneys at Carcione, Henderson & Markowitz, LLP have fought for San Mateo truck accident victims and secured multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements. Our legal team’s approach is to thoroughly investigate the causes of truck accidents and aggressively pursue justice for our clients.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents in San Mateo?

Truck accidents have a wide range of contributing factors. Multiple elements often converge to create dangerous driving situations. Federal research and real-world case data reveal patterns that help explain why these large motor vehicle crashes occur.

Driver Error

Human error remains the leading cause of commercial truck accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, which examined serious crashes nationwide. The study found that driver-related factors accounted for 87 percent of the critical reasons assigned to large trucks involved in crashes.

Driver Fatigue

Long hours, irregular sleep, and the added stress of demanding delivery schedules can create exhaustion that causes a driver to be physically impaired.

Federal regulations limit property-carrying drivers to 11 hours behind the wheel after 10 hours off duty and passenger-carrying drivers to 10 hours of driving after eight hours off duty. Despite these rules, hours-of-service violations occur. Fatigue is a serious problem in the trucking industry.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving draws a truck driver’s attention away from the task of driving. Texting, phone use, eating, adjusting navigation, or daydreaming can have devastating effects. Trucks require more time and distance to stop than cars.

A momentary distraction becomes more dangerous in an 80,000-pound vehicle.

Speeding and Reckless Driving

Speeding increases accident severity and reduces response time to dangerous situations. Trucks traveling too fast cannot stop in time to avoid a crash. A truck’s heavy weight makes many crashes deadly for the occupants of other vehicles.

Aggressive driving includes several factors, such as tailgating, weaving, and failing to signal.

Driving Under the Influence

Alcohol and drug use impair a driver’s ability to recognize a dangerous situation adequately and react in time to avoid a collision and maintain safe truck operation. While commercial drivers face stricter blood alcohol limits than other motorists, violations still occur.

Federal regulations prohibit commercial drivers from operating vehicles with any detectable alcohol in their system. A truck driver convicted of drunk driving may lose their commercial driver’s license.

Lack of Experience

The trucking industry has experienced significant turnover in recent years, with seasoned drivers retiring and being replaced by newer operators. Inexperienced drivers often lack the skills needed to handle unexpected road situations and avoid workplace accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offers various training sessions on topics such as safe driving practices and Hours of Service regulations. Drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 faced three times the risk of fatal crashes due to distracted driving compared to older operators.

Vehicle and Equipment Failure

Regular inspections and maintenance can prevent mechanical failures, but when companies try to cut corners and fail to perform maintenance on vehicles, equipment breakdowns put other drivers and everyone on the road at risk.

Brake Problems

When brakes malfunction on a heavy truck, the driver loses the ability to slow or stop the vehicle. Federal research found brake problems in 29 percent of large trucks involved in crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating reports of faulty automatic emergency braking systems in commercial trucks.

Tire Defects

Tire blowouts contribute to poor directional control. Truck drivers have reduced ability to control a big rig traveling at highway speeds. Worn treads, improper inflation, and defective tires all adversely affect traffic accident risk.

Company Negligence

Trucking companies are responsible for hiring, training, and supervising drivers and other employees. They must maintain their fleets and set reasonable delivery schedules. When these duties are neglected or workers receive improper training, accidents are more likely to occur.

Improper Training: Drivers without adequate training are unprepared for the challenges of operating commercial vehicles. Training programs teach defensive driving, vehicle handling, and emergency procedures. A business that skips worker training creates risks for drivers and the community.

Poor Maintenance: Vehicles must be inspected and maintained. Disregarded repairs and missed maintenance schedules can lead to mechanical failures and dangerous consequences. Federal regulations require inspections, but enforcement varies, and violations happen.

Unrealistic Schedules: Tight deadlines push drivers to take unsafe shortcuts. Federal data shows 10 percent of drivers involved in crashes felt work pressure. Commercial carriers share responsibility when rushed drivers cause accidents.

Other Factors

Rain, fog, snow, and ice reduce visibility and traction, making control harder. Failing to adjust speed to weather and traffic conditions increases risk.

Poor road conditions, such as potholes, sharp curves, and unmarked construction zones, are a contributing factor in one of every five crashes. Improperly loaded cargo can shift, causing instability or jackknifing.

Overloaded trailers reduce braking ability. Large trucks also have wide blind spots, making lane changes dangerous when cars stay are hidden in the blind spots.

How Determining the Cause Helps Your Truck Accident Case

Determining how a truck accident occurred is crucial to establishing liability and identifying all the responsible parties, including drivers, trucking companies, maintenance contractors, and manufacturers.

An experienced San Mateo personal injury attorney will start gathering evidence as soon as possible. Logbooks show hours-of-service violations. Black box data reveals speed and braking patterns. Witness statements complete the picture for strong claims.

Contact a San Mateo Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Truck accident victims face powerful opponents. Trucking companies have teams of lawyers to protect their interests. Victims need strong legal representation to seek justice and just compensation after a serious accident. Carcione, Henderson & Markowitz, LLP has over 40 years of success representing injured clients. Our law firm’s selective approach ensures focused attention on major claims. Notable outcomes include $290,000,000 in Romo v. Ford Motor Company and $41,400,000 in Provenza v. Lemans.

Clients appreciate the firm’s hands-on support. Jonas Nikoloff shared, “All staff members were extremely supportive and helpful. I had minimal effort for a 1.5-year-long process, which ended successfully. Communication was very fast, efficient, and supportive. I would definitely recommend that office and am grateful for everything.”

Call a trusted San Mateo Truck accident attorney at (650) 367-6811 or contact us online for a free consultation. You pay no legal fees unless we win your case.