Big Rig Accident Victims: Get Justice

Many big rig accidents are due to truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel

Why are many Americans victims of catastrophic accidents involving an 18-wheeler, semi truck, big rig, diesel truck, tractor trailer or other large truck? Sadly, it's because some drivers of such lumbering, long-distance vehicles fall asleep at the wheel.

That can happen to car drivers too, of course. But it's far more dangerous when it's a big rig driver who nods off. Such giant vehicles cause much more destruction and take longer to stop. Truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel for many reasons. In fact, it's virtually an occupational hazard. Such drivers tend to work long hours steering large loads from one state to another. And these long, slow, dull hours of work -- which may be in the middle of the night -- can contribute to falling asleep at the wheel.

In Kentucky, a big rig drifted across the median of Interstate 65 and plowed head-in into other vehicles coming toward it. One vehicle was a van filled with innocent people. At least 11 persons died overall, most of them from the van.

That 18-wheeler accident happened late at night, as did a Houston, TX tragedy in which one speeding big rig heedlessly crashed into the rear of another large truck on Interstate 10. The driver of the speeding truck died.

It's unknown if the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. Some drivers instead are distracted by electronics devices such as a personal computer, which many truckers carry with them on the road.

Yet falling asleep is a real danger for semi truck drivers. That's in part because, as research shows, many are obese, and obesity can cause sleep apnea, a disorder which makes victims sleep deprived. This means they're likely to be sleepy -- and perhaps even fall asleep -- while driving an 18-wheeler truck.

Why would truckers have a greater tendency to be obese? Stuck behind the wheel for long hours, many of them get little worthy exercise, and many may eat food as a diversion for the slow grind of driving.

Such conclusions came out of a Harvard University study of over 450 truck drivers laboring for 50 different trucking firms. The study estimates that one-fifth of 18-wheeler accidents are due to truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Its recommendation is that tractor trailer drivers be tested for obesity.

U.S. federal government statistics back this up, holding that up to 1,000 persons annually die because a large truck driver fell asleep at the wheel.

Want to learn more? Read more about large truck accidents, and learn to be wary.

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Tags:  Accident Injury · Personal Injuries · Personal Injury Lawsuit · Truck Accidents