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How inexperience and poor health can lead to trucking accidents

On Behalf of | Mar 6, 2023 | Truck Accidents

Trucks are often intimidating in size. You likely know from just a glance that an accident with a truck could lead to fatal injuries. Unfortunately, that’s a reality for many people as, each year, thousands of people die from trucking accidents.

Most trucking accidents are preventable. These are just two of the influences that too often lead to catastrophic collisions involving large commercial trucks.

Mental and physical health

Trucking is an immensely difficult occupation, despite what anyone says. While it may be some people’s dream to sit in a vehicle and drive for many miles, it isn’t the type of dream job that lasts. The trucking industry is especially hard on drivers’ mental and physical health.

Many truckers are asked to work nonstop for many miles and hours. As a result, many truckers aren’t able to attend to their basic needs. Some truckers may not be able to get three hot meals a day, a full night’s rest, exercise or wash themselves regularly. Oftentimes, truckers have to resort to the bare minimum, such as living on fast food and taking constant power naps.

All of these challenges can quickly add up and hurt a trucker’s health. The constant consumption of high-calorie meals can lead to obesity and high blood pressure. Their poor sleep schedule could lead to insomnia or even delirium. These physical health issues can lead to mental struggles. In addition, trucking is an isolated job, which can quickly lead to depression.

A trucker’s declining mental and physical health can affect their driving. They may not be aware of their actions because of their lack of sleep and they may swerve off the road or rear-end drivers. If a trucker suffers a stroke while driving, then there’s no telling what could happen, except for a traumatic accident.

Untrained and inexperienced truckers

As a result of an economic struggle to hire workers over the last several years, many companies are hiring younger workers. Many young drivers are already at high risk of causing a car accident, which is caused by their inexperience on the road. As such, it’s only reasonable to believe that a young driver behind the wheel of a truck is likely to cause an accident.

If you end up in an accident involving a large truck, then you should be aware of who’s at fault. You will need to know your legal options when seeking compensation for your injuries and damages. In order to receive as much compensation as you’re rightfully owed, it will be important to understand whether a trucker’s inexperience and/or health issues played a role in what has happened to you.

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